Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1889-01-26

under the stars and stripes is free, and
that there is nothing left which could
make our government better As a
citizen descended from "A long line Of
American ancestry | would ask, can this
really be the case: Can we reasonably,
under our laws and their operations.
claim superiority to European nations
until we find out what is wrong across
the water; What is it the European So
clalist complains of? Is it subsection to
king, emperor or car, or oppression
10y a Titled arlstoCracy; If SO, then we
have nothing in common with him.
But are these really the specific charges
against the government under which he
lives; Let us see.
The dawn of the nineteenth century
was full Of hope for all civilized nations.
The American colonies had thrown oil
their allegiance to the English king and
had established the rights of man and
the principles of government. The
argument of the divine right of kings
had lost its force when Louis XVI was
led to the guillotine and Napoleon
proved the ability Of one rising from the
common people to make royalty treat
with him as an equal. The stirring
watChwords of the French Revolution,
Liberty, Equality and Fraternity, fired
the patriot hearts of other nations, and
the power of kings grew weak and the
aristocracy trembled. The absolute
rule of the titled classes became a thing
of the past, and the middle class began
to assert its sway, while the people fan
cled that the day of freedom was at
hand.
We are now approaching the close of
a century which had SO suspicious an
opening, and what is the condition of
the people? Russia is one hundred
years behind the rest of Europe, where
the car is considered by the masses of
his people as incapable of wrong, while
the educated classes are striving to ele-
vate them from their abject seryitude.
In Germany the once independent
states have united under one common
head. The pope has been forced to re.
linquish his grasp on Italy, and its
States are now ruled over by non sac
erdotal king. France has become re
public. England is still a constitutional
monarchy, in which the Queen is but the
nominal head But beneath all this we
find that wider change has taken
place in the governments within the last
one hundred years. The great middle
class has come forward and made it's
powsr felt everywhere. Bismarck, who
can dictate to the Emperor, bows TO the
combined power Of wealth. In France
the bowQeoiSle rule to-day. and in Eng
land the aristoCracy, finding that the
merchants on account of their wealth
have attained the supremacy, are enter
ing into business with avidity and zeal.
Consequently on this condition of affairs
the equality which once existed between
the master and his workman has passed
away. The one is now prince, the
other pauper; the one dictates to gov
eminent and labOrer, the other is ig-
nOred by the government and oppressed
by his MASTER the one revels in the
greatest luxury, while the other is not
sure of enough to eat, drink and wear,
or of roof to shelter him from day to
day. BY the invention of machinery
hundreds and thousands of men, women
and children are obliged to exc out a
scanty and preCarious existence, and
from their ranks come the vicious and
desperate characters that infest our
cities. Thieves, murderers and prosti-
tutes are the results of this system of
unequal distribution.
1t is this state of affairs in Europe
which has bred socialism there, and not
the oppressive rule Of kings, as we
Americans are prone to believe. 1t may
hn thot tho thn
water uphold the system which is the
cause Of all these wrongs, at least the
average American thinks so, and tatters
himself that every man becomes a SOW
ereign in his own right when he becomes
an adopted son of this republic. Social
ism in Europe in his view is more than
half right. but here, criminal and dan
gerous. But is this so? Men DESTROYS
of wealth and power flourish under re-
publican as well as mOnarChiCal govern.
ments. Indeed, it is question whether
a king and nobility have not been him
drance to the development of the CAPT
taistic system. Is it not fact that the
colossal fortunes of few men in this
country have been accumulated with
rapidity unequaled in European nations?
And does not wealth WELD as great
power in America as it would in Eng
land and Germany: If money does not
rule why is it that the United States
Senate consists principally of million
aires? Wealth controls all the affairs of
this nation. When we complain we are
reminded Of the pauper labor of Europe.
Are there then no paupers in this coun-
try? Look around and see. Is it pros
perity to the workingman because a
large portion Of our population is en-
ployed in workshops and factories; Let
those who, though willing to work and
yet are unable to obtain employment,
answer. Let the mill operatives in our
Rhode Island villages, in Fall River and
other eastern cities come forward and
answer for us. Let the miners of Penn
sylvania and Ohio. the mortgage-bur-