— 25 —
veyances. Oh, how much richer should we be! And what moral wrong would be done to them by our exiling them? We would do nothing but stop their lawful robbery which has continued so long. Individual cases of hardship might occur; there might be many innocent sufferers among them, but we would gladly guarantee them a well-to-do existence in our midst, if they would stay and go to labor in whatever branch they are capable of following. Or if not able to work, we would in some other way provide for them at home or abroad.
Now, in fact, we do not propose such a revolution. We laborers are less cruel, more humane than our legal robbers; we would even rejoice in keeping them among ourselves, and make good citizens, better men, and useful laborers of them. But our humanity must not go so far as to allow their robbery to continue among us. We are ready for all sorts of compromises with them, provided they agree that after a reasonable period, all capitalistic titles or sham values shall be extinguished, and that we in the meantime shall have our burdens lightened, a generous system of universal education carried out, and guarantees for the future given.
And this,—no more,—is what the Workingmen's Party of the United States—which stands on the same principles as the International Workingmen's Association, a powerful body of laborers with mind and body, spread over most of Europe—is about. Our platform and the methods of our present activity may be found at the end of this tract. We must, however, explain the same still more unmistakably.
In the first place, the improvement of Education, the universal propagation of all true Sciences and Arts, of a higher morality based on the dignity and value of labor, and the furtherance of freedom and justice through Education lie at our heart. As soon as a legislative compromise with our opponents can be had, we shall formulate—as has already in part been done in Europe—our demands with regard to all matters of Education. In the meantime our platform exhibits only the first fundamental planks in this respect.
As the social fabric of all the modern nations has, for centuries, been based on legalized robbery by the powerful, and the indifferent ignorance and slavish tolerance of the powerless majority, it is merely impossible to rear a new social edifice of a juster, freer, and truly moral sort on the present foundation of Eeducation. A great moral reform of the Nations is needed, and can be produced by rendering Sciences and Arts and the love for Labor universal. Teaching must be the most honored and influential profession and very attractive for all persons born with an aptitude to teach,
