The Labor enquirer., 1884-05-17
DENVER COLORADO SATURDAY, NAY Il, 1884

may all take place, and have the effect
Of clearing the dust out of the eyes OF
the workers. They will SEQ that they
have but one enemy, that that enemy is
the capitalist system and they will unite
to overthrow it
Let me be clearly understood when
talk of the futility Of reform. Any act
of parliament enacted for such purpose
as spreading education, improving the
condition of dwelling houses, or restrict
ing the hours of labor. would not be
without a beneficial effect on the people;
but it would not be in the. direction of
liberating them from the tyranny of
capital. As long as competition for work
forces wages down to a minimum you
viii have want and misery among the
people. Even if some enthusiastic vege-
tartan could plainly show his fellowmen
how to live upon one shilling week, they
would not be bit better off. For if
3.
men could live upon one shilling week
the idle ones would take the places of
those who were receiving more than
this sum, and wages would be again
reduced to subsistence point. e.grL
RaIllery rather than reasoning, has
hitherto been dealt out to the leading
exponents of Socialism. The press, in a
large measure depends, for its support,
upon capitalist advertisements. And is
ever ready to vilify and distort the
action of those who dare to enunciate
ideas which may prove detrimental to
the interest Of its patrons. But the day
is now gone when mere misrepresenta-
ton will be sufficient to mislead the
public. The Socialists of Britain, by
establishing a federation, a magazine
and newspaper are preparing to fight
the enemy with his own weapons. The
leaders of the movement are men and
women OF GOODNESS, ability and deter
mination; even if that exuberant en-
thusiasm which is so often found to be
found among politicians, and which SO
speedily evaporates when loosened from
the confines of boastful Inactivity and
brought into contact with the chilly air
of adversely. " -
Surely we can now see the utter futility
of expecting beneficial results from
political reform. The majority of our
members of parliament are landlords,
lawyers, capitalists, or belong to that
class of supermundane nonentities en-
titled the aristocracy. Political questions
are very interesting and very profitable
to them. So they favor Rs by becoming
our representatives and while away their
leisure time by governing US, for their
own aggrandisement They have been
wrangllng over reform bills. factory acts,
and the land question for the past fifty
years, while the social condition of the
people is rapidly becoming worse. The
bitter cry of outcast London Is being
echoed from every large town and in
dustrial center, and still politicians, with
unswevering stupidity, refuse to recog-
nize the magnitude of the misery which
exists in society. The people cry for
bread and the politicians offer them
franchise.
The ludicrous spectacle of statesman
endeavoring TO instill science into starv-
ing children, of temperance reformers
preaching moderation to men who are
brutalized by the squalorand immortality
of their environs, of philanthropists try
ing to reclaim prostitutes, thieves and
vagrants, is almost unbearablY unreason-
able.
Let us have science, instead of SYM
pathy. Provide the people with clean
healthy homes, wholesome food, and
shorter hours of labor. Improve the
theaters, establish reading rooms,
museums and gymnasiuns, and open
them every day in the week. Give more
attention to preventing misery, and
fritter away less energy and expense in,
fruitless attempts to cure It,.
That Socialism will ultimately be
adopted and regenerate society regard
as an inevitable stage in historical evolu-
ton. All that we can do will neither
suddenly inaugurate its reign, nor frus-
trate its final adoption. But we can
prepare its path by spreading science,
for upon that it is founded. By spread
ing knowledge of history, and thus
making clear the course of its evolution;
by warning tyrants that they may act
discretely when the transitory conclusion
takes place; by teaching the proletariat
our brothers and slsters-that all men
have equal rights, and must perform
equal duties; that the most important of
all rights is the right to the use of natural
gifts; that the most important of all
duties is to overthrow tyranny wherever
it lifts its hand to menace the freedom
of men. i'll. MAHoN.
By Telegraph. r
! CHJCAGo. Nav 10-A Daily News.