The Labor enquirer., 1883-09-08
DYNAMITE is strong to-day at 45c
RLOODY REVOLUTION ".

The labor question-the question of
the working classes having the absolute
necessities of life-is becoming more
and more important every day, and its
final settlement cannot much longer be
put off. Every thinking person, be he
laborer or not, can but see the rapid
growth of the evils which tend to pau
perize the poor, and men who year
ago gave no thought to the subject, or II
they did, placed no great stress upon 1t,
are to-day shaking their heads and ad-
hitting one to another that the situation
is becoming grave one. Newspapers
which have had no space to spare, dis.
cussing the situation of the common
people, are now forced to look into the
matter and express opinions; and the
majority of the opinions which they do
express are sad commentaries upon the
Justice and humanity of their editors, or
disgusting evidences Of the influence Of
money and power.
How to settle the growing trouble is
the absorbing question with the good
and wise men of to-day, and the query
goes unanswered, save in the unspoken
convictions of the deep studier.
Everybody grants there is something
wrong with the machinery which runs
our affairs; every one, save the money
king and monopolist, and he knows it,
though he says it not, All agree that
something must be done, and that
quickly, or we are lost as a people and a
country.
1t is not the purpose of this article to
deal with what should be done, but what
may be.
The Tribune, in an article on the sub
ject the other day, said it doub@6
whetherif the ttthfe'rg,rr9*tt rg,rr9*th fA9nopoly is
not checked it would result in bloody
revolution. Let US hook the question and
situation squarely in the face and see if
the doubt is well founded.
AS was said before, everyone, or nearly
so, admits that the grasping corporations
are swiftly winding their monOpolistic
coil around us. Combinations are being
formed in every branch of productive
and distrIbutive industry. The means
of gaining bare subsistence are daily
growing fewer. The manufactured
wealth and natural resources of the
country are rapidly concentrating in the
hands of few individuals. Everything
I is being produced and distributed by
| gigantic combinations, and those combi-
| nations are continually being condensed
/ in a central The rights Of the people are
! being subjugated tothe privileges of the
few. The middle class, the keystone to
commercial prosperity, is fast being re-
duced to the lower class, their means
being absorbed by the heavy combina
ton capitalist. In word, the means o
obtaining a livelihood are taken from
the Individual and delegated to a ring
and all this has been and is being done
under the law; that is, we are told tina
no human laws are violated by the mem
bers of this ring.
Now steps in Mr. Peacemeasure5 anC
says we can and will fix this matter b,
Legislation, which We will control b,
that grand American prerogative-th
ballot. How long have we heard tina
kind of talk? How is it that in the fac
of all this goody-goody talk about tn
ballot comforting upon every citizen c
this great land the power to maintai
his equality and rights and privilege
with every other man, the condition {
the people is daily growing worse?
Ah there's where the trouble hs
been. We have been deluded, blinde
and ssindled through this very ballc
talk. Had the right of the ballot bee
taken fren the working people of tn
country ten years ago, we ewould not t.
4 day bewhere we are. We have huge
this peace-dove to our breasts and it h;
transformed into serpent and stung u
Il 1t has been the soft soap with. which v
have been literally rubbed. How mar
Y thousands of efforts have been made
procure small benefits through the ball
and have failed when the time came
effect them?
There is no use in wasting breath
paper on this subject. 1t is patent
any man who is not fool that if the e
| preston! of a peoples WILL as given
the ballot-box, had been respected, the
would be no ground to-day for argume
on the subject. s. -...
Z Nothing can be gained by appealil
to the humanity-if they have any
- the men who are throttling the count
md planning starvation for, the peop
st they may have more have
" voice in the land, every public
nerth may turn loose upon J
n attempt to shame him,
reaten or appeal to him a
nu6n one turn of the scrt