A SOCIALISTIC MANIFESTO.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 3133, 18 April 1883, Page 2

A SOCIALISTIC MANIFESTO.

The following extraordinary manifesto has been issued by the “ working men” of San Francisco :

We, the mechanics, skilled workmen, laborers, and wage-workers of San Francisco are the men who have produced all the real wealth this city owns. But other men who do not produce anything—loafers masquerading under the names of “ lawyers,” “ bankers,” “broders.” “rum-sellers,” “capitalists*” professional “ preachers,” and “ politicians,” are the ones that by some book or crook have come to “ own ” all that wealth that we have produced. We number in this city 100,000, while they do not exceed 5,000 But they have all, having produced nothing; while we have nothing, having produced all. ’

When we protest or agitate or ask for an investigation of the causes of this unjust and bullish state of things, we are met with either contemptuous silence or the answer “ Work for what we please to give or starve.” We desire, and will have in the near future, such laws as will give us the full value of our own labor.

Denied the right of speech in the infamous journals of this land, we demand now by this Bill of Indictment such a radical change as will give us Liberty. Our brothers in the Bast have already given warning; we now do the same. Not only here, but there, everywhere, it is now well understood by the majority of American working men that they are legally and systematically robbed of three-fifths of their earnings A moment’s reflection will make it cle t also that they can never secure the full and just recompense of their labor by any legal method, for the reason that the laws of the State and the forces of Government are the very ins'ruments whereby this robbery of industry is carried on.

This being thus, if behoves the working men of America to make the inevitable deduction, and to boldly apply the remedy. And for the purpose of teaching by example the value of force scientifically applied, we have determined to abolish by physical violence certain legalised wrongs under which we now suffer.

But let no good man be alarmed at this expression of our intentions. We shall not act hastily, or blindly, or indiscriminately. We shall first explain our grievances, then reason with our oppressors, and endeaver to persuade them to grant our rights ; and failing in this as we expect to fail, we shall finally enforce our demands by virtue of the clenched fist. We shall be specific and simple in our expositions, cool and clear in argument, and direct and decisive in our action. We shall be economical in choosing the means whereby to reach our ends ; we shall be careless of our personal welfare;and above all we shall be scientific in our methods, whether of destruction or construction. We shall respect neither life nor property when they stand as obstacles in the path of human progress, nor will we shrink from any sacrifice on our own side that may be necessary for the success of our cause. From time to time we shall issue manifestos secretly promulgated to the public, exposing the evils of which we complain and the abolishment of which we demand. The right's we thus demand must be granted or w;e shall take them.