The Labor enquirer., 1885-01-10

the century, for the purpose of latter
having ascertained them) destroying the
causes Of poverty. misery and crime
upon this earth of ours. The name Of
this oreanissticn IL the rIntsrpstionsl
* a - 49, iIllln63iB E6d more
Of the most intellieent on the globe the
tale of its past deeds of glory is woven
: in and out Of every page of modern his
tory. No need here to voice anew its
struggle and its storm. its epics of hero
ism, of daring, of devotion, of lofty
grandeur-these are written even in the
chronicles of the enemy and sung by
every poet that dares to sing at all under
the dead and leaden skies of this. grim
modern world.
We are working people. From Prince
Krapotkine the renowned scientist who
languishes now in the gloomy prisons of
France for daring to speak our truths, to
the humble shoemaker of New Orleans
who lived on bread and water that he
might print such messages as this; from
William Morris, the marvellous poet of
sea-girt England, to the humble peasant
who falls dying by the road on Siberian
steppes under the lash of cruel, cruel
task masters, we all who are united
under the flag of the international clasp
hands of fraternity, and voice pledges of
brotherhood with you. ~.
We speak to you as brother to brother;
as scientists to students; as saviors to
. the weary, as prophets of the Promised
Land to you who wander tootsore and
weary amid the sands and deserts of the
Competitive System of Industry.
We, the Apostles of a New Religion of
Justice, with the birth throes of which
the whole wide world now quakes, sound
before you, sleeping in your tents, the
bugle call to action.
Attend YOU to our message for 1t is a
message of truth. Listen you to our
af shaif 1sfHs sfi It unto Yon as the Voice
Crylng in the Desert, prophetic of the
coming years of Devastation upon the
farther shores of which, with unearthly
radiance, shines the Golden Age.
Brothers, we speak to you now upon
something upon which probably the ma
jority of you are totally ignorant-the
CAUSES of your poverty despite your ar
duous and never-ceasing toll, and the
REMEDY not only for your own misery
but for the miseries of every other per-
son in the world. ~ ..-
We speak to you as scientists when we
point out that these miserles must
have a cause and that if this cause be
once discovered and abolished that then
the effect must cease as well.
Are you contented with your position?
Do you receive wages enough to satisfy
all YOUR wants? Enough to support
your family, if you are married, to pro
vide books and other advantages of CIV
ilization? If you are single, do you re
ceive enough to justify your marrying
and facing the future with wife and chill
dren? Even if pou do, dare you say
that this stateeof affairs is permanent !;
have you no fears of a future poverty I
If your employer fails or dies or reduces
his force, have you any guaranty that
you will not suffer by it? Are you, in
brief, sure now and for the future, of not
perishing for lack of work If not, then
rally with us, for we alone can make the
future sure; we alone can guarantee to
all who toll, the necessaries and comforts
of life. ~
Are you working no harder than you
ought to now 2 Do you have time to
devote to your friends, to lectures, to
books, to art, to amusements, or are you
bound to endless toll from ten to sixteen
hours day? Do you not feel the need
of toiling less and having more time for
improvement and amusement2 Does it
strike you that your only object here on
earth is to toil2 Is the world aught else
but prison when one is bound to hard
labor for 1ife7- If you would change
this all and secure In the future for your
selves and for your children, life not OF
sloth but also not of grinding misery and
exhaustive work, join with US and aid us
to attain that end.
We do not preach to you the stale re-
ligious lie that misery IS due to the
wrath of God because of original SIN !;
we affirm as political economists that II
is the product of false and bad systems
and conditions created by man which
can easily be abolished the moment we
so determine.
We do not fill your ears with praises
of the prosperity of this country" in or
der to stifle the cries of hunger that
your children utter: we do not dazzle
your eyes with rows of figures showing
how wealthy this land Is, so that you
may not behold how small are the wages
you yourself receive; we do not lull
your mind and senses to sleep by pratine
of the glory and splendor of this "the
freest land of earth" }" in order to preven,
your seeing that the greatest liberty
you have is the liberty to starve.