The Labor enquirer., 1884-04-12
DECLARATION

Of the Rights Of Man. Worthy Of
Every Proletarian's Careful
Perusal.
[oFFICTAL.
HEADQUARTERS DIVISION ExECUTIvE
Rocky MOUNTAIN DIVISION, INTER
NATIONAL WoRKMEN's ASSOCIATION. +
Denver, Colorado.
The following Declaration of the
Rights of Mannis ordered published to
the people:
PREAMBLE
We hold these truths to be self-eyident
to all people who have the welfare OF
humanity at heart: That all men and
women are born free and with equal
rights. That they were endowed, by
such birth, by their Creator, and as nee
essary incidents of their existence, with
certain inalienable rights, rights ofwhich
even they themselves cannot diyest
themselves and that among these rights
are the right to life and the means Of
living, liberty and the conditions essen
tiaFto liberty, and the right to the pur-
suit of happiness. That especially emu
merating the subordinate rights flowing
naturally and reasonably from the estab-
lishment of these truths and the princi-
Piles necessary for their perpetuity, we
do publish and declare:
I.
That the just end of all political asso-
citation and theeonly permissible reason
for their existence at all, is the mainte-
nance of the natural and imprescriptible
rights of man and the development Of
all his faculties
Whatever rights belong to one man
belong to all men equally, whatever diff
ference there may be in their physical.
mental, or moral force. Equality OF
rights is established bv nature. Society,
so far from invading it. ought justly to
constitute security against the abuse OF
force which would render 1t illusory.
III.
If it should be found, after careful
trial thereof, that any form or system of
government or society fails to maintain
the rights of man, then it is not only the
right but the most sacred duty of the
whole people to alter or abolish the said
system by any and all possible means,
".
Liberty is the power which belongs to
a man of exercising all his faculties at
pleasure. 1t has justice for its rule the
rights of others for its boundaries, nature
for its origin, and the law for its safe
guard.
V.
The right oflife, which belongs equally
to all men, carries with it the right to
the means of living. Chief among these
subsidiary rights is the right of each in
dividual to receive the full product OF
his own labor, without tithe, tax or dim
mutton, upon any pretext.
vi.
Every individual is entitled to an equal
proportional share of all the natural ad-
vantages of earth. The whole people
should hold the land, light, air and water,
together with other of natures re-
sources, as the natural heritage IN COM
mon of all mankind, and of his proper
ton thereof no man should ever be de-
prived.
VII.
Every individual is entitled to an
equal proportionate share of all the accu-
mulated wealth created by past genera
tions, and that wealth should be held by
society as the natural heritage In COM
mon of all mankind.
VIII.
Society can deny to those who do not
consent to this system of society any
share of the benefits produced by the
co-operation of those who do consent.
1t is butjust that those who will not CO.
operate should receive none OF the BEN
efts of cooperation.
TX.
Debt, profit, interest, rent and the COM
petitive system of industry are hereby
formally declared proved instruments OF
degradation and tyaranny, and cancers
upon the social body. So also are the
present methods of Furnishing crime
rather than preventing it; the present
monetary system the present method OF
suffrage the present method OF educa-
ton; and the present systems OF Jurls-
prudence, church and military.
Y.
The right of peacably assembling; Of
manifesting opinion, whether through
lhe press or by any other means Ol the
free exercise of religion; of bearing
arms: of security of person against un-
reasonable search OF seizure, and of COM
pIete liberty of thought and speech, to-
yether with the right of association, are
such necessary consequences OF the prln
ciples of mans liberty, that the necessity
of declaring them presupposes either the
presence of, or the resent remembrance
Of despotlsm
The right of private property can
Justly be based upon no principle except
that having been produced by the per-
son in possession of it, or upon the pos
SCISSOR having rendered for it the full
equivalent to the one who did produce
it. This rule can have no exceptions
save those created by the unanimous
consent of all members Of society.
XII.
So long as members of society shall
fulfill their portion of the social contract
they have a right to demand of society
that it provide to them the means neces-
sarv to provide for their subsistence. So
ciety is bound also to insure the means
of existence to those who are incapable
of labor.
XIII.
Absolute justice is the right of every
being. The law is the free and sol.
emn expression of the public will, and
it must be equal for all. Society ought
to favor with all its power the progress
of public reasou, and place instruction
and recreation within the reach of every
citizen. The people is the sovereign
Government is it's work and it's property;
the public functionaries are its agents