St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-02-24

overproduction this should not be the case.
and it would not, therefore say there is not
an overproduction But we must account
for this depression in some manner, and the
best way to solve the problem is to change
the title of our depressed condition and we
have then fully discovered the real
and true cause. Let US call
it an "under consumption and then see if
1t is not plain. There is more moneyin this
country than there ever was before, but it is
in the hands of a few. We find, from re-
liable reports, that there are at present over
=, 800, 600 of men out of employ
ment in the United States. Now suppose
that each of these unemployed men has one
person depending upon him for support (and
this is a very low estimatc), we then find
that there. are 5,000,000 or one-twelfth of
our entire population, without means of sup
port, unable to procure sufficient food and
clothes. They have no money and no work;
they can buy none of the goods our
merchants offer, and still while 5000, 600
of human beings are verging on starvation
there are capitalists who have sufficient
audacity to lay our trouble to most un-
reasonable cause-overproduction.
As we have no hope of remedying this mat
ter through any act of congress so long as it
is composed of salary-grabbers, bloated bond
holders and politicians so eager to obtain
wealth that they would sacrifice principle and
even sell their own souls for gold, let US
make a change, a sweeping change, and
send men of honor, men of worth, and not
unprincipled politicians to represent us. Let
US send men who can be depended upon,
who will exact but eight hours as days work
from the present number of employed
men, and thus give employment to those
who are idle and starving. We are strong
enough to carry every state in the Union in
the interests of labor and that Just equality
which our constitution declares we shall have
as free men. We have in our ranks
majority of all the votes cast and hundreds
of thousands to spare, and some day our pres
ent work will be crowned by sweeping vic
tory that will arouse the whole world. Justice
must be had and we must never cease to
work until decree of justice is issued de-
claring eight hours a days work, which will
guarantee employment to every man in the
land. If we have the numbers, the sagacity
and the determination, we now
want only harmony and united
action to secure to US that just
law which we have enlisted to strive for. We
must stand as one man, with that perfect
harmony and brotherly love that will admit
of no defeat The fight which we are now en-
gagged in may prove long and diversified
one. One day victory may perch upon our
banners and the next dark and damning de
feat cast shadow over our work. But let
us be prepared to meet the worst, always
hoping and laboring for the best. Our cause
is just and noble one and it must be set
tied right We may fail at first and ten
hour law remains, but this will not settle the
question. l believe as the late Wendell
Phillips once said, when he was told before
the Rebellion that the slavery question was set
tied. He said mo question is ever settled until
it is settled right" and true were his words,
for slavery was never settled until it was
settled right, although it cost much misery,
bloodshed and destruction. Now, brothers,
l believe we are right, We all believe it, there
fore let us see that this question is never
settled until it is settled right which means
until an eight-hour law exists throughout our
entire land.