Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1893-03-29
them, would emancnpate labor 1rom

momentous problem. The masses O..
Uncommon people, the ''laboring class"
so-called, are the bulwarh of the ma
tlon's liberty; the source of its prosper
ity; the citadel of its strength A
happy, prosperous. contented nation of
freemen, earning decent, comfortable
living; owning their own fresides and
living law-abiding, honest, God-fear-
ing life, will sacrifice their fortunes,
and. if need be, their lives in defense of
their country. Such was the condition
of the people of the northern states in
In 1S60-1-2. and ages to come will al
ways point with wonder and pride to
the volunteer citizen soldiery which
composed the grand army of the repub-
lie, the union forces of the United
United States Then both millionaires
and paupers were unknown and all
were upon comparative level, neither
rich nor poor, but Independent prosper
Gus freemen. Does anyone suppose
that were such crisis to arrive to-day in
thea affairs of the United States that the
sturdy yeomanry and brawny laborers
of the nation would rally around the
flag" to preserve a government which
has degenerated from one of, by and
for the people, to one of monopolistic
corporations by cooperative monopolists
and for privileged classes? But aside
from patriotic standpoint, the labor
problem is becoming a burning issue in
political economy. / shall emphasize
this fact by quoting from "a Proposed
National Money SYSTEM" by R. NJ
Widney, L. L. D., president of the Uni
versity bank, of Los Angeles, Cal
Sec 81 And be it further enacted: That as
the currency notes shall accumulate in the
treasury OF the government from revenue or
otherwise, they shall be returned to circulation
among the people in addition to the ways here
inbefore specified, by paying the current ex.
penses Of the government by the purchase Of
suitable grounds and the erection of suitable
buildings for post offices and other uses of the
government by the construction of such other
works as shall be deemed by congress for the
best interests of the public. The expenditures
shall be m lde annually, in each state territory
or district as nearly may be in proper
tion to the number Of Inhabitants; provided
that states already supplied with public build
ings shall not receive additional expenditures
until the other states. territories or districts
shall have had their equal proportions All
public work shall be done by days labor, at the
rate OF one dollar and fifty cents per day of
eight hours for common labor. A less rate shall
be paid where the laborer is not able to perform
a reasonable days work. The expenditures
hereunder shall be as directed from time to
time by congress-
In the course of his explanatory COM
ments upon this section, Mr.. Widney
says:
This section provides that in addi-
tion to the ways provided in section Z,
this money shall be spent for the usual
expenses of the government; and that
the government shall purchase suitable
grounds and erect thereon suitable
buildings for post offices and other pub
lie uses and that the expenditure shall
be made annually in each state or ter
ritory in proportion to it's population
u Under this system national public inn
provements, such as on the Mississippi
river or Nicaragua canal, or for irriga-
tion may be carried out.
AS our laws now are it is very diff
cult to get any government buildings
erected except in certain political local
tiles The money is drawn from the
people in every part of the country, and
should be re-expended proportionately
among them, as it came from them. 1t
is not charity for the government to
L
where it should be spent. Every city
and village should have respectable
and commodious post Office building,
erected and owned by the government.
''This section further provides that
this public work shall be done by days
labor, at say 81 80 per day for common
labor. The object is this: First-class
laborers always command higher wages
from private capital, and the next
grade of labor is left unemployed. 1t
is in this class that the suffering mostly
occurs. If the people of the United
States in public work give employment
to this class of people, they will be aid
ing citizens who should receive the care
of the stronger.
'Such laborers cannot, for various
reasons, perform as much work per day
as the best laborers. Public buildings
would cost just as much, or even more.
by employing this class than by en-
ploying the best class; but the object
of any government should not be to get
the cheapest results in specific case,
it should be for the general good. This
class of laborers must live. If labor is
not furnished, they must beg Oh seal
In either of these cases the public must
bear the expense. 1t is far better to
keep up the tone of respectability
among our people, by furnishing en-
ployment at what it is worth. Thus,
instead of the laboring class feeling
that an overwhelming gap existed be-
tween them end the form of govern
ment, they would feel it to be their
friend and would be interested in main
tanning its existence.
''The redistribution of wealth is one
of the fundamental problems of the
human race, to be solved by each ma
ton. The Israelites attempted it by
years of jubilee, when debtors were
discharged and heirs were restored to
the real property of their ancestors
Every human being is entitled to
live, and dself-preservation is an inalien-
able right, lying at the foundation of
every government
THE non-property owners own their
ability to labor, and out of it are enti-
tied to obtain the necessities of the civ
ilizaticn in which they live, to-wit
food, clothing, shelter, education.
''The best interests of property own
ers REQUIRE that there should be no de-
graded, ignorant classes If they are
mot allowed to live by their labor they
are entitled to live by robbery and
begging.
Prosecution to prevent this event
ually results in anarchy, as shown by
history of past nations
1t therefore becomes the duty of a
CYOUQrn mo oEa% h.
ton, tp collect money from the owners
OF property, and use it in employing
the labor of non-property owners to
produce benefits for the common good.
by pursuing such policy as this,
our citizens would come to regard our
government as common benefactor:
and as a matter of individual protec-
tion would stand solid against foreign
or domestic danger
1T is with this view before me that