Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1889-04-06


Schaider, and his subject was, "The
Current of Time Ripened the Cause"
Following is a synopsis of his remarks:
The tendency of the social evolution
Of the race was always towards freedom.
The earliest evidence of intellectual life
known to US was the civilization of the
ancient Egyptians. Social organization,
thus early, based upon slavery, was
step forward from the primitive Condi-
tiOns of barbarism. Labor more diver
sitied had to be performed. The grow
ing wants 70 sustain life caused intelleC-
tual eXer else, the condition OF growth of
the same. The civilization of Greece,
|, a greater advance upon the preceding
period and bearing fruit III science and
art, and the period of the Romans were
another step forward. The foundation
of the power Of the church and that OF
the political States of modern Europe,
feudalism and serfdom; the evolution
of mechanical art and the creation of cit
les as result of it; the difference Of in
terest that resulted from the conditions
Of masters and jOurneymen; the con-
tentiOn Of the opposing interests to ward
off violations Of them; the growing pro-
tiCienCy of the workers with their work
and the greater importance of the indi-
vidual in consequence Of il, finally freed
him from serfdOm. All these were sue
| cessive steps upward. The discovery OF
America and the way to East India gave
new impetus to industry and commerce.
The machine was invented and the
revel of exploitation OF men, women
| and children began; and thus capital at
tanned the OVerpOWerlng mastery and is
furiousiy welding it regardless of con
sequences. But not only the material
conditions changed in keeping with the
intellectual progress thus made; this
had to manifest itself also in higher
moral conception, and this III conscious
dignity, and the struggle against the
barriers of social, religious and political
freedom was initiated. The period OF
Reformation in the 10th to 18th Centur-
les; the liberation of the Netherlands
from Spanish despOtism, the declaration
of the rights of man in America, the
legalization of the overthrow Of 1eudal-
ism by the French Revolution; the at
| tempted corrections in $3.50 in most
of the States in Europe; the defeat of
the rebellion of the shareholders in
America; the struggle of the Commune
in Paris in 1871, all these are successive
stations for final emancipation, to effect
which is our task. The material devel-
opment was more rapid than the awak-
| ening of the masses to self-COnsCious-
ness: this is causing strained economic
conditions, and this again endangers the
existence Of all who have no other
means to live than what they earn by
work. Never before now were the
means for production so great and the
| constant increase of these by new lnven-
| tons and the CONSEQUENT division in
work and constant increase in the guam
tity in production, the growing number
of the unemployed thus caused, all
| these make it imperative that the rela-
| tiOns of man to man must be readlusted
upon larger basis. The means for the
| comforts of life were never so plentiful,
and they are more rapidly accommodating
| from day to day.
The wealth of Great Britain in the
| year 1900 was reported as nine thousand
millions; in 1910, twenty thousand mil
| hons: in 1860, thirty thousand millions,
and i'll 1880, forty-fve thousand mil
| hons. And all this enormous wealth in
possession as follows: In 1879 the in
come is computed at ,355 millions; the
working classes az millions) receive
/ therefrOm 2,14O millions, equal to Sis
/ a person. while the remainder, 3, lSJ
millions 90 to three million persons; and
again, of these, $500 persons received
| 800, 900 apiece Labor produced these
values. Without labor these results
would have no existence. And yet this
unequal distribution Isit greater ability
of the more fortunate, greater industry,
higher morality, that is thus excessively
rewarded Similar conditions prevail in
| this and other countries. Skill and in
| dustry are no longer security against
| poverty. When the machine is the
main factor in production, human
hands become supertluous, How shall
the means for existence be found: All
the factors that give these results to US
viii bear manifold more such fruit IN
/ the future, for we are already going
ahead in this same direction. What we
have attained to-day serves as a basis for
new attainments tomorrow. How will
we adjust the difficulties thus arising:
On the one hand, the ability to abund-
antly create the means of life, on the
! other, a system in force that curses this