Workmen's advocate., February 05, 1887, Image 1

About Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891

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WOBKMEII'S
ADVOCATE,
i,
itcxu taucn, tfonncctlcnt, .ttuvrtutt, i?cbvu;vy 5. 1887
,"' i 7
J.V.
QUESTION!)? LAND.
"THERE IS NOTHING NEW
UNDER THE SUN."
Alienatinir the Soil and Taxintr
Labor The Laborer a Serf Till
Private Property in I.iiimI
is Abolished -Kent
Con II seal ion.
Apropos of ;m editorial in the last
edition of the Woukmks's Anvo
catk, in which exceptions are taken
to the New York urn in; Tcle;ram
for its reference to "Henry (leorgo's
theories," it may bo interesting to
your readers to know how far these,
theories have been presenced to the
public before the appearance of
Henry George, in the literary arena;
and that, too, by American publish
ers. I have in my possession a work
published in the Cnitod States in
18"1 (about the time that Henry
George was ten or twelve years of
age, 1 believe) and evidently writ
ten several years prior to that date,
with especial reference to the social
conditions of England. In this vol
ume the subject of political economy
is discussed from every standpoint,
but the "land iiestion'' crops up at
regular intervals in a manner which
indicates it to be the basis of the
author's propositions. The book is
easily read; the language is terse,
and no unnecessary phrases obscure
the well-taken points.
How completely this votume antic
ipates in detail, the work of Henry
George, may bo determined by a
careful perusal of the following ver
batim extracts:
"These countries (England, Scot
land and Ireland) have within them
selves an almost indefinite power of
creating wealth; and so far from be
ing in danger of a superabundant
population, they could in ten years,
with a tenth part of the annual ex
penditures of the kingdom on uu
'neeessary armaments, so outrun the
increase of the population that it
would be unnecessary to import one
single grain of corn. The
true reason why the population in
creases more rapidly than the food
is to be found, not in the laws of
God, but in the political laws which
have made such a disposition of the
soil as absolutely prevents it from
being turned to account.
The laboring population of Hritaiti
and Ireland must reap the fruits of
a system that tirst allocates all the
soil to thirty or forty thousand pro
prietors, and then places the heavi
est taxation in the world on the
mass of the inhabitants.
"The difficulties are neither with
the soil, nor the climate, nor the
price of produce; they all hinge on
the political arrangement which the
law has made with regard to the soil
and its tenure; and until this ar
rangement is destroyed, the soil
never can produce its maximum.
The radical evil, the master-piece
of mischief, that requires
be corrected, is the alienation of the
coil from I lie nation and I he taxation
of the lalior of the country (pp. "Jl.tr
to 293).
"The evil is expressed in a few
words and. sooner or later, the na
tion will appreciate it and rectify it.
It is "the alienation of the ml from
the Mate, anil the consequent taxation
of the industry of the country.
The essential part of this jtoliti
cal arrangement is, 'all persons in
the nation are forbidden, under
pains and penalties to use a certain
portion of land (with the exception
of the grantor, or by his jHTmission).'
If we turn to the effects of
this arrangement we find that the
grantee is in no respect bound to
make the land produce. lie may
utterly neglect itat the expense of
the nation (p :il .).
"Let the political arrangements
be what they mav, so long as the ar
istocracy have all the land and de
rive the rent of it, the laborer is
only a serf; and a serf he will re
main until he has uprooted the riyhls
of private landed proiery. The laud
is for the nation, not for the aristoc
racy. Those, therefore,
who were born into a country where
the land had been accorded to indi
vidual proprietors, could obtain their
livelihood only by laboring for other
men; and as those to whom the land
had been accorded could not culti
vate it themselves, and as the land
was required for the support of the
population, the laborers were under
the necessity of pay in; a rent to
those who thus procured a vast reve
nue without labor. What
is the equitable disposition of the
earth? Is it equitable that any ar
rangements of past generations
should cause one man now to be
born heir to a county or half a coun
ty, while the other inhabitants of
the county are deprived of all right
to the soil, and must consequently
pay a rent to the one individual,
who naturally has not one particle
of right to the earth more than they
hive themselves? The
great problem is to discover such a
system as shall secure to every man
his exact share of the advantages
which nature has provided for the
race; while at the same time he has
full opportunity, without let or
hindrance, to exercise his labor, in
dustry and skill, for his own advan
tage (p. :r:5).
"The solution we propound is the
following, although, of course, there
is no supposition that any general
solution can be immediately ap
plied. The question is,
what system will secure to every in
dividual of these successive genera
tions his portion of the natural ad
vantages? Of this jirohlem there is
but one solution possible.
"The earth is the common prop
erty of all, no individual being able
to exhibit a title to any particular
portion of it.
"No rational basis has ever been
exhibited to the world on which pri
vate right to any particular portion
of the earth could possibly be found
ed. The question then is,
'upon what terms must the earth be
possessed by the successive genera
tions, the earth being
the perpetual common-property of
the race; each succeeding generation
to have a full title to afire earth. J'
"The actual division of the soil
need never be anticipated. Nor
would such a division be just, if the
divided portions were made; the
property of individuals. If, then,
successive generations of men cannot
have their fractional share of the ac
tual soil (including mines, i:c.),
how can the division of the advan
tages of the natural earth be ef
fected ?
"My the division of its annual
value or rent; that is, by makiny the
rent of the soil the comman-roierly
of the nation. That is (as the taxa
tion is the common--property of the
State) by takiuy the whole of the tar
es out of the rents of the soil, and
TIIKHKHY AliOUSIIINi; A 1,1. OTHKK
KINDS OF TAXATION W II ATKV I'M I.
"And thus all industry would be
absolutely emancipated from every
burden, and every man would reap
such natural reward as his skill and
industry, or enterprise, rendered le
gitimately his
"This, we maintain, to hi; the
only theory that will satisfy the re
quirements of the problem of natu
ral property" (p. :!T" et ''.).
The author continues, through
five hundred pages, to demonstrate
the validity of his propositions, Init
lack of space will prevent my going
into the details.
Sufficient has been quoted, how
ever, to substantiate the adage that
"there is nothing new under the
sun" "Henry George's theories" not
excepted. Herhkkt Eaton.
New Yokk, Feb. i.
UUR BUYCOTT CASE. '
j
The
Journal ami Courier" vs. The
T.viorailiical I'liion.
Last year the Journal and ( 'ourier,
a local "rat" bapitalist sheet, whose
principal proprietor, John M. Har
rington, commenced negotiations
with the Typographical Union with
a view to making his office a union
office. This was immediately after
the victory of the printers over the
Morniny Xews after a vigorous boy
cott. Carrington did not hold to
his agreement with the union repre
sentatives, and the result was that a
boycott was declared by the Typo
graphical Union, the Trades Council
and the Knights of Labor. Carring
ton succeeded in enlisting the
"State" on his side, through a pros
ecuting attorney, and had four of
the members of the union arrested
on a charge of criminal conspiracy.
He gained his point in the City
Court, the Superior Court (against
all law and evidence), and the 'typos
appealed to the Supreme Court.
One of the accused, however, was
acquitted in the Superior Court.
Last week, Friday, the arguments
were made before the Supreme Court,
Prof. Johnson T. Piatt, Talcott II.
Russell, and James T. Moran, being
counsel for the Union, and John W.
Ailing, counsel for the "State"-
that is, ( "arringtoii. The ground for
the complaint was that working
people were asked to
"Boycott the ' Courier.' "
The venerable gentlemen forming
the Supreme Court heard the argu
ments, and beamed -"specially 'inter
ested in the speeches of l'rof. I'latt
and Mr. Russell; but there was a
marked lack of interest in Alling's
noisy harrangue, notwithstanding
the ridiculous propositions in his
"argument." Ailing shouted at the
five old gentlemen as if he imagined
they were deaf. Notwithstanding
the ravings of the lawyer, which
were perhaps really intended to sat
isfy his employer more than to con
vince the judges, the majority of
them apparently enjoyed a quiet nap
during his remarks. Mut when
counsel for the defense made their
arguments in a quiet, dignified
manner, the Court was wide awake
and much interested in the remarks
of the learned gentlemen. As the
Supreme Court is not noted
for startling speed in arriving
at decisions, it will be time
enough to print the main argument
of Prof. Piatt, as embodied in "De
fendants' reply to the Mrief for the
State," in our next issue. It is a
most interesting and important
argument.
FACTORY INSPECTION.
To Protect the Toilers in r'iiHnrics
auo1 Workshops.
I iast year a bill was brought before
the legislature to establish a State
inspection of factories, and was
favorably reported on by the chair
man of the Labor Committee on the
part of the House, Mut it was de
feated. Xow, again, this bill has
been introduced by Representative
King, of Naugatuck, and the temper
of our legislators will once more be
tried on the subject. The bill pro
vides for the appointment of an in
spector of factories witli power to
appoint assistants, whose dutv it
shall be to see that the owners of
factories provide proper safeguards
against accident, and have their
shops properly ventilated, etc.
There is but one reason why this
bill will not pass, if defeat is again
in store for it, and that is that the
employers don't want to go to tin
expense of complying with its pro
visions. They no doubt recognize
the fact that wage-slaves are cheajter
than appliances for their protection.
It will be interesting to know just
what legislators vote for and against
this and similar bills.
THE GREAT STRIKE.
No .Material Chanire Since bad l!e
ort. The great strike of the coal and
freight handlers in the vicinity of
New York continues unabated as
we go to press. Scabs are scarce,
and there is an almost complete em
bargo on freight. The men are de
termined ami hopeful of success.
HOLYOKE WORKERS.
ietoi) for the Clcrks-Tho Paper-Makers-Scab
( iuars -Textillsts.
Hoi. yokk, Mass., Feb. :!. The
adjourned Paper-Makers' meeting
as held on Sunday afternoon; the
hall in which they met proved to be
too small to accommodate more than
half of those who desired to attend.
After a livelv and intelligent dis
vussion a committee of five was ap
pointed to obtain the co-operation
of all t he tour workers in the coun
try for the purpose of inducing the
manufacturers to shut down the
mills at (i . m. Saturday and to
start at T p.m. on Monday. An
other meeting in a larger hall will
be held on February l.".
The clerks have succeeded; they
can now enjoy themselves three
nights in the week.
It is a curious fact, but it is a
fact nevertheless, that scab cigars
are being sold in the place where the
Cigarmakers' Union holds its meet
ings. Now 1 will not be a bit sur
prised to hear that workingmcn
have stopped trading at that place.
The woolen mills have an exten
sive and elaborate system of fleecing
their operatives by fines and peculiar
.vu'-thod of - measuring tho webs and
putting the proceeds into their own
pockets. Facts and figures art! be
ing secured and will be exhibited ill
the columns of the Wohkmkn's Ai
vocatk in due time.
The Wduumkn's Advocatk has
been of material benefit to the work
men of this place. It has advanced
the cause of the palter makers. Its
influence was felt in the interests of
the clerks. The textile workers and
the cigarmakers will ere long find
the advantage of having the privi
lege of a newspaper that will take
special notice of all that concerns
their welfare and keep every griev
ance they have before the pulie un
til it is abated.
Mut to make it thoroughly effec
tive the co-operation of those who
are to derive the benefit is necessary;
to th is end a large subscription list
is indispensable. There is now quite
a respectable list of subscribers from
this place, and some additions are
being made to it every week, and I
trust that workingineii will see how
much more desirable it is to have a
paper of their own than to depend
upon the capitalistic penny trump
ets that have nothing better than
gibes and jeers for workingineii, and
are always prompt to publish every
scurrilous and discreditable items
that in any way reflects on the work
man or his cause.
Names and subscriptions sent to
the undersigned will be promptly
attended to. Adam Ramauk,
Lib" Oak street.
P. S. The dude, on the hill who
is, for the time being, running the
capitalistic penny trumpet wants to
know who will pay the assessments
and expenses of the Knights of La
bor strikers when all have struck
and none are earning wages?
Ah! but how will capitalists pay
their bills without "Unpaid Lalior?"
Let us all stop work for a couple of
weeks and see. Why not? a. it.
A BOYCOTT.
A remarkable lioycott is in progress in
(Jalveston. A female coioNsitr of tliat
city, a inemU-r of the Printers' Union,
married a non-union compositor, and
t lien tried to net him to join the order.
He refused, and the l'nion voted a Ixiy
colt in which the wife participated, hav
ing left her husband and Ihiui proceed
ings for a divorce. ( 'rajtxiunit.
The wife is no doubt sufficiently pun
ished, and if she sui-i-eeds in gettine a
divorce, she will no doulit heed the les
son: "Don't marry a Kat
TKXTIliU WOltKHHS
AN APPEAL FROM THE PRO
GRESSIVE UNION.
The Weavers Weaving a New I'ahrie,
Hill Not for I he Mosses - A Na
tional l'nion Proposed - A
I. a rue l'nion Organi
zation Possihle.
Fi'U.ow 'oi;kin(imi:s :
According to a mutual understand
ing, the seat of the National Execu
tive Moard of the Textile Workers
I'royressive l'nion of America has
been moved from llolvoke, Mass., to
(he city of Philadelphia.
Our city being the great centre of
textile industry of the country, we
expect to be able to enlarge from
this central point our young organi
zation, and to extend it all over the
country.
Exhorted by the brilliant proceed
ings of the Trades' Unions Conven
tion at Columbus, Ohio, which led
to forming a strong organization un
der the name "American Federation
of Trades," we arc sorry to say lhat
we wor not represented at said Con
vention. We hereby appeal to all textile
workers, and especially to every in
dependent union, to join our Cen
tral body. Wherever there is no
such union we would advise to or
ganize one, and this Fxecutive Moard
is at any time willing to lend a help
ing hand to the organization of such
open unions.
We hold, that only by a uniform
and central organization of our trade,
the condition of tin textile industry
and of those who work at this trade
can be bettered.
The attempts made last year by
the workingmcn of this country to
raise wages, have proved that the
greatest results are to be expected
from the national organization of
trades.
Therefore we are quite pleased to
see that the different trades belong
ing to the Knights of Labor, one af
ter the other, asks' the (leneral Fx
ecutive Moard of said order to grant
them a district, or a national trade
charter, in order to be enabled to
settle their own affairs in their own
way, respectively, by experts of their
own choice, and' we have seen that
the members of the order of the K.
of L, themselves adopted this union
principle; therefore, one might say,
it is but a question of time that all
the different trades represented in
the Knights o! Labor will form sep
arate organizations.
After having given tin above
views, the Fxecutive Moard of the
Textile Workers Progressive Union
of America begs leave to submit the
following propositions, hoping that
all textile workers' unions, including
the various textile workers' assemb
lies of the Knights of Labor, will
aid us in our efforts. We would
suggest:
first: To call a (leneral Textile
Workers' Convention for the pur
post; of forming a national organiza
tion, the meeting place and the date
of said convention to be fixed here
after. Second: the secretaries of the dif
ferent unions and those who take an
interest in this movement, to enter
into correspondence with us in or
der to attend to the further necessa
ry steps.
At the same time we, the Execu
tive Hoard, declare again our readi
ness to give whatever information is
asked for regarding the organization
of the trade; and we would respect
fully ask the following named unions
to correspond with us, either in
English or in (lernian, viz: Rock
ville, Conn.; Adams, .Mass.; New
ark, N. .1.: Meacou Falls, Conn.:
New York city; town of Union, N.
,L; Mroad Hrook, Conn.; l'ittslield,
Mass.; Paovidence, 1L I.; Chicago.
Fellow workingineii! Do not hesi
tate to listen to this appal! You
know that the wages in our trade I
are as low as they can be and really
average an ordinary, laborer's wages;
you know that our colleagues in the
New England States are yet worse
oil', because they suffer under the
truck and 1101180 rent system intro
duced and kept up by the mill-owners.
You should follow the exam
ple of other well organized trades,
who, by their firm and solidaric co
working have raised their wages to a
higher standard, reducing at tho
same time the daily and weekly
hours of labor.
We call, in this respect, your atten
tion to the cigar makers, composi
tors, furniture workers, carpenters,
and many others.
The Textile Workers are really
behind time, but by tho general
movement of all organized working
men, wo are drawn into tho struggle
for bettering the general condition
of life, and it is our duty to use all
our energy in order to prevent the
further reduction of our wages.
It is in our and our families' in
terest to put a stop to tho robberies
of the mill-owners and those factory
lords who grow rich by not paying
the full value of our work. First,
we have to demand higher wages,
and to be treated in a decent way;
and in the future we have to aim at
the abolition of wage slavery by in
troducing the universal co-operative
system of production, which alone
secures to the workingman the full i
amount of pay for his work and
abolishes bossisni.
Respectfully,
Rohkut Hoi' 1 MAX,
Sec'y Executive Hoard of the Textile
Workers' Progressive Union of
America, :.'7-14 Fillmore street,
Philadelphia, Pa.
A COMMON THEFT.
The Fines System Not Loyal In
Itlnxle Island.
The case of Timothy J. Ryan vs.
Riverside and Oswego Mills, came
before Supreme Court on Tuesday
on petition of the defendants for a
new trial. Ryan was employed at
the Riverside mill as a dresser-tend
er, ami for alleged imperfect work, he
was lined and discharged. Ryan-
objected to the fine and refused to ,
take his wages with the amount of
the fine deducted from them. The
matter was placed in the hands of
(L'orge .1. West by tho Rhode Island
Central Labor Union, and when the
case came before Judge Blackwood,
it was decided in favor of Rvan.
The company appealed and took the
cast! iielore a jury, hut were asrain
Uoieateu, and finally, on Tuesday
last, as stated above, the com. nan v
was heard before the Supremo Court
on their petition for a new trial on
the '-round of the aliened dismialili-
ciition of a juror. The petition was
dismissed with costs. The I'eople.
THE P. P. P.
The following resolutions ary 'ic
ing circulated for signers by our
Dinbury friends:
Wlori'as. A private and irresponsible
Itody of armed men known as the Pink
erton Preventive Patrpl have for several
years assumed to exercise throughout
the United States functions w Inch essen
tially lielong to the poli; of cities, the
liinuiaot hutes, anu tur regular army,
1 . . I 1 1 -I rr.i . f . . -
.urn, itittiTOH, i ne practice oi swear
ins: in as special officers for the preserva
tion of jit-ace and proerty, men of un
known residence ana notorious charac
ter, in tiie pay and under the command
of private individuals and rorjtorations,
is a glaring imposture in violation of
American li I icrty and fundamental law,
lli sttlivil. That we demand of thefVin-
necticut Legislature the immediate en
actment of a law forbidding the employ -ment
us eciiU otlieersof men who are
not citizens of the State and have not
resided three years at least in the county
where they are to be so employed; all
such special officers to lie in the exclu
sive service and pay of the proper au
thorities, under pain of fine and impris
onment for receiving any salary or re
ward from individuals or corporations.
(lood. Rut it is hard on the cor
porations, and tho legislature has
always been soft on corporations. So
we can t expect mucu in tms im. -
7