The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1885-09-25
LABOR, LIBERTY, LAWLESSNESS.

The three-worded title at the head
of this article has no allusion what
ever to any necessary or supposed
connection between labor, liberty
and lawlessness. Labor is honor
able and dignitied, whatever the
conventionalities of society may
think of it. In aristocratic commu-
mites, the laborer is regarded as per-
tanning to low order of mankind,
and so accustomed has he been to
be addressed and spoken of in that
way that he has almost come to be-
lieve it himself. The result is that
he loses his self respect, although
he bv no means loses his faculties.
1t gradually but surely grows upon
him that The labor of his hands is
bringing to himself or his family no
adequate returns, but is piling up
for his employer wealth, and luxury
and reckless extravaganza. Feeling
that he has nothing to lose, and
smarting under the sting of oppres-
sion, he rushes headlong into nihi-
lism, determined if he cannot help
himself, he will have the satisfaction
of executing vengeance on his OPP
pressors. European laborers gene
rally regard property and govern
ment as the parents of oppression.
To the one they have no claim, and
in the other they have no voice, and
they know no remedy but to destroy
both. Thus despotism, nihilism and
communism flourish side by side on
the same soil. The most effective
method European powers can adopt
to abolish these elements of destruc-
ton that threaten to involve society
in common ruin, will be to
abolish themselves by sweeping away
landlordism and every other ism that
recognizes any distinction of class
and rank not based upon merit.
The artificial distinction by which
the mere accident of birth confers
upon a man honors which he has
never won, emoluments he has never
earned, and power over his fellow
men which he can use only to abuse,
is a state of society that cannot
hold together against the gathering
forces of the age.
In fine contrast with the cast iron
divisions of society into upper and
lower and middle classes prevailing
in the old civilizations of Europe,
are the free institutions of the Ameri-
can continent. From the Arctic
Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico, and
from the Atlantic to the Pacific,
labor is, in theory at least, its own
master. The laboring man is in
vested indirectly with legislative
powers. The ballot is a recognition
of his integrity, proof of conf
dence, and begets sense of res
possibility. Class and rank distinc-
tions were not abolished, because
never established. The humblest
artizan or laborer feels that in pro-
viding for his family, he is not, like
his European fellow workman,
raising up sons of toll to don the
harness of servility, but has the
proud consciousness that the avenues
to wealth, honor and position are
open to any member of his family.
Government is recognized as pro-
tector, not as an engine of exaction.
AS rule, the laboring men of
America are law-abiding, intelligent
and conscious of their responsible
ties as well as of their strength.
Under these circumstances, the in
fammatory catchwords of European
anarchists meet but scant courtesy
among the working men of America.
The style of laborer developed under
free institutions as compared with
the specimens produced under the
I" divine right of kings" systems