The Labor enquirer., 1884-05-03

or alms-taking from some one of the
many "soup-houses" which may have
been established by some Christian,
philanthropic, and charitably disposed
capitalists to relieve the distress of the
/" deserving poor" The possessors OF
private property say to the wage-class
You must create more wealth, not for
yourself, butSpr me only" If the workers
murmur at the meager share allotted
them in the form of wages, they are in
formed that they should be thankful
even unto gratefulness when they are
given a chance to make their living at
all! And when the workers fail to see
it in that light and become mutinous,
and make extravagant demands for less
hours of drudgery, abolition of child
labor, etc, the owners of private property
invoke their ultimate power and starve
the refractory laborers into submission
Will transfer of this conflict from the
workshop to the ballot box make the
victory any easier of accomplishment to
the laborer2 Certainly not No election
now occurs, but what some specific capi-
talistic interest gives out the general
order" to its army of employees to vote
the ticket which they indicate, and that
upon a cheerful compliance with the
lotn
butter" Private ownership of the
means of existence-the resources of
life confers upon its owners the right
to do whatsoever they please with their
property. The demand for less hours,
for the abolition of child-labor, the regu-
lation of apprentices, ETC., is direct in
vasion of this right, and is denounced
by the priviledged classes as Socialistic
and Communistic, and when our friends
of the Illinois state labor convention
begin to insist upon their so-called right
to these reforms, they will find them
selves, to their dismay, categorical among
the detested Socialists, and Communists
of the country. 1t is because their
amellatory demands to trespass upon
the "vested rights" of private property
that the ultimatum of capitalism will be
resorted to at the ballot-box as 1t is now
in the workshop and factory. The
worker will be confronted with the capt.
talistie mandate-submit or-starve!
The political parties which have the
power to elect are simply the agencies to
record the will of private capitak They
may sometimes cater to the labor vote
to gain ascendency, but as against the
labor movement they are a unit. The
aim of all labor reform is the curtailment
of the privileges of the owners of capital
and the capitalistic class, whether demo-
Gratis or republicans, or whatever party
name, will promptly resent any such at
tempt. Be it not forgotten that this in
stitution of private property in the re-
sources of life-th9 means of existence
is sanctifed by the church, made legal
by the constitution, enforced by the law,
backed up and maintained by the army,
navv, and police of the bourgeoise,-b
the force of armsI This capitalistic
system of labor which condemns the
proletariat to hereditary servitude, and
makes poverty the reward of industry,
cannot be abolished or reformed by
political action.
The wage-system is a despotism under
which the laborer is forced to sell his
labor at such terms and on such condi-
tions as the employer of labor may die
tate. Can political liberty coexist with
economic bondage? Does not the class
who control the industries of the country
also control its votes when they wish tC
do so? He who must sell his labor OF
starve will sell his vote when the same
alternative is presented. Our political
institutions is but the reflex of the eco
nomic, and our political reformers should
learn that the workers are not pool
because they vote wrong, on the con
trary, they vote wrong because they are
poor.
Poverty cannot vote; wealth only does
vote Ignorance, corruption and intimi
dation, the triple offsprings of poverty
must ever remain an insurmountable
barrier to economic reform through po
litical methods while the institution O.
private capital remains. The laoo
question is neither local nor natlona
question, but a social problem embracing
all countries where the wage-system o
labor prevails; it is confined to no sex
age, or nationality; It is international IL
its character, depending for its solution
upon the practical CO operation of the
wage-slaves of all countries.
/ Workingmen of Illinois, direct you
attack against the main cause of you
miseries; wage relentless war upon tina
Infamous system which robs you of tn'
blessings of home, wife and children
A system that is destroying your min'
and body by piecemeal; system whicl
makes masters and slaves necessity
Steer clear of all side issues. Insist upol
the vital question. Let us ever keep Il