pe& that the flood tide would continue to rise, and to ben- efit all, we would feel satisfied; but we are anxious and restless now because we see that this is not the case. We see that the flood tide is beginning to turn, and that where- as many have been lifted high in wealth by it, and are firmly and securely fixed upon the shore of ease, luxury and opulence, yet the masses are not thus settled and secured, but are in danger of being carried as low as ever, or lower, by the under current of the now ebbing tide. Hence it is that we are disposed to grasp hold of something to insure our present state and our further advancement before it is too late.
To state the matter in other words, we (artisans and la- borers) see that while all mankind has largely shared the blessings of the day, yet those who by reason of greater talent for business, or by inheritance, or by fraud and dishonesty, have become possessors of tens of thousands and millions of dollars, have not only this advantage over all others, but, aided by the mechanical inventions, etc., they are in a position to continue the ratio of their increase in wealth, in proportion to the decrease in tht wage-workers* salaries. We see that unless we take some steps toward the protection of the increasing number of artisans against the increasing power of monopoly, combined with labor-saving machinery, etc., the cold-blooded law of supply and de- mand will swallow us up completely. It is against this impending disaster, rather than against present conditions, that we organize and seek protective arrangements. Each day adds largely to our numbers by natural increase and by immigration ; and each day adds to the labor-saving ma- chinery. Each day, therefore, increases the number seek- ing employment and decreases the demand for their service. The natural law of supply and demand, therefore, if per- mitted to go on uninterruptedly, will soon bring labor
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