The Voice of Industry (Vol. 1 No. 01 - 29 May 1845)

Introduction.

Friends & Brothers:

Through the changing course of human events, we appear before you with our humble sheet, the Voice of Industry, published by an Association of Workingmen of our rapid growing village. The character of our paper and the course it will pursue in the arena of modern publications are comprehensively embodied in its head; which together with the fact that it has been brought into existence and will be supported exclusively by those who "earn their bread by the sweat of their brow," (and not only their own but others') renders it necessary for us to go into a minute and prolix delineation of our intended field of action or proscribed bounds. In fact we have very little sympathy with the wholesale system of slavish pledging, which is carried on to so great an extent at the present day by a large portion of our political, sectarian, and party presses; the influence of which is making dupes of the mass, keeps them ignorant of their true natures and interests, and fills the community with dogmatical errors and contracted tenets—while the leaders and advocates of these various sects and parties are as jealous of their preservation as the apple of their eye—growing out of a long train of bigoted, hereditary results, a vicious education, ambitious aspirancy, love of social aristocracy, or that dearest god of the age, "yellow gold."

[...]

Temperance.

This noble and humane cause which has done so much of late for the elevation, and restoration of the fallen children of earth, we regret to say, is fast being sacrificed upon the glutted alter of the mammon of the age—is fast turning into the great stream of seductive pollution which is poisoning every Christian reform of the day, and impregnating every stream of pure philanthropy with the sickening waters of selfishness, party strife, and avarice.

While spending an evening at Lowell a few weeks since, we went to hear that celebrated champion of temperance, J. B. Gough [John Bartholomew Gough], who was lecturing in that city: and to our surprise, at the very portals of the sanctuary professedly dedicated to God and humanity stood the "golden calf," in the shape of "12 [and] 1/2 cents admittance." What consistency! A virtual prohibition put upon the poor inebriate, from hearing the sad experience of his brother's degradation, and his glorious return to the path to sobriety and happiness. The eloquent appeals, warning reproofs, and cheering invitations of J. B. Gough, to the poor victims of dissipation all sacrificed for the paltry sum of "12 [and] 1/2 cents." The principles of temperance with its numerous blessings, virtue, health and happiness—"The bread of life" offered for sale at "12 [and] 1/2 cents" to him who has spent the last farthing for rum. Whose family is hungry for bread, and destitute of clothes to protect their emaciated bodies. And this merely to cancel a debt that is or may be incurred by temperance societies, composed of the wealth, influence, and aristocracy of Lowell, Boston, or New York—those men perhaps who filled their coffers by selling out the "dead poison," and now ask the victims of their unfeeling avarice to buy back the privileges, health, and happiness of which they have robbed them. Shame on such conduct—such temperance and philanthropy too, will be but a bye-word and hissing sound.

Destructive and Calamitous Fires

Destructive and calamitous fires are daily occurring in all parts of the country, and vast amounts of property being in a few hours reduced to ashes, men of wealth made beggars and the poor reduced to a state of almost wretched starvation—and so long as the present miserable system of isolated capitol [sic]—the present state of extreme luxury and affluence and miserable want and poverty, exist side by side—such results will inevitably follow; wrong jealousy, and penury, will seek some source of gratification, even in the incendiaries' torch.

Note: spelling and punctuation have been slightly modified.