The Labor enquirer., 1882-12-30
Who is to Blame.


From the Lafayette Star.
1t is in no unkind spirit that the Star
asks the workingmen, who is to blame
for the state of affairs that exists to-day
so far as this condition is concerned.
No honest and intelligent man will deny
that, as matters now stand, the man who
produces the wealth, does hot properly
share that wealth. The cunning and
shrewdness of few men have brought
such a state of affairs that they control
the happiness and destiny of the nation.
If this be true, for whom will these few
disguised kings manipulate affairs? Will
it be, is it, for the good of the people?
Will they try to promote the happiness,
unity the interests, and strengthen the
liberty of the ones who produced for
them the wealth? Is it reasonable to
presume that they will aim to benefit
anybody but themselves? And that
they will use every means known to
them and God knows they are without
number-to keep in perpetual existence
the conditions that render possible their
mighty aggrandizements? Assuredly
not 1t will not do, to say that Gould,
Vanderbilt, Field and Sage must some
time die, their power be felt no longer.
Their death would not loosen a single
fetter that labor wears, or render a whit
more possible its. emancipation. Other
brains would take their places and carry
to greater pitch their kingly authority
over the life of the nation. 1t is human
cunning and sharpness after all and it
can't die with the death of any three or
four individuals. The principle retains
its vigOr and will wait not single mo-
ment to be embraced by the first man
who can comprehend it, Now, who is
responsible for the possibility, nay, the
existence, of such principle? Is it they
who exercise this power of controlling
the affairs of the people? Most certainly
lot. Their doings are sanctioned by law,
and they are amenable to no earthly
court, They are law abiding citizens
and the laws of the the land uphold
them. 1t is puerile to stigmatize them
as robbers and hard hearts, as>selfsh
and villainous men. Some of them may
in truth be such, but this of itself would
not give them power to work injustice
and wrong to their fellow men. There
is no more open-hear ted, generous,
philanthropic man in Lafayette then MIR.
Perrin; and if he gets gain out of the
banking system of the country, a system
that is inimical to honest industry and
a menace to the republic he is not to be
blamed therefor. The law offers to him
the privilege, and the "head and front of
his offending is that he accepts the
offer. If, then, the men who take
advantage of the law, are not to blame,
who are? Why the votes ofa majority of
the people. Who constitute a voting
majority in the United States? The
workingm en-those who live on the
earnings 0ftheir labor. whether it is be-
fore the glare of the furnace fire, behind
the merchants counter, OR on the farm,
and not those who live upon the earn
ings of their money. These are they
who constitute the majority, they who
are responsible for the existance of all
laws on the statute books of the COM
monwealth; and upon the workingmen
themselves rests the blame for the
oppression they allow. Do workmen
say they have no time to study and find
out what is best for their interests, and
must, therefore, of necessity, trust their
interests in other hands? Well. in the,
name of God, sirs, if you keep on doing
this, how long will it take, in the light of
what you have thus far gained, for your
betterment to be accomplished? The