Labour's Wrongs and Labour's Remedy

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tion from labour which the latter enjoys, is attributable tothe inequalit of possessions which exists between the twoparties; ant I it is equally apparent, that inequality ofpossessions must have been or~ginally induced, as it is nowpnrtly maintained, by the exclusive ossession, by certaininclividuals and classes, of that eart P r which rightly andequally belo~gs alilie to every created being. Thus theconviction is naturally and imperatively forced upon us,that individual possession of the soil has been one cause ofinequality of wealth-that inequality of wealth necessarilygives rise to inequality of labour-and that inequality ofwealth, and labour, aud enjoyments, constitute thc wrongas a whole. This, as well as the deprivation of politicalpower connected with it, is the state of things to beremedied ; and if the wrong is to be removed, it must bcdone by removing the inequality of condition whichcreates and perpetuates it. Equality of riglits cannever exist in connection with inequality of labour andinequality of wealth. The mere fact that men have heretoforealways been governed by unequal laws-that theselaws hare been based on assumed inequality of rightsandthat the idea of inequality of rights has been derivedfrom inequality of possessions-ought to convince us of theunimprovable nature of a social system allowing of thedistinctions iu society which now exist; for so long as mehear of rich and poor-of superior and inferior-of masterand man-there can be no equality of riglits, no justice,no cessation of discontent and crime.From the nature and position of man, and the principleswhich have relation to his existence, it cannot bedeuied that the llatural rights of all human beings areequal. These rights, therefore, can never be given up ortaken away, for they are attributes-conditions of existence-an(\-they are limited, in every man, only by theequal rights of every otfler man. Thus, it nlay be saidtl~at every mar? has a riglit to do what he likes-providedthe so doing intedkres not with the EQUAL rights of hisfello=-man.This definition, broad as it may appear, is inreality extremely circumscribed, and will allow neither oflicentiousness nor tyranny. It is an indisputable right ofman to live upon that earth on which he has been placedby his Creator; and this right to existence must from itsnature be accompanied, in every man, by the right afappropriating to himself the various necessaries of life whichhe can, by his labour, colnpeI the earth to yield him. Theexercise of these rights, in a well-regnlateti society, canneither cause collision nor inflict injury; for tlie actingupon them by one man does not necessarily interfere withthe same action on the part of every other man. Humanrights mwt all, and + all times, be tested by this principleof interference; atrd whenever ally man, or body ofmen, or government, commits an action or m:tkes a claimwhich interferes with the equitl rights of others, a wrongis cornniitted upon all who are thus interfered with.Men preceded us, anti others will continue to come afterus. Generations arrive within the confines of existencebefore their predecessors have departed; awl, as the livesof all are held by the same tenure, and are dependent upontllc same contingencies, the absolute riglits of all to lifeand sustenance must llecessarily be equal. But, froni thel)eculiar position in which we are placed, I)y the rising andthe passing generations being ;ilways ~ilisetl up together, itis impossible to maintain this natural equality of right tosubsistence, unless the earth be COM~ION PROPERTY, andthe earth cannot be common property, nor can its blessingsbe either universally or equally enjoyed, under anysystem which admits individual appropriatiorl of the soil.It is labour alone ~vhicli bestows value ; for labour, as ithxs been truly said, is the purchase money which is paidfor everything we eat, or drink, or wear. Every man hasan uniloubteci right to all that his houest labour can procurehim. When he thus appropriates the fruits of hislabour, he cotn~nits no injustice upon any other 11umal1I~eing; for he interferes ~vitli no other msn's right of doingthe same with the produce of itis labour. But if anyindividual appropriate to himself the jeld on wlrich alllabour is exercised-if he attempt to set up a clninl to anyparticular part of the earth-he clearly does that which isunjust, and contrary to tlie common equality of rigl~ts,for he inferferes ivilh the equal right of every Iru?non beingto appropriale that same particular spot. Priority of possessiougives no title mllntever ; nor can any duration ofenjoyment establish a right, where a right did not originallyexist. From the very nature of the thing, and theposition in which man stands wit11 regard to his fellows,he never did, and never can, individually, possess any
exclusive right to one single inch of land. Wherever s~iclian assumed right is set up and. acted upon, there willalways exist injustice, and tyranny, and poverty, andinequality of rights, whether the ~eople be ltnder themonarchical or the republican form of governmc~~t ; for allthe wrongs and the woes which man has ever committedor enilured, may be traced to the assumption of a right inthe soil, by certain individuals and classes, to the exclusionof other intlividuals and classes. Equality of rightscan never be enjoyed until all individual claims to landedproperty are subverted, and merged in those of the nationat large.The next step which man has ever talten, after havingclai~nctl property in Iarttl, has I~cen to claim properly inman ; ant1 wherever one man ~~osscsscs land, ant1 :motherhas none, the latter must always be the slave of the former.From this prolific source of evil-exclusive possession ofthe soil-have arisen semi-civilized tlcspotisms, and govcrnmentalpolr er of every ilescription ; for an infringementupon one of the rights of man soon leads to :L disregard ofall his other rights. B~it wre have seen, from the verynature of things, that no man can ever possess a right tothe obedience of another, nor claim property in him; ar?dtherefore, wherever such a pretension is set up, it must bedenounced and resisted, for it is contrary to the letter andthe spirit of Nature's great charter of eql~ality. TheCreator of lnan only is the owner of man ; and the ,assumption of power and dominion by one man or one classover other men and other classes, simply because the oneclaims land and the other does fit, is as unjust as theinequality of property is unjust upon which such claim toexclusive authority is founded.Man, as an individu:rl, is both mertk and poor, and hewill always continue thus while isolatecl and alone. Buthe enters society-an aggregate of weah threads producea powerful rope-an aggregate of indivicluals compose anation. If man be weak and poor when left to himself, hemust necessarily continue weak and poor, as an individ~lal,in any and every state of society ; for society alters neitherElis physical constitution nor his attributes-he is still nomore than one thread of tlie rope. By what principle,then, does any individual claim power and authority overhis fellows ? If wealtness and insignificance be inherentin one man, they will likewiw: be inherent in all men-they will difler in degree only, not in Lind. A thing isequal to itself, and a ~vliole is greater than its part; ;in(lthere is nothing in nature or in lang~iage that can give usan idea of one eq~~al being superior tu another eqltal, orgreater than a thousand or a million of itself. Thereforeall such assumption of supefijority-such toad-blow affectationof supremacy-merith only derision and contempt.There cannot, perhaps, esist a state of society withouta form of government and Ia\vs of some kind: but therenever was, and there never can be, in any person, a right togovern ; nor mn one indivirlual ever justly make laws foranother, and call upon him for obedier~cc. Hr~tllan rightsare eqltal ; :tnd human rights are the true founclation forl~rrman lams and the correct ciefiners of man's :lutl~orityover man.Laws, if I)roperly considered, are no more thari contrivancesto promote the vvelhre of society ; anti thereforethey should be so framed as to afford the greatest secllrityto the whole body politic, with the least restraint upon theactions of individuals. Such being the nature and intcntionof laws, it is evident that all those must be both prejudicialand unjust, which tend to circumscribe the rightsof individuals, without at the same time nffordiug additionalprotection to the cornmunit)-. With respect to theinstitution of laws, no min0rit.y ccan ever possess the RIGHTof imposing laws upon the ~n(Gority ; m ~d therefore, w11ereverlaws have been thus imposed, a manifest tyranny hasbeen committe(1 upon the majority. Nor can a majorityever possess the right of inlposing laws upon the minority,except mc11 laws Itare for their object the eqaalprotectionofsocial rights; for the protection of persons andproperty being the chief end for rvbicl~ men institutehws-and as every man .rvllo respects the rights of otl~era,ought also to have his own rights held sacred-it follows,that all laws instituted by either majority or minority,.fwsuch equal protection of rights, are binding upon all. Butif, from ignorance of the nature of right, or from anyother cause, the majority or niin0rit.y thiuk fit to enactlaws which interfere with the rights of all without at thesame time affording eqttal protection to all, they clearly dothat which is unjust. Of this indefensible and tyrannicalcharacter are the Ia\~s iiow existing in England and othercountries. wllich, ~tndcr pain of fine or imprisonment,wnder it conlp~lsory on ill persons to perform certatu
Page 1 and 2: LABOUR'S WRONGSAND LABOUB'S REMEDY;
Page 3 and 4: and tlie eternity of existing usage
Page 5 and 6: the award. And thus, having the acc
Page 8 and 9: LABOUR'S REMEDY. 17they complain of
Page 10 and 11: from the common course of events, t
Page 12 and 13: on inequality of bodily and ~nental
Page 14 and 15: as firmly as if they had been fette
Page 18 and 19: eligious observances on a stated da
Page 20 and 21: proceed,-not from the nature of man
Page 22 and 23: een an actual curse--only because m
Page 24 and 25: 48 LABOUR'S WRONGS ANDbenefited; co
Page 26 and 27: emedy for their wrongs; but it has
Page 28 and 29: This latter condition alorle condem
Page 30: LXUDUR'~ REMEDY.6 1produce tllere i
Page 33 and 34: LABOUR'S WRONGS A ~ DCHAPTER V.THE
Page 35 and 36: 70 LABOUR'S WRONGS ANDthis vast sum
Page 37 and 38: e ascribed to the existence of the
Page 39 and 40: 78 LABOUR'S TVRONGS ANDand therefor
Page 41 and 42: 62 LAI~OUR'S WRONGS ANDfor thousall
Page 43 and 44: LABOCIL'S REMEDY. 67ready seen, fro
Page 45 and 46: he diminished. As for the labour, i
Page 47 and 48: lessness of all such cllanges, eith
Page 49 and 50: another Itas been abandoned, antl e
Page 51 and 52: 102 LAIIOUR'S WRONGS ANDwages to th
Page 53 and 54: LABOUR'S REMEDY. ! 07ploycc! neighh
Page 55 and 56: LABOUR'S REMEDY. 111their labour \v
Page 57 and 58: or make it independent of external
Page 59 and 60: ation, or the union and direction o
Page 61 and 62: u11ior1 csccl)t where 1;ibour is un
Page 63 and 64: LXUOUII'S REMEDY. 127man feelings a
Page 65 and 66: tl~inh-, feel, or act precisely tli
Page 67 and 68:
134 I,?\ ROUR'S I\'ROTi\'GS ANDmany
Page 69 and 70:
may easily be conceivctl of; for it
Page 71:
vessels of various descriptions, an
Page 74 and 75:
connection with the established gor
Page 76 and 77:
atocks of metal in the banks decrea
Page 78 and 79:
156 LABOUR'S WRONGS IXDpower of suc
Page 80 and 81:
The opinion entertained of a man by
Page 82 and 83:
tastes and ignorant appliances of t
Page 84 and 85:
then wlll the unknown and now unapp
Page 86 and 87:
the protluctive classes must still
Page 88 and 89:
176 LABOUR'S WRONGS ANDgalling fett
Page 91 and 92:
character of these arrangements in
Page 93 and 94:
duction of lnacliinery and the cons
Page 95 and 96:
L.~BOUIZ'S REMEDY. 191to the existi
Page 97 and 98:
all these companies, and estenlls t
Page 99 and 100:
plished under the joint-stoclc syst
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exchanges. " 1\11 evidence," also,
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206 LABOUR'S JI1I'ICONGS ANDmills i
Page 105 and 106:
2 10 LACOUR'S WRONGS ANDup1)er clas
Page 107 and 108:
In regarding any nntf every ren~edy
show all

Labour's Wrongs and Labour's Remedy

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