The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1883-04-26
THE PHILOSOPHY OF RIGHTS.
A Brief Essay Showing that the Natural
Tendency or Human Affairs Mast Ger
tainly Result In the Long delayed Good
ra..,n Ts,,.fnu

t.Apex, In the American Statcsman.l
Right and wrong are continually
striving for mastery; but the right to
life, liberty and the pursuit OF happi-
ness has become an acknowledged prin-
ciple; and any governmental policy
having tendency in the opposite direc- |
ton must be rejected by all thinking
men rs erroneous.
Liberty and slavery stand as two OPP
posing forces, or, rather, they consti-
tnte the positive and negative elements
Of motion in the mind OF man.
In every department Of human
thought and action, life is dnalism,
and tendency in one direction is ever
met by m opposing force; consequent
", life is contest, for in the absence
OF any contest there is no life. A life
Of idleness is impossible; for whatever
we essay to do, some obstruction is sure
to present itself in our path.
Work or starve is the only natural
alternative for animal life, whether in
mankind or brute kind, and upon this
plan, might is right But in the hu-
man species there is supposed by some
to be moral element, which rises to a
higher level, and relates to ideas, to
emotion and to love. The coming po-
litical party will introduce this moral
element into politics.
Ideas more the norld, a concep-
ton must exist in reality before the
form OF substance can appear as the
shadow of that which was its cause.
For things Of matter are only charac-
ters standing to represent ideas.
Freedom is condition which is ever
unattainable until the mind conceiyes
it, and the different degrees of freedom
that may be noticed rs enjoyed by the
various nations or races Of men are al
ways dependent upon the capacity Of
mind in the people Of whom YOU are to
judge.
Freedom, then, implies that the free
man shall know for himself what it is
to be free.
To know, one must think; and the
only sound basis for free people is the
intellectual and moral development Of
the individual man.
Thus, education must ever be the
lever by which the people are to be
brought up from the animal to the ideal
plane.
II is question of power in kind and
extent.
In most Of the relations Of men to
each other, and the material things Of
earth, the selfish propensity takes pre-
cedence, and predominates over the
moral and ideal, and until recently very
few men have questioned the correct
ness and justice OF this condition oi
things.
Whatever exists has the innate all-
thority to be what it is, by virtue of its
being the effect of some anterior cause
Absolutely might is right, but physica
right is not always moral right.
The big fish eat the little ones. an,
this is right, for it is merely q physical
action in which no moral element en-
ters; but when strong man robs hi.
weaker brother, we consider there j:
something wrong about it.
But in the far, or near, future mal
shall have attained to better condi
ton rs regards the development of tn,
humanitarian element within him, an,
the animalism. nav so prevalent, shal
be forced to succumb to the d;ctation Q
the higher qualities of the mind, thcl
il will be pleasant to think that nigh
is right; for the poets have sung Q
their happy future, as the good tim
coming, "when the might with tin
right shall be-
Thomas CARLYLE says: Might an,
right do differ frightfully from hour +
hour, hut give them centuries to try
in, they are found to be identical. Th
strong thing is the jus; thing, this tho
wilt find throughout in our world"
We, the people, accept the philoso
ply Of Mr.. Carlyle, and will proceed 7
test our power.
We start out with the purpose Of e.
tablishing "a Government Of the pee
pie, by the people and for the people,
as opposed to the rich mans Govern
!. ment, which is a Government of til
: people by the rich and for the ricl
Herein lies the contest, and may til
strongest win. We advocate the con
mon brotherhood Of humanity. and il
sist on the application Of the principl
!, of equal rights and opportunities to al
: We contend that all persons shoul
Z receive the same amount of compens;
. ton for the same work III quality an
). quantity.
We believe that every man has IL
:. inherent right Of Government prote
= ton in his claim to hold and manat
= his own property, but that property ca
y J, only consist OF those things which n
- :. the product Of labor.
!" The earth belongs to mankind, al
not to few men.
1t is evident that land monopolies a
the great curse Of those countries whe
:. they exist, and any system that encou
$ ages large landed estates must be resis
IN ed by all legitimate means.
1t is evident also that the accumul
le ton of vast wealth in the han
ne of few has an inevitable te
y. dency to corruption and fraud amo
r. rich men, and implies poverty a
~ degradation in the great mass Of
n' borers.
~ We find that great majority OF I
ny people are always ut work and alwa
- poor.
IS. Capital rides and labor goes afoot.
nj The rich non-prodncer has at
- command more Neallu lIlath - iol
, own best good, while the poor sea
ny stress sings the Song of the Shir
- .Oh, God! that flesh and blood sho,
be so cheap and bread SO dear.
no A few get the lions share Of TIN
of things which are the product Of all
II people, while the many are continue
he IN want Of the common comforts OF !
re- The legislation Of the country Is {
ti,, ried on BY, and in the interest {
~ class.
'ed To great and alarming extent mo-
"a dictates in Washington and III Bost
Ait The press and the pulpit are
a,a altogether free from mercenary
NV nuences.
en. Rich men combine III the form OF
corporated companies, and by
!. means of vast wealth, gosernm
to patronage and special privileges,
! to the customs If tradition IN trade
hi speculation, they 81 arrange the =
ness If the eoaniIy that the Morl