The Labor enquirer., 1886-07-24

use what is here, and if he misuses IL
he infringes the rights of future men
If the father betrays his trust, then his
offspring, then his children are cheated
and are not born the equals of other
men If he be robbed of his rights,
then the thief has stolen from the un-
born. q.
| The rights with which all men are
equally endowed are not all specified in
the document. That is proved by the
use of the phrase "and among these
rights are" etc. But from those emu
merated it is easy 10 deduct a principle,
and, conforming to it. discover and estab-
lish every right of man.
The first right nam ed is the right to
life. Every human being, therefore,
has the right to "inalienable" and
"self-evident." And the right to life
carries with it the right to the means of
living; the things required to main
tain life. Consequently every man has
the right to the things necessary to sus-
tain life. This conclusion is one of pure
logic and absolute truth. Every man
having the "self-evident" and ainaliena-
BILE" right to the means of living, has the
right to the full product of his labor ap-
piled to the resources placed at his hand
by his Creator. He has the right to his
proportionate share of all the natural
advantages of the land, air and water,
and his proportionate equal share of all
the means of life discovered or created
by past dead generations, which hav e
been appropriated bv the robbers and
tyrants of the world.
The second right is the right to liberty.
That is that each man has a "selfevi-
dent and "inalienable" right to liberty.
By this is meant that every man shall
have liberty to do what may best
contribute to his comfort and happiness,
SO long as he does not infringe upon the
rights of another. That each man shall
be politically, economically and re-
hgiously FREE. That no man shall have
the right to enslave his fellow man-in
chattel or wages slavery. That no man
can be forced to labor for others, either
by the actual whip of the slave-driyer,
nor by the more terrible knout of COM
petitive industry welded by grasping
capitalism. He cannot be compelled to
worship some ghostly god invented by
his masters; he cannot be compelled to
serve in tYrants' armies to shed his
blood in contest with his own kind at
the dictates of jealous monarchs or spec
ulating patriots In iact he is entitled
to liberty in thought, speech and action,
in the fullest, completest sense, such lib
erty only ceasing when 1t trenches on
thF ground where shet liberty of aaother5
| begins. zn:@
| The third right is broader and greater
still. In fact it is the quintessence of
all the rights of man. 1t is the 'inslien-
able, !" "self-eyident" right to the pursuit
of happiness. This does not mean the
right to chase after happiness; but the
right to enjoy 1.-THE equal right to be
happy. This implies the right to the
things essential to happiness, and brings
Us back, if you please, to a contempla-
ton of the rights we have already con-
sidered.
The most significant words in the
declaration, which recommend to your
careful consideration in your calmer
moments, are those which tell US in
trumpet tones that governments are in.
stituted solely to secure these rights to
us. and that when 1t fails to do that it is
our right and duty to alter or abolish
that government.
| / ask you now, as we celebrate the an
niyersary of the day when Jefferson,
the loftiest man of the nation, psnned
the words have quoted-I ask you now,
men and women of the United States,
4 how have the words been-how are
they obseryed2 Is it the substance or
the shadow that you have to-day Is
the Declaration of Independence with
you fact or a memory? Look around
this land and answer. Look over this
country which was wont to be the cradle
of liberty and equality, and tell me if
the hopes of Jefferson, Paine, Franklin
and Patrick Henry have been fulfilled.
Wipe the dust from your eyes and gaze
up IN the structure of modern society
and tell me If it is in harmony with the
foundation laid ITO years ago. View
this society of princes and psupers and
then reply. See the prisons, the aims
houses, the novels, and mark in contrast
the pinnacled palaces that frown down,
as the castles of the robbers of old, upon
the common people, and tell me if the
l"self-evident" truths of old have not
been trampled under the iron heels OF
Greed and Oppression
Behold in the glare of sunlight the
daughter of the republican nobility, in
silks and laces and cleaning jewels, re-
clining upon velvet cushions, surrounded
by the perfumes of sweet flowers. Then
observe in the shadow of the splendid
emporiums of trade, the crouching
forms of the poor, the thief, the beggar,
the prostitute-squslid, hungry, misera-
ble and tell me where is your boasted
equality.
Stand With me beside that heavily
L5arad Grain warehouse in Buffalo