Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-06-10
CAUSE OF LABOR PRESENTED.
A1Dress Of the North Star Club 70 the Re-
publican Convention.

MIssEAPoLIs, June 9.--The following
address nAs been prepared by the North
star Labor club Of this city, and will ne
presented TO the republican national
convention.
THE conflict between labor and CAPT.
tai Continues. 1t is contiict IN which
all the noble and beneficent passions OF
man are represented and ali the mean
and cruel ones set free. All other
questions, whether OF personal triumph
Or party ascendeney. are OF secondary
Importance. This 10 the vital matter
and TO IL should be directed ANXIOUS
and careful consideration, that TIE con
tilct may not degenerate into violent
and remorseless revolutionary struggle.
We hold that the policies OF .
party protesting to be party OF the
people should be based upon the IRE
tragIDl e position that labor IS the SUI
perior OF capital and deserves the
higher consideration. Labor Is prior
TO anu independent of capital. Capital
Is only the fruit Of labor and could
never have existed II labor had not
tirst existed. The policies Of political
parties since the war have contributed
10 . reversion Of this natural order, by
Placing capital above labor IN the struc-
ture of government and as result Ia
Dor placed at disadvantage and to q
dsplorable extent divorced from the
means of gaining = livelihood.
Therefore, we declare that the phi
mary object of good government, with
the help of ali good men in the nation,
should be to restore the equilibrium
which has been los., and that there IS
immediate and pressing necessity for
such restoration If the republic and our
free institutions are preserved.
sociaiistic Declaration.
"As . representative of organized
labor IN tins city, firmly believing that
We express the mature views OF our
fellow-workers throughout the land ,
We declare that private ownership OF
the means of transportation and CON-
municatlon Is = menace TO the liberties
of the people and lncon patible with
the preservation of . government by
and for the people. Experience has
proved this to the satisfaction of citl
Zens IN every walk Of life; evidence
given before national and state legisla-
lures justifies their conclusion and
government officials confess themselves
powerless longer TO preserve those
conditions IN which liberty, happiness
and the general welfare are promoted.
''In the face of such state Of AFFAIRS,
obvious ~ it is TO thinking men, 1t Is
now the imperative duty OF all to de-
wise a way out and plan of defense
against further encroachments from
monopoly. Heet!ng not the frivolous
objections of ignorance or the abuse Of
criticism, we declare that public inter-
ests and good government demand the
national ownership OF the means OF
transportation or communication as
we'll as Of all natural wealth, as coal,
timber, IRON, gold and silver, and the
issuance by the government to the peo-
pie, without the Intervention OF private
persons or institutions, of . medium OF
exchange adapted to the actual needs
of the country.
Every consideration Of public safety
points to the adoption Of the policy
here outlined as the true defense
against the encroachment of capital
upon the rights OF the people and the
only one promising the final deliver.
ance of the nation from abject depend
ence upon . privileged class. We
therefore urge upon your convention
the adoption Of such . policy and In.
corporation in the platform, as evidenc-
ing to the nation that the republican
party 10 the party OF Abraham Lincoln
"a party of the people"