PI ADVOCATE, Jthlvd iUav, Ito 8 fcun, (ffomuctlcnt, &;ituvtl;ui. 3j bvuixvy 19. 1887 xla 3 Cent; DEM) MEflTS 11ULE LAW IN RELATION TO CRIME AND TO PROPERTY. Extracts from the "Theory of Human Progression" Legislation by Capitalists Law ('an not Make a Crime, Nor Land Property. One striking fact is apparent in considering the past history of laws with regard to crimo and property. The laws with regard to crimes have been considered alterable; the laws with regard to property have been considered unalterable. One generation of legislators and rulers made an action a legal crime; but the next generation did not, on that account, consider it self-bound forever so to esteem it. On the con trary every generation of legislators has considered itself at full liberty to alter, revise, amend, and abolish, such laws, accord ins to its own iudgment. Hut with regard to the States' gift of lands it has been quite otherwise. The deeds of past rulers have been supposed to extend to all future generations: and the doctrine now nrevalent. that the lands, once alienated by the state's gift, could not be reassumed by the nation without a breach of equity without, in fact, committing that crime ab horrent in the eyes of the aristoc racy "attacking the rights of prop' erty." This discrepancy is at once ex plained, when we reflect that legis lators have been for the most part landlords themselves, or those so immediately connected with their interests, that the government was, to all intents and purposes, a land- lordocracy. But the question stil occurs, and must occur again ana again; "If the acts of past rulers were not morally permanent with re gard to crime, how can they possibly be so with regard to property " We have now to show that crime and property are not distinct; in fact, that, so iar as regards legisla tation, they are identical; and that the laws for States grants, which are, in fact, nothing else than laws, although this fact is overlooked) re garding landed property are neither more nor less than laws regarding crime. Property is usually regarded as an obiect as something essenti ally distinguished from action. Yet we shall undertake to show that action alone is concerned, and that nil laws regarding properly are merely laws regarding action. Anc if we succeed in doing this, we have unhinged the superstition that pre vails on the subject of landed prop erty. The apparent hopelessness of el fecting any radical change in the nmsent svstem. and the lear 01 ad vocating ("wild") doctrines, hav both exerted an influence in repres sing investigation. This apathy. however, cannot long continue Whatever may be the result the in vestigatiou cannot fail to be made We now undertake to show that the gift of land by the State is nothing more than a law affecting action and, consequently, is of the same character as alaw relating to crime, And if so, it must follow the genera course of the laws relating to crime and if those laws are not morally lH-rmanent, neither is the State i gift of land morally permanent, but may be revised, amended, or aooi isfted, exactly in the same manner as a law affecting crime. Neither the one nor the other is one atom more valid, or more binding on account of legislation. They are right now, or wrong now, wholly and solely ac cording to their own merits. The law cannot make a crime, although the law may call an action by this name, and treat it as such; and the law cannot make a portion of land, projierty, although it may call it property. Both crime and property are ali enor to law, and superior to it; and t was not to make either the one or he other, but to prevent the one and protect the other, that legisla tive law was called into existence. jaw is not tho moral measure of right and wrong; but the rule of ractice of the policeman, constable, ailer, judge, sheriff and hangman; and until law is absolutely perfect, there is a canon higher than the canon of law, and one more valid and staple the canon of reason to which law itself must be subject. A aw against crime is a public decla ration that certain acts must not bo performed; and that he who per- brms them shall bo visited with cer tain specified penalties. This is ex actly the essence of the grant of anded property. 1 his Ts essentially i law against action a law declaring that to use a certain portion of land is a crime lor the .vast majority ot the population. And this being the case, the laws and arrangements of past rulers re lating to property, are in no possi ble respect more binding than their laws and arrangements relating to crime property being only a con cise expression of a proposition that nrohibits actions of a certain char acter. Drew the prohibition of the action, and the property has altogether disappeared. And consequently all past arrangements with regard to land are as open to be revised, amended, or abolished, as past ar rangements with regard to actions called crimes; and, consequently, there is no such thing as the "rights of landed property separated from tho mere dictum of the law, which the nation has an undoubted right to alter or abolish whenever it shall see fit to do bo. , Superstition, on this noint. mav 4 - - r - i - t 4 endure for a few years longer; but no truth can be more certain than that God gave the land for the bene fit of all; and if any arrangement interfere with or diminish that benefit, then has man an undoubted right to alter or abolish that ar rangement, exactly as he alters his arrangements in agriculture, in medicine, in mechanics, or in navi gation. JNo more crime, and no more wrong, attaches to his altera tion in the one case than in the other. HOLYOKE LETTER. The "Capitalistic Idea" (Jetting Scared -Leading to Socialism. IIolyoke, Mass., Feb. 16. The capitalistic ijdea of this place is hav ing bad dreams, and is lying awake o' nights. The magnificent exhibi tion of power in New York made by a handful of New Jersey coal shovelers is too much for it, and the cold shivers is running down its gelatinous spine; it is beginning to prate of profit-sharing and co-opera tion as means to pacify the workers. The capitalistic idea is extremely anxious to find out just how many in this place are in the labor move ment, and tho hill capitalistic penny trumpet is inveighing against labor agaitators as being men who won't work, etc.; he would be much better employed in studying tae lessons of the day, all of which lead to the conclusion that there will be no cessation of labor agitation or of labor troubles until, 1 repeat, every man is permitted to work, and to earn a sufficient subsistence lor him self and his family, but that under the capitalistic system is an impossi bility. Verily, all roads lead to Socialism. Frank K. Foster will address the workingmen of IIolyoke on Tues day, March 1. We are pleased to see that your contemporary, London Just ire, ap preciates the true character ot our capitalistic menstrual, which has no sale nor influence here in the place of nativity. Just fancy if you can a bona tide labor paper true to the in terests of the workmen, and receiv ing ten pages of capitalistic adver tisements. Bah; what do they take us for? .Lmgaiia. A JUDGE'S REASONS ARRAIGNMENT OFTHE "DEM OCRATIC" PARTY. Wealth the Standard of UesneetabiL it v -The Two Old Parties Like as Two l'eas-The New Party the Soul of Democracy. The San Francisco Star published last week a remarkable letter from Judge James 0. Maguire in which he arraigns the "democratic" party and formally withdraws from it. This letter undoubtedly echoes the sentiments of many good citizens who are tired of the old parties, and and are contemplating a new de parture in politics. We publish the' letter m full: To the Me ml urn of the California State Hemomaw Llnb : Gentlemen : I hereby tender my res ignation as a member of your club. In withdrawing, permit ine to returtv thanks to the officers, present and past, for many courtesies which they have ex tended during our long and pleasant as sociation. Let me also assure the members, with whom my relations have also been most cordial, that my withdrawal is not prompted my any personal considera tions, but that it is to me a painful act ot duty to political principles and con victions with which the present policy or the "democratic party is not in accord, As this resignation is the hnal act which severs my connection with the "democratic" party, State, and national- it is but just to you that, and to all others who have stood shoulder to shoulder with me in the political battles of the past, that I should lully and frankly state the reasons which have moved me to this serious sten. Early in life I learned to reverence the' name; being out of power at the time that I reached my majority, 1 naturally entered its ranks, hoping, and expecting that it would ever be the aggressive and intelligent champion of liberty, equality and justice wherever and whenever these vital principles ot social happiness might be either neglected or assailed. Finally our party triumphed, but, alas ! it has brought no relief to our suf fering people. The benelit of that tri umph has amounted to no more tnan ine distribution of a few official prizes to the friends and relatives of wealth aristocrats and to the henchmen of political bouses. There are, ot course, exceptions, but this has been the rule. Wealth is still the standard of respect ability, iust as it was under republican administrations, and the rights and wishes of the great democratic masses ot the country are just as completely lg nored. Rival bidders for the affections of mo nonolies. the srreat national parties have Income like as two peas both in actions and principles. The great intellectual statesmen; tne men of principle and courage, once the glory of our country, have been retired from our Federal State, and the people have practically ceased to be represented there. The chamber which once hei that highest body of earthly legislators is now a sort or national stock exenange wherein seats are sold to monopolists and to wealthy seekers after social stand ing. In the matter of sanctioning this iniquity, honors seem to be easy between the parties. The entire solid area of our great conn try, including the natural opisji tunities of all our people the natural resources, without which none of our people win live has been made the exclusive private property of a thousand alien and do mestic landlords, who, by virtue of the absolute control which they do thus, as owners, exercise over the only means of living of our landless millions, are rol- bing the Iatte, continually ot trom one- half to four-faths of the fruits of thrir lalsjr, and are daily driving them to lower and lower depths of slavery and helpless misery. This is a system of human servitude just as complete as chattel slavery and in many respects more atrocious; yet the so-called "democratic party," while claiming to be the friend of the lalorer, expressly defends this system, and bids for the support of those who profit by it. Hut these are not the only matters in which the party has Iteen recreant. In the late Democn tie State Convention an emissary of certain railroad corora tions, who acted as a carrier of messages between his masters and the committee on platform, caused the committee to eliminate a resolution condemning the election of the president of the Central I'acilic Railroad Company to the United States Senate, and aLso caused tiie com mittee to eliminate Senator Keddy s res olution ujsjn the Chinese question, which irior to his aiiearance had been adopted. This railroad emissary received, as his reward for thia successful service, a dem- H-ratic nominal u n for Congress. It is but just, in defense of the people, that I lould add: he was not elected. I will not recount the painful history, nor dwell upon t,e deplorable condition. f our democracy. It is difficult to speak of this lurneh of the parly in the language ot poll - correspondence. Let it here suffice t. say that our local de mocracy isundt. the acknowledged do minion of a niau who has been publicly charged with ha ing openly and notori ously purchased on last election day; this charge n strongly sup ported by the sw I recorded testi mony of several ! ..is; yet, although this crime airains . the elective franchise is a blow at the v ry heart of our lilierty, a crime more t readful in its conse quences than nui'der or open treason, no citizen has i 5 manifested sufficient contidence in tie democratic officers who are charged with conducting pub lic prosecutions t even hie a complaint against this alleged offender. In face of this public charge and of other equally outrageous doings, as if to wantonly humiliate the State democracy, and commit it to the ratification of such iniquities, the chairman and other mem bers of the State Central Committee pub licly serenaded this man, and tho chair man thanked him and eulogi.ed him for his statc.tiiunilih' services to the party luring the campaign. And so I might go on, ad libitum, ail mnwttm usijite, but it is unnecessary. Aw a self-respecting man I would feel justified, and bound in honor to withdraw from a party which has fallen to such levels; but there is another and potent reason for my im mediate withdrawal; which is: that a new National Party is leing formed for the purpose of restoring the natural rights of the great landless democracy of America. It is founded upon the idea that all men have an equal right to live, and, as a necessary consequence, that all men have at all times an equal and inalienable right to the use of the natural elements which God made anil gave freely for the sustenance of human life; "that to se cure these rights governments are insti tuted among them, deriving their just powers from the conmt of the gov erned;" that all American citizens are entitled to equal opportunities with re spect to the great natural resources of our common country; that no sjieculator m the natural rights ot his tellow-men should be permitted to prevent American citizens from making homes upon land which he does not want to use, that no landlord alien or citizen should lo per mitted to collect toll from American citi zens for allowing them the privilege of using the natural and indestructible powers of our soil; that the rental value of land, which results, in all cases, en tirely from the presence, enterprise, virtue and industry of the whole people, and should, as a matter ot common justice, be taken for public use; and that no tax, or burden of any kind, should be imposed upon commerce, agriculture, manufactures or other industries, or upon any products of human labor, so long as this rental value of land which is the margin of production-shall be sufficient for public purposes. To the new party, founded upon these principles, which 1 conceive to lie tut very soul and essence of true democracy, all of the time which I can henceforth give to the political service of my coun try will he devoted. I snail tnereiore, in the next political campaign, do all in my power to secure the election ot uenry George, or some other land reformer, to the presidency ot tne umieu niaies, un less the "democratic" party shall, in the meantime, become democratic by adopt ing the principles which we have espoused. Having delilierately resolved to pursue this course, 1 desire that my position may le fully and exactly understood, so that my actions and relations, with re spect to political matters shall Ik! neither inconsistent nor amoiguous. Sincerely trusting that our social rela tions may Iw as pleasant in the future as they have been in the past, 1 remain, Very truly and respectlully yours, James G. Maii:irk San Francisco, January 27, 1SS7. BOSSES' CONSPIRACY. The Employing Ituildersof New York Conspire Against tin Journcj incti The success of the united building trades in New York has roused the bosses to united action in order that they may employ scabs and destroy the trades unions. The efficacy o the walking delegate system is par ticularly obnoxious to the "out raged" bosses, and so they want to alxilish the walking delegate. I he ultimate object of the conspiracy is nd art ion of iragi-s. There are none among the trades so able to cope with their bosses as the building trades, and we may exject lively times in New York spring. the Is the man who delivers a declamation through the telephone a hello-cutionist? A BRAVE WOMAN. An American (iirl CIlllllipiollH Her Ideas. the Cause of Labor The publication of the autobiog raphy of August Spies by Nina Van Zandt, and the circumstances which led to it are events in the struggle of labor against capitalistic oppres sion. The hellish vindieti venous and ignorant bigotry of the "hounds of the law" was shocking to every one who had a sense of justice. Among all those who went as a matter of curiosity to attend the trial of the eight men who have been unjustly condemed to death, the so-called "anarchists,'' there were no doubt many whoso nature revolted at tho cold-blooded and murderous "intent to kill" on the mrt of the prosecutors, but Nina Stuart Van Zandt did not end the matter with mere revulsion of feei ng; she set about doing something to assist the unfortunate men. In ler preface to tho above-mentioned uitobiography she says: "1 did not know any of the ac cused when, during tho comedy called trial, I entered the courtroom. Having received what information I had concerning the prisoners from tho newspapers, 1 was expecting to see a rare collection of stupid, vicious, criminal-looking men. was greatly surprised to find that several of them, so far irom corm snonding with this description, had intelligent, kindly and good faces, became interested. 1 soon round that the officers of the court and tho entire police and detective forco were bent upon tho conviction of these men not because of any crimo of theirs, but because of their connec tion with the labor movement. "Animated by a feeling of horror, produced by what 1 saw and heard and no less by a feeling of justice, I determined to range myself on the sido of the persecuted Miss Van Zandt, in company with with her mother, visited tho prison ers in jail, and became acquainted with August Spies. This acquaint ance ripened into mutual love, am with the consent of her parents, was decided that the two should be come husband and wife, as it was decreed that only a wife can cal upon a prisoner outside of tho regu lar visiting days. Marriage was no permitted in jai however, and tho ceremony had to be performed by proxy. Of course, this act brought down upon her the angry vit opera tion of the reptile press and "so ciety" people. But the brave young woman, whose eyes had been opened to the true value ot "our society, was not to be browbeaten by her in fcriors, and her steadfast advocacy of the cause of tho unjustly con denied will endear her to working men of America. INNOCENT DEPEW. "1 he workingmen have a grievance. We do not know exactly what it is. They cannot clearly express it. Rut it exists." Cha nncy M. Imjhw. Oh, no ! You don't know what they are growling about. But when you cut coupons, just remember that each one represents unpaid lalxrr. The fact that you get the benefit of the labor of others without adequate return is a grievance. THE LATEST. The "poinding" (stealing under a legal warrant) by the sheriff of In verness at the instance of Lord Mac Donald, of a two-months old babe for rent due, is one of the latest capitalistic outrages. The poor mother had to submit. Yet there is no rebellion in Scotland against the brutal government that docs not hesitate to rob women of their babes to satisfy the landlords' greed. Gent "Why do you stare at me in this manner?" Tramp "Excuse me, Colonel, I was measuring the length of your legs with my eye. i thought my legs might tit a pair of your pants." Texas Sifting. VNOTlIEIt LESSON THE RECOGNITION OF BOSS- ISM DEFEATS LABOR. lMstricI l! Wins a Doubtful Victor) Only a Skirmish The Mm Not Yet - Abolition or Private Ownership A Color ed Flag of Truce. 'hrough the inadequacy of tin means of transmitting information and also to a certain extent owiin to the secret policy of labor organ izations. labor papers have not been nabled to give absolutely accural accounts of the great strike of tin Knights of Labor in the coal carrying and shipping industry. While as i rule labor papers have claimed v victory, the capitalistic sheets unani mously announce a defeat for organ ized labor. In each case the "wish is the father." While it is pretty well established that tho coal shovel lers gained some concessions, thou sands of others who were drawn into the vortex are still battling, after their fashion, with well-fed, sleek bosses. If the object of the directors of the strike waB simply to gain the paltry sum of 2 J cents per hour for coal shovellers, regardless of the cost to tho other workmen who struck to help tho former, then in deed it was a victory for tho coal shovellers. That it was a victory for organized labor as represented in District 49, is very doubtful. But the end is not yet, and the end of labor troubles never will come as long as labor recognizes tho boss system. When organized labor is leady to strike to win, the strike will not end till private ownership of land and tho means of production, transportation, etc., is abolished, and the people organized as a State claim sovereign control. Tho matter may be summed up thus: A skirmish took place. An unnecessarily large forco was drawn into the conflict on the part of "49." Foraging was forbidden, and the de feat of the enemy's outpost waa ac complished at the expense of tho stomachs of the main body of labor's army. The enemy lost cash. This the enemy will recover by exploiting labor under a Hag of truce. Some day, when the sun rises in crimson colors in the East, portend ing storm, tho white flag, dyed in tho morning red, will not be recog nized as a llag of truce. , SOCIALIST MEETING. Central Labor Hall, To-Jlorrow, (Sunday) at 3 P. M. The American Section, Socialistic Labor Part) , of this city, has ar ranged for a meeting at Central La bor Hall, Lamar Block, Crown street, opposite Bunnell's Museum, to-morrow, (Sunday) afternoon, a3 o'clock. Citizens, both ladies and gentlemen, are cordially invited to attend. S. Seiler, of Bridgeport, and Herbert Eaton, of New York, will address the meeting upon tho subject of Socialism and its relation to the labor movement. Admission free. BAKERS' RALLY. Secretary (Jcorge Block to Socak'nt (erinaiiia Hall. Bakers' Union, No. 11, of this city, will hold a mass meeting at Germania Hall, Wooster street, this (Saturday) evening at 8 o'clock. George Block, Secretary of the United Bakers' Unions of the United States, will addresa the meeting in both German and English. The bakers cordially invite their fellow workmen in other trades to come and hear Mr. Block, who is an able and instructive speaker. Other speakers will also make addresses. ; : r