The examiner., 1886-08-14


when the Worlds Workers Shall Use the
Means They Now Use fm Supporting N
CapiGnlisuic Press Towards Maintain
ing amd Supporting Press That
Will Advocate Their Own Claims
and Interests, You Will See Such
am Awakening of tine TOilIng
Masses as Will Cause Fear
and CONSERVATION to Enter
she Ranks of their Enemies.
Extracts from an address delivered before the
Hartford Labor Lyceum, Sunday evening, Aug. 8,
by George W. Hewett, carpenter.
Mr. PREsIDENT-The careful student of
passing events, may with tolerable GER
tainty forecast events, therefore it is that
attentive observers of the signs of the
times know of and foretel the
approaching changes in human affairs and
human governments.
Whether that change shall be peaceful OF
otherwise depends largely upon the temper,
the intelligence and the patriotism of those
whose duty it is to legislate for the people,
or those whose duty it is to administer the
law, and upon the people themselves.
In the early history of our nation we
were taught the important lesson that gov
<ernments should be instituted for the equal
protection of all the governed, and that
ends, it was then the right and the duty of
the people forcibly if necessary to abolish
them and to provide new guards for their
future security. That lesson has not been
and will not be lost by the American peo-
pie; but when the time arrives, and it
seems to be fast approaching, they will
again avail themselves of the sacred right
and privileges of revolution, and SO readily
alter or throw off the existing form of gov
fr7. Iu thrsoxx off ftn
yoke of foreign power. ~
Many patient workers in the arena OF
life to-day who are being deprived of hope,
by being persistently robbed of the product
of their toll, and who are fast becoming
convinced that the government is not being
faithfully administered to the end for
which it was instituted, will soon become
gladiators in the conflict that must ensue.
The great truth that the Infinite Architect
created and fashioned this earth, made it
productive, gave it seed, time and harvest
that all the sons of earth might equally
share His bounty, is rapidly growing in
recognition; and when that truth shall
have done its perfect work and it's recog-
milton have become universal then govern
ments founded on injustice and supported
by pillage win totter to their fall, and the
gay OF common deliverance viii dawn upon
the world
s.lslls tRRroIollnd
a. sssa g f.ss,lssF fs,ss ~ f,,ss
with the fact that id some way the governs
rnent Of the country, BY bad laws and reg
ulations or BY maIadministration is account
able for the existing miserable condition of
Che laboring classes, and as surely as the
low muttering of the distant thunder her
aids the approach of the coming storm, SO
surely do these mutterings of the toiling
masses herald the approach of the coming
revolution; for it must come, our laws
must be changed, all men must receive full
pay for their labor; the great principle that
every child of earth has an inalienable
and indefeasible right to his equal share of
Gods bounty must be recognized, must and
shall be engrafted on the law of the land.
1t is not the air of a country but the laws
of a country that breed rebellion.
Revolution is not an indigenous plant
save in soil solely fertilized by the sweat
of continually robbed and continually pau
perized labor, and in such soil it's seeds will
always germinate. 1t is from the loins of
tyranny that insurrection springs. 1t is
from the womb of misgovernment that re
bellion is born, and it's best nursery is
wasted homes, ruined industries and cheer
less firesides.
The paramount problem of political, so
cial, and industrial economy to-day-the
problem that demands immediate solution
is: How can this revolution be peacefully
accomplished The shedding of blood, the
sacrifice of lives and property consequent
upon armed revolutions is terrible, and
ever entails the most fearful consequences.
Good men, true men, prudent men, will
ever avoid resort to the means which re-
suit in such terrible consequences, so long
as submission and non-resistance retain a
virtue.
hold that this revolution can be peace
ably accomplished, that the problem can
be solved in one way only, and that way
is through the agency of the ballot to es-
tablish an absolutely just system of wages
for labor.
Labor is the great source of wealth.
Land and labor are the only sources of
wealth. If you at the muZzle of the law
take from the laborer the wealth that he
has added to the general mass, what better
are You than the robber who takes your
money at the muzzle of the revolver. In
the one case the robber takes from you
what is not his, but yours. In the other
case you take what is not yours, but the
laborer's, for his work has made it. In
one case the robbery is accomplished by the
strong hand of force armed with an instru-
ment of death. In the other case it is ac-
complished by the strong hand of force
The results are the same. can injury to
one is the concern of all' Therefore it is
the duty of the community to prevent each
of You from further pursuing your avoca-
tion Of robbery. Equal and exact justice
cannot be done until every man shall re-
ceive a full equivalent for the wealth he
creates. To this end the energies of all
labor organizations should be Immediately
directed.
But the question now arises: How can
this be accomplished ] answer, as before,
through the peaceful agency of the ballot.
The ballot is still ours. Monopolistic power
has not yet taken it from us. Corporate
geerd has not solely appropriated it to its
own use. 1t stands out prominent amid
the wreck and ruin of many personal priv
ileges as the one right too sacred to be
touched. In the hands of the honest and
intelligent freemen it is indeed a mighty
power and should ever be guarded with the
most Jealous care. Armed with the ballot
the citizen can easily and peacefully accom-
plish any desired revolution for Though
falling lightly from the freeman's hand,
as snow fake on the sod. Yet executes
the freenen's viii as lightning does the will
of God y
The wages problem has long claimed the
attention of the people, has received many
and varied solutions, none of which, how