THE REMEDY. 7OI 



and the abrogation of all class laws would be a cure-all for 

 every evil with which society is afflicted. While we sin- 

 cerely believe that the State can do much towards 

 alleviating the present depressed condition of the laborer 

 by extending the arm of protection over his interests, 

 there is much that w^ould remain which he alone can 

 accomplish. Intelligence and honesty is the basis of pros- 

 perity, and while the State or society can do much towards 

 corrupting the morals of the people by bestowing the 

 highest honors and rewards upon its most unscrupulous 

 citizens, the only hope of reform lies within the citizen 

 himself. It remains for him alone to cultivate intelli- 

 gence and encourage honesty. The State or government 

 is never better, and seldom as good as the society which 

 composes it. Our political institutions are founded upon 

 our social system. If the latter be corrupt the former will 

 necessarily be so; and while our political structure may 

 become much more corrupt than our social system, it can 

 never rise above it in moral purity any more than water 

 can rise above its own level. One of the greatest obstacles 

 in the way of industrial reform is a want of confidence 

 among fellow laborers. This is wrong. It should be 

 remembered that in addition to honesty there is an identity 

 of interests which should be a never-failing bond of unity 

 among laboring men. 



We, as farmers and laborers, are, to a great extent, to 

 blame for the wrongs we have to endure, inasmuch as we 

 have within our power the means of redress and reform. 

 If we ever expect to better our condition and enjoy the 

 full reward of our labor, we have a plain duty to perform. 

 And when I say we, I don't mean the officers and 

 committees of the different labor organizations, but 

 every man, no difference how poor, how ignorant, 

 or how little influence he exerts, it requires the 

 united efforts of the entire labor force to lift the 



