The Labor enquirer. [volume], May 17, 1884, Image 1

About The Labor enquirer. [volume] (Denver, Colo.) 1882-1888

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VOLUME III.—NO. 23.
A GRIND KND ELORIOUS SUCCESS!
; The Wonder of the People end the
Envy of the Clothing Dealers !
.
Vi hen we decided upon the plan of giving away valuable presents
to our customers in ail departments of our mammoth establishment,
we struck the public chord, as the crowds to be seen daily at our store
will testify. What man or boy of the present day but what is smart
enough to know that where they can get the most value for a dollar
is the place for them to trade. They know our house does give better
value or the money than any other house in the city. You ask, how
do they know? Why, simply because they have examined the goods
and prices of other dealers, and decided in our favor. Add to this the
fact that we always have something to give to them worth giving, and
you hi.ve the secret of our large trade.
: ■— —— ■ *
I
f 7*aeJ}/i)a /At /fa.
The Waterbury Watch we give with every purchase of a Suit or
Overcoat at $l5 or oyer, has proven the most pleasihg novelty in the
way of an advertising medium ever before introduced by us. You
take no chance in drawing a prize, but each customer who buys a Suit
or Overcoat for $l5 or over gets a prize in the shape of a WATERBURY
WATCH. A DINNER BUCKET with every cash purchase of $3 or over in
our Men’s Department. A PAIR OF RSLLER SKATES with every cash
sale of $5 or over in our Boys’ and Children’s Department.
A. JACOBS & CO.,
Mammoth One-Price Clothing House,
COR. FIFTEENTH AND LARIMER STREETS.
TIE SAN FRANCISCO
TEA CO.,
367 Sixteenth Street,
Invite attention to their Specialty:
Teas & Coffees.
Dealing exclusively in the above, they offer
what to most “lovers of a good cup of tea,’
is a rarity. One trial is sufficient to con
vince all th.vt teas can be bought better and
cheaper from them than any other home
in the city. Fine teas a specialty. Samples
•»nt onapplicatiox to any part of th. Itate
Weekly t.nd Monthly Payments
Taken for all kinds of
NEW & SECOND-HAND FURNITURE
BTOVES, i t
TIN WARD,
i
GLASSWARE, 1
QUEENSWARE, Ac
At the -
WEST SIDE
j { • '
Secondhand Store
290 and 292 Larimer street, and 508
Lawrence street, Denver.
THOMAS G. ASHTON. Prop.
THE HATCHET UlustnSed
humorous paper published at the Capital. It
makes a feainre of showing up Public Men as
they really are. It contains a large cartoon
each week on Public Affairs, and is filled
with Illustrated comic articles besides. It Is
the largest, handsomest, best and cheapest
funny paper in the country. Terms, SAoO a
year; 21 weteks, SI. To live or more names
sent by one party, S 2 each a year. Sample
copies sent free to any address. Agents
wanted in every town. Big commission.
THE HATCHET PUB. CO.. WASH., D. C.
Wfor the working vlass. Send 10
cents for postage and we will
mail you free, a royal, valuable
box of sample goods that will put
you in the way of making more
money in a few days than you ever thought
possible at any business. Capital not re
quired. we will start you. You can work
all the time, or in spare time only. The work
Is unlversallv adapted to both sexes, young
and old. You can easllyearn from oO cents
to $5 every evening. That all who want work
may test the business, we make this unparal
leled offer: To all who are not well satisfied
we will send $1 to pay for the trouble of writ
ing us. Full particulars, directions, etc., sent
free. Fortunes will be made by those who
give their whole time to the work. Great
success absolutely sure. Don’t delay. Start
now. Address Stinson A Co., Portland, Me
■ nf* HlTft want,ed for The Lives of all
N I*l HI I I the Presidents of the U. iL
II |_ r 111 I largest, handsomest and
Fill I 11 I 11 best book ever sold for less
lIVI Ull ■ W t .han twice our price. The
fastest selling book In America. Immense
firofits to agents. All Intelligent people want
t Anyone can become a successful agent.
Terms free. Halltt Book Oomp ant,
Portland, Maine.
THE LABOR ENQUIRER
CODE SUMMONS.
I
No. 1277.
:
State of Colorado. County of Arapa
hoe, 8S.
In the County Court in and for said county ,
of Arapahoe. -
Charlotte L. M-StAuss, Plaintiff, ) i
vl VSum’ns.
John Stauss, Defendant. ) 1
The People of the State of Colorado send i
greeting:
To John Stauss, defendant above named:
You are hereby required to appear In an ac- .
tlon brought against you by the above named
plaintiff, In the County Court, in and for the 1
County of Arapahoe, in the State of Colorado,
and to answer the complaint filed therein, I
within ten days exclusive of the day of ser
vice, if served within this county; or if served
out of this county, but in this Second Judicial .
District, of the State of Colorado, within
twenty days; otherwise, within forty days: ]
or Judgment by default will be taken against
you, according to the prayer of said com- 1
plaint.
The said action is brought to procure a de
cree of this County Court dissolving the
bonds of matrimony now existing between
the plaintiff and defendant, on the ground
that the defendant has wilfully and without
cause deserted and absented himself from
plaintiff for more than one year last past and
departed from this State without any inten
tion of returning, as will more fully appear
by the complaint on file herein, to which
reference is here made.
And you are hereby notified, that if you
fail to appear and answer the said complaint,
as above required, the said plaintiff will apply
to the Court for the relief demanded in the
complaint.
Witness, R. W. Steele, Clerk of said Court,
and the seal thereof at Den ver, in said County,
this twelfth day of April, A. D 1884.
[Seal.] R. W. Steele, Clerk.
By K. P. Mam:, Deputy Clerk.
Browne & Putnam, Plaintiff Attorneys.
TRUSTEE’S SALE.
WHEREAS, HENRY BRENGARTNER,
Karl Brengartner and Heinrich Bren
gartner did on the fifth day of June, A. D.
1883, execute and deliver to Johu Wolff, as
trustee, their deed of trust, duly acknowl
edged, and recorded in the records of Jeffer
son county, in the State of Colorado, In book
25 at page 81, conveying to said trustee the
south one-hall of the west one-half of the
northwest quarter of the southeast quarter of
section twenty-four in township three south
of range sixty-nine, west, containing ten acres
of land, to secure their notes of even date
therewith, as follows: One note for three
hundred dollars, due in ninety days after
date • one note of one hundred and fifty dol
lars, due September first, 1883: one note for
one hundred dollars, due October first, 1883;
one note for five hundred dollars, due Novem
ber first, 1883; one note for five hundred dol
lars, due in nine months after its date; one
note for five hundred dollars, due In twelve
months after its dale, and one note for eight
hundred and fifty dollars, due In eighteen
months after its date, with Interest at ten per
cent per annum from date nntil paid; and
that none of said notes, nor any part thereof,
nor Interest thereon, have ever been paid.
And said default having been made in the
payment of said several notes already due,
and the owner and holder of said notes hav
ing duly applied to me to sell said lands pur
suant to the provisions of said trust deed,
notice Is hereby given that on May 31, 1884, at
ten o'clock In the forenoon of said day, at the
west front door of the Court House, In the
County of Arapahoe, and State of Colorado,
I will sell for cash said lands and their appur
tenances and all claim, title, Interest and ben
efit of redemption of the said Henry Bren
gartner, Karl BrengartnerandHeinrich Bren
gartner, their heirs and assigns, therein; or,
In my absence, the said sale to be made by the
acting Sheriff of the said county of Arapahoe,
as provided for in said deed of trust
John Wolff, Trustee.
George H. Graham, Sheriff, etc., Successor
In Trust. ~ .
Browne A Putnam, Attorneys for Trustee.
Ann nr Send six cenuior postage
lit! I II and receive tree, a costly
|wK I I b box of goods which will help
’ 1 II If I you to more money right
I 11 ■■■ Isaway than anything else In
the world. All, of either sex, succeed from
first hour. The broad road to fortune opens
before the workers, absolutely sure. At onoe
addrss«,TßUE A Co., Augusta, Malnst
“ WHO WOULD BE FREE HIMSELF 'MUST STRIKE THE BLOW! ”
. DENVER, COLORADO. SATURDAY, MAY 17, 1884.
■ ■ — —— -'-I— . ... -
J. L MAHON.
An Able Lecture Delivered by
this Scientific Socialist in
Watt University.
An Irrefutable Argument Against the
Absurdity of the Malthu
sian Theory.
.
The following is a verbatim report of
a lecture delivered at Watt Institute and
School of Arts,. Edinburgh, Scotland, by
J. L. Mahon, regular correspondent of
The Enquirer. The lecture was re
ceived with due appreciation by the
students, and no serious attempts at re
futing the statements and doctrines
enunciated were made by the critics. It
affords The Enquirer great pleasure to
be able to give its readers the benefit of
this able lecture:
REVOLUTIONARY SOCIALISM.
The social tendency of to-day is to di*
vide society into two distinct groups, the
wage-earners, or proletariat, who actually
produce the wealth, and the capitalists
and their onhangers, or bourgeoisie, who
hold as private property the wealth in
course of exchange, the machinery and
other means of producing wealth, and
the natural material from which, by the
application of labor, wealth is drawn.
Some time must yet elapse before the
true position of these two classes can be
clearly seen. The remains of the feudal
system have not yet entirely disappeared
before the onward march of capitalism.
Monarchy and aristocracy still exist and
squander annually a few millions of
pounds which of right belong to the
starving wage-earners; but their real
influence is in a state of irrecoverable
decay ; the monarch displays no further
sign of official vitality than that involved
in occasionally affixing a signature to an
act of parliament, while the aristocracy
are completely controlled by the capital
ists, and, individually are fast becoming
part of the capitalist system.
In social as in political spheres the
same tendency towards centralization of
wealth and power is plainly observable.
Manufactures and commerce are rapidly
drifting into the bands of large com
panies to the extinction of small makers
and traders.
The present social system is essentially
competitive, and under it mankind is
continually engaged in an internecine
war in which the object of contention is
the means of subsistence.
The re construction of society advo
cated by Socialists is on the contrary
essentially co-operative; under it man
kind would be organized for mutual aid
in producing and exchanging wealth.
Before touching upon the principles of
Socialism, a glance at the constitution
and results of the competitive system is
necessary.
The bourgeoisie practically exploits
the proletaire, buying and selling him in
the public market like a piece of mer
chandise, ie., for the cost of his produc
tion and maintenance. By the opera
tion of economical laws, wages can never
rise above the means of subsistence.
The increase of population and labor
saving machinery creates a surplus of
labor in the market, with the result that
a competition for work is constantly
going on. The laborers out of work will
sooner accept a wagd which will merely
maintain them than go idle and starve.
The effects to keep wages generally at
a minimum which will give but a bare
subsistence. This law of wages brings
to light an example of the gross injustice
of the competitive system.
If a certain piece of work is to be
performed the greater, the number of
workers the more easily can the task be
accomplished. Society, we are told, is a
number of individuals comhined for
mutual benefit. The most important
object of the combination, one would
imagine, is to produce the necessities of
life ; and yet the greater the. number of
producers the more miserable becomes
their condition. The condition of the
proletari at under modern civilization is
immeasurably worse than that of the
slave in ancient times. A slave holder
always kept his slaves well supplied with
food, if only in order that they might
the better perform bis work. But the
bourgeoisie of the enlightened nine
teenth century, by the power of his cun
ning, a cunning invariably masked with
culture, takes advantage of the inferior
intelligence of his fellow-man, reduces
him to a state of servitude, makes a
profit out of'his necessities, and surrep
titiously deprives him of the produce of
his labor, which he squanders in riotous
luxury and debauchery, while his victim
languishes for lack of the common es
sentials of existence.
I must here refer to a theory expei
nented by the Rev. Mr. Malthuß, and
supported by a large number of promi
nent political economists. It may be
well, however, to remember tnat John
Staart Mill, one of the ablest oi the
malthusian advocates, lately gave up the
theory by adopting Socialism.
The malthusian proposition with
which we have to deal is that “popula
tion tends to increase faster than the
means of subsistence f with the conse
quent deduction that the cause of social
misery is the overstocking of the labor
market. The idea of overstocking the
labor market is seen to be absurd when
we reflect that density of population is a
decided advantage to production—so
long as natural material upon which to
expend labor is abundant
In 1821 the wealth produced in Brit&in
was valued at £261,“000, 000. In 1871 it
was valued at £934j000,000. „ This shows
that the wealth of the country increased
more than three-fold in fifty years.
Within the same period population in
creased less than 50 per cent. Thus,
experience teacheathe exact reverse of
the mallheßian theory, viz; that instead
of the population tending to increase
faster than the means of subsistence, the
means of subsistence tend to increase
faster than the population.
The malthusians wishing to prove
something from analogy, point out that
in the lower forms of animal life, the
pressure of numbers upon the means of
subsistence is also to be observed.
But there is this important difference
between man and the lower forms of
animal life ;the latter only consume and
do not create food. ‘ The" lower animals
merely devour what wild nature offers.
Man, by exercising his intelligence aids
nature and coaxes from her more than
she would otherwise give.
Some of the lower forms of animat
life, such as ants and bees, mav be said
to produce food. These insects live a
Communistic life, each laboring accord
ing to his abilities and receiving acc rd
ing to his necessities. The even and
peaceful tenor of the lives of these in
telligent insects is occasionally enlivened
by a revolution in which the loafers
receive rather a rough handling, These
loafers are precisely like our millionaires;
they would like to live without working
and fatten on the fruits of other people’s
exertions.
It is demanded by the Socialists, that
in the coming social reconstruction
of society, class-rule and wage-labor shall
be abolished. The existence of a ruling
class in politics is a badge of serfdom. ,
I maintain that it is essential to the
welfare of society as a whole, that the
material from which wealth is produced;
the means of production and the means
of exchange, shall he held as the property
of the community. These three terms
will he seen to include, land, mines,
quarries, capital, credit, machinery,
wholesale and retail stores, railways and
shipping.
This of course involves that production
and exchange shall be carried on under
the direct control of the state. It is
said that this will diminish private en
terprise, and retard individual develop
ment. It will deprive any person from
enterprisingly making merchandise of
his brothers. But it will give to all a
greater incentive to work : because each
individual will be assured of the result
of his exertions. Personal enterprise is
fast dying out, and will soon become a
thing of the past; even under the com
petitive system. Managers are taking
the place of the masters.
As I remarked at the outset, the
tendency of the times is towards carry
ing on production on a large scale. Large
companies are rapidly superseding small
firms, because it is found manufac
tures can be most quickly and efficiently
carried on where the simultaneous pro
duction of a large number of articles
permits the division of labor, and the
introduction of machinery. Agriculture
can be most profitably carried on where
large tracts of land are cultivated, because
of the facility afforded for utilizing large
machinery, which saves a vast amount
of labor, and performs the work in a far
more satisfactory manner. It is evident
that the way to produce wealth with the
least amount of labor, and the greatest
efficiency is to carry on production on
the largest possible scale. This can best
be accomplished by uniting mankind,
without regard to race or nationality
into one universal brotherhood, one
great organization which will strive for
the benefit of all; recognizing that the
individual is but the means, and that
the species is the end.
Under a system of state-controlled
production and exchange, the hours of
labor will be much shortened, food adul
teration will entirely disappear, and in
the building of houses care will be taken
that they are in a substantial and good
sanitary condition.
The result of these precautions will be
to greatly diminish disease and drunken
ness, and raise the morality of society.
This private enterprise which we fear
to annihilate is the true cause of food
adulteration, and the erection of dwell
ing houses which, when viewed in the
right light, are veritable death 1 traps.
The enterprising individuals who adul
terate our food and build houses which
seem as if they were meant to breed
disease, are far worse than Nihilists,
because their nefarious conspiracies
result in the death of women and chil
dren as well as men.
I will now proceed to explain why I
prefixed the adjective “Revolutionary”
to Socialism in the title of my paper.
Reforming the political system will
not liberate the proletariat, tinkering
with the social system will not benefit,
them. So long as the present econo
mical law of wages holds sway, poverty,
apathy, ignorance and crime will be the
chief characteristics of our civilization.
The evils of society are the result of
holding as private property, the factors
of production. And any attempts to
alter the present condition of affairs,
short of the restitution of land, capital,
and political power, to the proletariat,
will have the effect of binding tighter
the manacles of the toiling serfs. I
believe, nevertheless, that reform will
be proceeded with. ThA extension of
the franchise, the abolition of the house
of lorks, and the overthrow of monarchy
may all take place, and have the effect
of clearing the dost out of the eyes of
the workers. They will seo that they
have but one enemy, that that enemy is
the capitalist system and they will nnite
to overthrow it.
Let me be clearly understood when I
talk of the futility of reform. Any act
of parliament enacted for such a purpose
as spreading education, improving the
condition of dwelling houses, or restrict
ing the hours of labor, would not be
without a beneficial effect on the people;
but it would not be in the direction of
liberating them from the tyranny of
capital. As long as competition for work
forces wages down to a minimum you
will have want and misery among the
people. Even if some enthusiastic vege
tarian could plainly show his fellowmen
how to live upon one shilling a week, they
would not be a bit better off. For if
men coaid live npon one shilling a week
The idle ones would take the places of
those who were receiving more than
this sum, and wages would be again
reduced to subsistence point
Raillery rather than reasoning, has
hitherto been dealt ont to the leading
exponents of Socialism. The press, in a
large measure depends, for its support,
upon capitalist advertisements. And is
ever ready to vilify and distort the
action of those Who dare to enunciate
ideas which may prove detrimental to
the interest of its patrons. But the day
is now gone when mere misrepresenta
tion will be sufficient to mislead the
public. The Socialists of Britain, by
establishing a federation, a magazine
and a’newspaper are preparing to fight
the enemy with his own weapons. The
leaders of the movement are men and
women Qt coolness, ability and deter
mination ; even if that exuberant en
thusiasm which is so often found to he
found among politicians, and which so
speedily evaporates when loosened from
the confines of boastful inactivity and
brought into contact with the chilly air
of adversity.
Surely we can now see the utter futility
of expecting beneficial results from
political reform. The majority of our
members of parliament are landlords,
lawyers, capitalists, or belong to that
class of supermundane nonentities en
titled the aristocracy. Political questions
are very interesting and very profitable
to them. So they favor ns by becoming
our representatives and while away their
leisure time by governing us, for their
own aggrandisement. They have been
wrangling over reform bills, factory acts,
and the land question for the past fifty
years, while the social condition qf the
people is rapidly becoming worse. The
bitter cry of outcast London is being
echoed from every large town , and in
dustrial center, and still politicians, with
unswevering stupidity, refuse to recog
nize the magnitude of the misery which
exists in society. The people cry for
bread and the politicians offer them a
franchise.
The ludicrous spectacle of a statesman
endeavoring to instill science into starv
ing children, of temperance reformers
preaching moderation to men who are
brutalized by the squalor and immorality
of their environs, of philanthropists try
ing to reclaim prostitutes, thieves and
vagrants, is almost unbearably unreason
able.
Let us have science, instead of sym
pathy. Provide the people with clean
healthy homes, wholesome food, and
shorter hours of labor. Improve the
theaters, establish reading rooms>
museums and gymnasiums, and open
them every day in the week. Give more
attention to preventing misery, and
fritter away less energy and expense in
fruitless attempts to cure it.
That Socialism will ultimately be
adopted and regenerate society I regard
as an inevitable stage in historical evolu
tion, All that we can do will neither
suddenly inaugurate its reign, nor frus
trate its final adoption. But we can
prepare its path by spreading science,
for upon that it is founded. By spread
ing a knowledge of history, and thus
making clear the course of its evolution;
by warning tyrants that they may act
discretely when the transitory conclusion
takes place; by teaching the proletariat
—our brothers and sisters—that all men
have equal rights, and most perform
equal duties; that the most important of
all rights is the right to the use of natural
gifts; that the most important of all
duties is to overthrow tyranny wherever
it lifts its hand to menace the freedom
of men. J. L. Mahon.
By Telegraph.
Chicago, May 10— A Daily News,
Qnincy, Illinois, special says, the excite
ment here is intensified instead of al
layed. The Wabash train brought in
another lot of non-union men. The
strikers were at the depot A telegram
was sent directing the men to get off the
train a mile north of the depot. The
strikers heard of it and were there as
soon as thertrain. When the men began
to get off the train rocks began to fly
and shots were fired. Several non-union
o»en were hit One was knocked off the
platform and beaten dangerously. No
arrests have yet been made.
Quincy, Illinois, May .10.—A party of
thirty masked men attacked an express
wagon containing non onion molders,
this morning, firing revolvers freely.
The driver of the express wagon and
one non-union man, the foreman, re
ceived severe flesh wounds. The others
fled.
Fall River, May 10. —The strike here
is practically concluded. Most of the
mills are in full operation. Not half the
strikers will again secure work here.
HOTEL BRJNSWICK
U , / • : ..f/i j- , " (;■ 4
(ON THE EUROPEAN PLAN.)
Nos. 267, 269 and 271 Sixteenth Street, Denver. Colo.
Next to Tabor Block, in Business Center of the" City.
LINTON & HAGAR, Proprietors.
All the Street Cars pass this Hotel in their trips to and
— j • | •
from the Union Depot. ' .
RATES, si ; $2 AND $3 PER DAY.
LEWIS & SCOTT,
. ’ V-' i ■ -V , . M
Whelesale and Retail
HARD-WARE,
4
STOVES, RANGES. •
. ■ *v
\ •
Agents for P." F. CORBIN’S Hardware.
• ' ■ ■ ; h. ’ ■ - ; - ■; i‘ v
It ’ if. ‘ 1 * - V ] . .. ■ ’:■■■ A'.- J itAi
Tubular Oil Stoves, Wrought Iron
f %
Ranges, Iron and Slate
Materials. u
. ■ 'I
: v
STANDARD FURNACES, BRASS FEARERS.
All Sizes and Prices.
' "* •. * 'Ji'• ' , • ;
,
A• * i
405 LARIMER STREET, DENVER, COLO.
~ '
%
PRICE, FIVE CENTS
- -