The Labor enquirer., 1884-01-19
DECLARATION
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DECLARATION
o. the Rights of Nam Worthy #
Every Prolstarian's CAREFUL
PHusal
[oT1c1AL-1
DIVISION ExECurIvx1
Rocky MOUNTAIN Drvn1oN, IHrxR-
NATIONAL WoRKME%s AseocIATIoN.
Denver, Colorado.
The following Declaration Of the
Rights of Mani is ordered published to
the people:
We hold these truths to be selfevident
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 ss nec-
essary incidents of their existence, with
certain inalienable rights, rights ofwhich
even they themselves cannot divest
themselves and that among these rights
are the right to life and the means Of
living, liberty and the conditions essen
tial to liberty, and the right to the pur,
suit of happiness. That especially emu
mersting 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:
/.
That the just end Of all political asso-
citation and the only 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.
IL.
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 by nature. Society,
80 far from invading it., ought justly to
constitute security against the abuse Of
force which would render it 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
q man of exercising all his faculties at
pleasure. 1t has justice for its rule; the
rights of others forts boundaries, nature
for its origin, and the law for its safe
guard.
VI u
The right of life, which belongs equally
TO all men, carries with it the right to
the means of living. Chief among these.
rights is the right of each in
dividual to receive the full product OF
bis own labor, without tithe, tax or dim
mutton, upon any pretext. r
vi.
Every individual is entitled to an equal
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
non of all mankind, and of his proper
ion thereof no man should ever be de-
oriYed. 81
VII. s@ z4sz > .
Every Individual is entitled to an
equal proportionate share of all the accu-
nulated wealth created by past genera
ions, and that wealth should be held by
'ociety as the natural heritage in COM
non of all mankind.
f.+ VIII. r
Society can deny to those who do not
consent to this system of society any
hare Of the benefits produced by the
of those who do consent.
t is but just that those who will not CO.
operate should receive none of the ben
fits of cooperation. @c ~.
TX.
Debt, profit, interest, rent and the COM
,etitive system of industry are hereby
declared proved instruments of
and tyaranny. and cancers
lpon the social body. So also are the
present methods of furnishing crime
ather than preventing it,; the present
monetary system; the present method of
ufrage the present method of educa-
ion; and the present systems of juris-
'rudence, church and military. "
e x.
The right of peacably assembling of
nanifesting opinion, whether through
he press or by any other means of the
rec exercise of religion; of bearing
rms; of security Of person against un-
search or seizure, and of COM
'lete liberty of thought and speech, to-
ether with the right of association, are
uch necessary consequences of the brin-
iples of mans liberty, that the necessity |
f declaring them presupposes either the
presence Of or the resent rememb brance
# despotIsm. rTf
f. XI. .~.. T.: ...-f
The right of private property can
ustly be based upon no principle except
hat having been produced by the per
on in possession of it, or upon the pos
essor having rendered for it the full
quiyalent to the one who did produce
t. This rule can have no exceptions