The Labor enquirer., 1885-03-07
III 4 poPtn.
O. .ln6e1 honI Firss Paes.

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hsoye iov indus.riously discord IN
uur zanki though dlscord Il, the only OBJ
stacle 70 oufl success, aad combination
or only chanee Of victory. That is our
ons necessity, combii.ati In thought
and aim.
So long ss the workers Of the world
remain ignorant Of the trne causes Of
their misery and % long 81, they fail to
recognize that in the ranks Of labor there
can be no divisions cf caste or nation
ality, the interests Of the hllmblest being
Identical with those of the most skillful
workman, and brain and hand lsborer
being robbed in precisely the same msn-
ner; 90 long as these trutha remain un-
recognized by the .maNss. the labor
cause is hopeless. These are the consid-
erstions which prompt us, as an organi-
xation, to help you in your strikes, and
to assist your efforts in unions and the
like, knowing that thus the faculty Of
combination is acquired, ind education
upon social questions spread, and recos-
nising that strikes ae but the prelimi-
mary skirmishes oftie battle which, ct
At no distant date, will hs'te to be fought
( all along the line.
Education is the one thing needed |;
the labor cause requires no whining
grumblers, nor ford rhstoricians, but
men who thoroughly understand the In
justice which lies at the root of all our
social wrongs. knowledge, thorough
knowledge Of such 4. kind will both arm
you with indignation, ind point out
clearly the road that must be trodden.
Make yourselves thorouIh masters OF
these few fundamental truths, and you
then see exposed ir5 all their nakedness.
the quackeries of politicians with their
anti-monopoly platforms, their free trade
and protection squsbbles you then see
plainly how vain Is the struggle of em-
ployed against eml,loyer,; how idly we
attempt to protect ourselves by eight
and ten hour bills, and similar half
hearted measures, while we permit the
few to hold the keys of all production.
and are content ou selves to stand mere
wares in the labor markets of the world,
crying for purchaser.
We call ourselves an independent peo-
pie, and flourish our Declaration
although the same forms no part of the
constitution under which we live
in the eyes of the world. Is it
not about time for us to have learned
the lesson that these who are dependent
upon others for their living, can never
be politically free In reality, upon this
matter of ofindepentence, we have been
greatly led astray, for hi any civilized
community there is no slch thing as in
dependence.
Many of you IRE machinists; well
what does your daily experience teach
your Is it not an lnvaIiable rule, that
the more complicated the machinery,
tie more necessary 1t isthat every por-
/. ton should work smoothly and well 7
What is society bit an exceedingly com
plicated machine. and one, moreover. to
which new parts lire being daily added,
and which with every increase of popu-
lation, every new invention and every
fresh introduction of subdivision of labor
growsmor and more complicated. What
\ is the necessary result of certain portions
of the machines Lot only lying idle and
refusing to do their share, but actually
working in an opposite direction and
throwing it out OF gear Grasp clearly
this idea and you see at once upon how
solid a foundation we Socialists build,
We are no political schemers, no utopian
dreamers; we are simply observerslof a
universal law of nature, against which
man may struggle, but struggle in vain.
As with any ordinary machine produced
by man, so with every organization
turned out of natures workshop, the
same law holds good, viz: that the more
complicated the machinery the more
needful it is that each and every part
shall work in harmony to this univer-
4 sal law of society, man in the mass, can
form no exception. You are now in a
position to appreciate the gross injustice
done to us by those who arrogate to
themselves the position of yourteachers
when they brand US il their papers and
upon their platforms as mere destroyers
You will see at once that if we protest
against and would present
monopoly and competitive system, it is
because We would abolish war and in
sttute reign Of peace, would conquer
chaos and establish order, We repea,
thatwe regard society as a highly com.
p6cated machine, in which every mem.
Der must do his duty, and in which. each
must work for the good of all. Thus
and thus only cs.n society cease to be the
individual battlefield which 1T IS at pres.
emit thus only can order be evolved from
chaos, and humanity rise above wanl
and the fear of want This then is the
principle upon which every Socialist
takes his stand, this is the one cleal
truth ofour religion by which we al
hold fast, that society is only worthy O
the name when each member works for
the good of ALL. and the well.being o