The Labor enquirer., 1884-04-19
mo effect without a cause, no cause

without an effect.
Now let us apply our lesson:
Why are you so poor, miserable, hun
cry or athirst?
Why do crime, misery, destitution,
degradati n exist?
Why are those who do the work of
the world lacking its enjoyments, and
those who do not toll blessed with q
superabundancef
Go-ask the greasy priest or whining
parson, and he will sing you tune of
original sin, of woman much given to
eating apples, a little fairy story of God
and the Devil, and the land of Nod. If
you are rich he will reserve you front
seat in the dress-circle of Heaven,
through personal influence with, God,
who is one of his friends; and if you are
poor you shall have nice warm corner
in Hell. Why not2 If you are rich the
cause of all misery, he will tell: you, is
because of the sinfulness of the lower
classes; since that annoys you, Plutus,
God will recompense you for the pain
you feel by ballet of plump angels,
each of whom shall be a prima donna.
If you are poor, then Proletaire, it is
because of the original sin in you
which came down from Adam-the di-
rect result of his indigestion from felon
iously eating an apple before it was ripe.
What better remedy can you ask for
your hereditary dyspepsia than warm
applications Any physician will tell
you that sulphur and birthstone are
standard remedies. l am astonished
that such wretch as Victor Hugo should
have said that when the poor learn that
heaven is mirage, they will knock at
the door of the rich man, pike in hand,
and demand the good things of life here
and now.
Come, friend-the politician, the
prince, the patrician will tell you more
practical tale.
Ask them the why of the curses that
aff1ct you, and they will tell you that you
are lazy, though you toll twelve hours
day; that you are extravagant, though
you eat meat but once week; that you
are drunken from small beer; that your
instincts are low; that you breed too
fast, or that it is a natural law for you to
die out and he to survive.
Come back to me at last, your question
unanswered, and l shall read you no
riddles, recount no fables. but tell you
the truth and after l have told it to
you l shall prove it to YOU SO clearly that
conviction will be absolutely certain.
This it is in plain words:
You are robbed.
And this robbery alone is the cause of
all poverty, misery, vice and crime.
This is my theorem. It's mathematical
demonstration shall follow.
Few of the people that inhabit this
earth of ours are happy.
The animals who roam the forests, who
rest in sunny glades, who drink from the
clear, cool streams, feet of foot and light
of heart. know no sorrow. The fish who,
clad in golden scales, cleave without an
effort the silvery seas, the lark whose
morning melody greets the blushing
cheek of Dawn, the butterfly whose home
is in the chalice of sweet flowers, aye,
even these flowers, the giant oak and the
creeping vine, all count their hours of
life in iov,-in smiles instead of tears.
Man alone is barred of happiness. In
all the joyous carnival of life, he only is
sad and weary,-a black mask amid the
reveled.
Let us endeavor to ascertain why this
is so, not remaining stupidity inert or des-
pairing because some one has told US
that it must be. Let US at least pledge
ourselves that even if it must be that we
will know the why OF IL.
What Is it that prevents us from being
happy The pr essence of causes ~of un-
happiness. A little thought will show
that those causes are three in number,
viz:
Poverty.
Disease.
Vice or Crime.
In order then to ascertain why we are
unhappy we have only to know what
causes poverty, disease, vice and crime.
This cause ascertained, if we can abolish
the cause we destroy the effect, and mis-
ery ceases on earth. If, on the other
hand. we find that this cause cannot be
abolished then, but not till then, are we
justified in saying that the evils that
afflict us are irremediable, and in resort
ing to hymns of praise in honor of "reslg'
nation" patience" and "contented hu-
mility." Then and not till then can we
Justify meekness without e1alting sla-
very, Then as reasonable beings for the
first time are we exonorated from the
charge of ignorant superstition in send
ing up prayers to some good god or kind
devil for supernatural aid and deliver
ance.
For if after careful investigation we
find that the evils we suffer are not pro-
duced by ourselves and cannot be reme-
died BY ourselves, we may logically con-
clude that superior power, has fixed
them upon us and, as well, that he can
take them away.
NJ. - l11 L. oroJ &bot ua our-