The Labor enquirer., 1883-12-29
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sy1pm The Craitanan.
Man b N aggressive animal, and the
history Of the psst shows that war and
strifs Is his normal condition. This is
mot accident, but Is an element implanted
In his soul by an all-wise Providence =
N incentive to action and improve
mont Great national questions and
political arguments have always been
referred to arms for arbitration. The
face Of Europe is one vast battlefield
whore men have contended for principle
political, social. and religious -and
each new appeal to arms, though desc
lating nations, has been an advance in
the worlds progress for good. As old
questions become settled, new objects Of
state policy presented themselves, and
the new and advanced civilization v as
Transferred to new world where it was
thought man would be all that his Maker
intended him. But the old world des-
potism crossed the seas and oppression
came with it.
It was at this time that "a king with
large jaw and queen with plain face
sat on the throne Of England, and 9 king
with large jaw and queen with fair
face sat on the throne of France" There
we're ominious messages sent to each by
q discontented people, but they hardened
their hearts and turned deaf ear to the
mutterings Of the coming storm, until
stern and virtuous king lost his American
possessions and weak and virtuous
king lost his head. The storms were
terrible, but from the debris of one rose
free America. Man had taken another
step toward his proper destiny.
Illumined by the sun of independence,
1 free people of the western world work
ed out problems whdch thousand
years of Europe could not accomplish.
But another clowd darkened the sky.
At first no larger than mans hand. it
soon covered the whole political heavens.
Men saw the gathering storm, but it
could not be ayerted, and the wisdom Of
statesmen was powerless before the hand
of destiny. The storm broke, it spent
its fury, and another era dawned in the
march of progress.
After all these terrible uphea walls, the
question still remains unanswered, "Shall
man be free?".
Man in his new estate in the western
world, though far advanced, has not vet
reached the full measure of his greatness.
The same mental processes which evoly-
ed revolution and overturned systems is
still going on. Another storm is gather
ing. Never in the history of the; world
has there been such universal and
unanimous sentiment for freedom among
the working classes, They have become
alarmed at the encroachments of wealth,
not only upon their rights but upon the
very means of existence. until a slavery
more intolerable than that of the late
Southern slave seems imminent. He
sees that his fair share of the growing
wealth of the country, produced by his
hands, is turned into channels which had
no share n-their production; and that
what little he does receive is only OBJ
tanned with his hands at the throat of
capital. The moment he relaxes his
hold he will be no longer free.
Were there no trades unions and COM
binations of the masses, we would see a
land like Chins, their rulers deifed, their
aristocracy imperial in Its privileges, and
a people beastly in degradation where
p there has been no progress for thousands
of years, and will be none until the fire
of liberty can be relighted in the hearts
of the masses. .
If any one doubts the awakening of
that mighty power, the workingmen, let
him study the results of late elections ;
let him count the organizations of the
toilers all over the land let him observe
the new methods at work let him read
the signs Of the times, Is there states
manship equal to the emergency Shall
we have laws which will effect the rich
and poor alike, or shall the poor be a
law unto themselves? If people ask
bread shall they be told to eat grass, as
did the French ministry Shall the
storm be ayerted by concession, arbitra-
ton, and cooperation, or shall it be al
lowed to drift into revolution? The peo-
pie are thinking; let statesmen, be act
ing. BIS.