San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-08-17
THE SAME OLD EIoHr.


democratic parties in 1856 are practical
" the same that they were in 1861. Then
it was states rights against the suprem-
acy of the national government; 1t Is the
same issue to-day: Then it was free
trade and unrestricted foreign COMPETE
ton against American Industries and
manufacturers; ii is the same issue to-
day: Then il was enforced servitude by
ownership, (slavery) against free laoos7
while to. day it is enforced seryitude by
the proletarianism OF labor; practically
the same issue. OF this third issue we
shall have much to say, now and later,
as it is the keynote of the great struggle
waging, not alone In this state and ma
ton, but over the entire civilized world
1t was this which the wisdom OF Abra-
ham Lincoln forecast as the possible
alternative of the slave system. and
against which he raised his warning
voice in his message to congress in 1851,
and which he voiced in the following
sentence: "rhese assertions raised the
question whether it was best that cap
ital shall hire labOrers and thus induce
them to work by their own consent,
or buy them and drive them
to it without their own consent; thus,
leading to the conclusion that all work
men were either hired labOrers or slaves;
and, that whatsoever is once hired la
borer is fixed in that condition for life"
The changes incident TO the great rebel
lion destroyed that condition OF labor
termed slavery, and brought in that
other condition in which the capital did
not own the labOrer, but merely owned
his labor. This condition was one which
Mr.. Lincoln regarded as specially threat
ening the northern workmen through
the domination of democratic ideas, as
finding expression in the public docu-
ments and general tone Of the southern
democracy. 1t is this danger which
confronts the country to-day, and
against which the republican party is
called upon to do battle as vigorously
and as valiently as it did against the
idea Of slave labor quarter of CEN
fury ago. 1t was the slave who was
to be freed then; it is the proletarian
who is to be delivered from bondage to-
day. This is the only change in the
fight.
The proletarian is the man who has
his labor and nothing else. He owns
nothing but his own body, and in this
alone is he superior to the slave OF the
Old ante-bellum period. He is the in
carnatiOn OF that labor necessary for the
production of wealth by capital, and
his numbers are rapidly increasing. lie
is the very antithesis OF the free labOrer
who puts his labor where he pleases; who
works on his own raw material with his
own implements of production and so
produces for his own sustenance. The
proletarian has no raw material he
lives on some other persons land, his
tools are owned by his landlord, the raw
material from which he produces is not
his own, and he has no share in the prof
it's of his labor. He cannot live on his
own labOr-fOrCe, for that is not pro-
ductive only as it is expended upon raw
material and means of production, and
not having these he must sell his labor,
force to capital or starve. Nominally,
he is more free than the slave, praCti-
cally, he is not. The slave might refuse
to work and go to the whipping post, or
the dungeon, or the auction block the
proletarian can refuse to work and take
the lternatiYe-staryation the prison
or the grave. He cannot put his own
price on this labor of his body: he must
sell it for what the capital which buys it
sees fit to give. The objection OF those
who hire labor, to such changes as will
give the laborer some opportunity to lay
out his labor force on raw material ofhis
own, is, all such changes improve the
condition of the lsborer, render him
more independent and thus increase
the price of mere labor force. 1t was
against such labor conditions as these
that the wisdom Of Mr.. Lincoln warned
the first republican congress, and he
warned them against it because the
safety and perpetuity Of government
of the people by themselves could only
be maintained by such legislation as
would best serve to elevate the people
by creating and maintaining such labor
conditions as would destroy the ten
dency to proletarianlsm as effectually as
the old slavery conditions were de-
stroyed.
Mr.. Lincoln assumed, and Justly, that
the republican party was the party of
the people. 1t so approved itself in the
early days of its existence; and in these
latter days, though somewhat suffering
from the fairness OF the land it has pos
sessed these many years, has put the
only laws that favor the people upon
the statute books of the nation. The
democratic party in Texas having in
suited the labor advocates and repre-
sentatives, who appeared in their con-
ventiOn at Galveston and asked recOg-
milton at the hands OF the state demo-
cracy, they naturally turn to the republic
cans Of the state to see If asking of them
bread they shall receive stone. II the
party plants itself upon the labor plat
form of its idolized leader, Abraham Lin
coin, the workingmen of Texas will not
be turned empty away.
Tie Irish haleuates To the Chinara