Workmen's advocate., November 28, 1886, Image 1

About Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891

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THE LABOR PARTY.
NWHAVEN WORKMEN MAKE
STRAIGHT NOMINATIONS.
No; Fusion With Corrupt Parties.
A Preamble and Platform Tiiat
Mean Business A Fine
i Convention The
Tickcls.
There is no doubt about it, Organ -izea
Labor is advancing in the good
city of New Haven. The City and
Town Convention held on the 19th
inst
,, in the Insurance Building was
result of a deep-seated dissatis
the
faction with old party methods and
a determination to make principle,
pelf, the mainspring of political
actiipn.
A,ll the wards in town and city
wenfc represented. The chairman of
Towtn Committee, Charles Stodel,
called the convention to order at 8
o'clOjck, and a committee on creden
tials' bejng elected, they proceeded
to their duties, beginning with the
First ward, and as their names were
called, the delegates took their seats.
With the election of a chairman and
a secretary the preliminaries were
finished, and the first business of the
convention was entered upon by the
appointment of a committee on plat
form, who in a short time reported
the following preamble and plat
form: We, the representatives of Indepentent
Labor iu Convention assembled, do here
by declare And proelain that we sever all
connection with the two existing politi
cal parties known as "republican" and
. "denifljvjfiVj ;" and '-ve invite all honest
and pvtriotilc fellow citizens of this Town
and citv to lunite with us in the work of
bringing about a just and liberal admin
istration of public atfairs.
Beginning first in our towns and cities
and continuing the good work which wan
tegun! in ew York, the metropolis of
nation bv trie Henry Ueorge movement,
until ive hae reached the, Federal Gov
ernment at "V ashington.
We fully indersland the wisdom the
imporl anee aid the imperative necessity
of the politcal course which we have
taken. It is in undeniable fact that our
Legudi itures. National, State, and even
municfmal, h've been so manipulated by
corruplt profAsional politicians that laws
have b'een eifted almost wholly in favor
of th'Sse i)T pie who have acquired
wealthw or w'' are seeking to acquire it
by oth ter mCns than that or iionest in
dustryr
This class legislation carried under the
eyes of the existing political parties is
the kind of legislation which they accuse
us of advocating ; but we hereby protest
against such legislation. We do not ac
knowledge or recognize any class distinc
tion in this free land of ours, purchased
for us by the blood of the patriots ot i0,
and preserved and improved for us by
the hard-fiHted sons of toil in the late
war, by which the last vestige of class
distinction was wqieil out m blood and
millions of toiling slaves were set free
who will now assist us in preserving lil
erty for themselves and us which should
I the common heritage of all mankind.
We invite all honest men to join with us
in this revolution which has already be
gun not a revolution by force of arms.
but by the ballot, that sword and shield
of the freemen, by which they can pre
serve their rights and lilerties and pre
vent that state of anairs which would
inevitably bring about a bloody revolu
tion.
We propose to make ability, industry
and moral worth the only qualification
for a situation in the public service
There must Iw an honest difference of
opinion on all public questions not a
pretended difference, or rather an indif
ference of opinion, as has been practiced
for many years past, by the leaders oi
the two "great" parties for the purpose
of deceiving the people and keeping the
party leaders and their friends in peace-
- fa pofcjesaion 61 the public unite.
We dein-ecat and condemn all disole-
dienee of law and order and demand the
enforcement of all laws on the statute
books. But while doing so we also de
niand the repeal of all those unjust laws
which are in the interest of the wealthy
and bear most most heavily on the toil
ing mames.
The public service Is so degraded by
the corrupt management of professional
politicians that thousands of honest and
honorable men have been driven from
taking fart in the management of public
affairs, which is the sacred duty of every
American citien
Honesty and krity in politics shall be
our watchword frul motto.
We have no ii for the professional
office seeker. li'L , public office holder
must lie tin.' servant of the licoi :ui1
the only persons who shall lie lecoLr-
nized as servants among the American
eople.
e condemn the practice of American
itizens tramping the streets in proces
sions to clo honor to those candidates
who are seekint; the franchises of the
cole.
Tin: I'l.ATi'tiini.
Wo claim the title "Labor
'arty" because wo recognize the ex-
stciico of an oppressed class of wage-
workers as a fundamental fact, and
the emancipation of tins oppressed
aboring class as our foremost object.
The platform of the Knights
of Labor, which was adopted by the
State t onvention of the Labor 1 arty
of Connecticut, we re-adopt a'ud ae-
cpt, as an expression of ouropinions
upon the subjects treated.
We demand municipal self-
government.
4. While we believe that the
mblic schools of the nation should
be conducted on a uniform plan, we
demand that the scholars shall lie
furnished with the necessary text
books free of charge.
We demand that our assessors
shall assess bind at its full value, in
order that the holders of unimproved
and for speculative purposes shall
pay their full share of taxes.
G. The municipality should ob
tain possession as soon as practicable
of all public conveniences, such as
the water and gas supply, the tele
phone system, and public transport
ation. The wards should be subdi
vided into smaller election districts,
for the greater convenience of the
electors and the better management
of elections.
S. We demand the simplification
of our municipal government, and
the consolidation of city and town.
9. We demand an equitable rep
resentation in the State Legislature,
according to population; and we
solclmnly protest against paying
about one-eighth of the State tax
while we are allowed but one-hun-
Iredth of the. representation.
10. We view with disapproval
the evident effort to make of Last
Hock Park an exclusive pleasure
ground for the rich, by the prohibi
tion of public conveyances upon the
roads leading to the summit.
11. Eight hours should consti
tute a day"s labor for all public
functionaries whether they be labor
ers, mechanics or clerks, and they
should receive such pay as is neces
sary for decent living and consistent
with the dignity of a great munici
pality. VI. We demand the abolition of
contract work for the municipality,
and where the assistance of private
persons or lirms is required, prefer
ence should be given those who do not
require their employes to work more
than eight hours per day and who
pay such wages as are considered
equitable bv the organizations of the
workers in the respective branches of
work required.
13. In order to carry out these
objects, inland a new city
charter, and pledge ourselves to the
support of the Labor Tarty as the
only party whose adherents are
interested in the adoption of our
principles.
After the unanimous adoption of
the preamble and platform the nom
ination of candidates for Town ofli
ces was proceeded with. There were
no strong personal preferences, the
expressed object being to nominate
honest men who were committed, to
the labor movement as represented
in the principles of the Labor Tarty.
The following nominations were then
made:
For Tuicn Agent, Albert L. llol
lister. Selectmen, Oeorge Mansfield, Carl
G.
Lngel and rrank Martin.
Tuicn Clerk, Thomas H. Benton.
Tax Collector, John St. Clair.
Treasurer, Andrew Bodge.
Auditor, Wm. W. Chappell.
Registrar of Voter, James F.
Tnckey.
drawl Jurors, Thomas F. Mul
cahy, William Hauey, John Holzer,
David O'Koefe, Morris K. Uuthcr
and William Fry.
The balance of the Town ticket
was referred to the Town Commit
tee for completion.
Then theCity ticket was taken up.
and after much persuasion Mr. Tctcr
Lynch consented lo accept the nom
ination for mayor. .1. Francis
Baker was nominated for city clerk;
Andrew Hodge for city treasurer;
Chas. K. Langley for citv auditor,
and Ceo, A. Lcland for city shcrilf.
rhc eupon, the business of the
convention having been accom
plished, three rousing cheers were
given for the Labor Tarty ami its
candidates, and the convention ad
journed. 1 he best of good feeling prevailed
throughout the deliberations. At
the rear of the hall, those of the
public as desired to be present were
seated. Besides these the public
was represented by a Morning Avwn
reporter. A few persons who en
tered the ball were objected to and
requested to retire, as some of them
were recognized as having assisted in
disturbing a meeting at the K. of L.
Hall previous to the State election.
The convention recognized the ne
cessity for preserving good order,and
it was decided at the opening tba
political heelers should not bo' 5
niittcd.
1 1 en ry ( J eorge to- in or ro w ( M onday )
night, at ("aril's Opera House.
CINCINNATI LABOR PARTY.
A Call for Workmen to Organize
Politically.
To the Workingmen of Cincinnati
and Vieiiiii:
Fellow WouKiMiMiix: Acting
upon the suggestion of the Central
Labor Union of New York City,
the C. L. U. of Cincinnati have also
decided to approach the political
arena, and request of all organized
and unorganized workingmen to
work hand in hand with us.
We ought not be expected in this
call to present to you certified facts
regarding the outrage's and oppres
sions workingmen of the United
States are subject to now and have
been for centuries past. We do not
deem it necessary to call your atten
tion to other facts than those con
cerning the labor movement at the
beginning of this year, when n- ef
forts were spared on the part of our
employers to "nip in the bud" all
independent political action on our
part
We therefore appeal to your com
mon sense and your manly honor to
help us in bringing about the eman
cipation of the wage-slaves, and call
upon you to organize for the pur
pose of making an effort politically.
Respectfully,
C.Wll'AHiN COMMITTEE C. L. U,
Cincinnati, Ohio.
CAUTION !
The complete City ami Town
tickets nominated by the tabor
Tarty of New Haven will be pub
lished in the next issue of the
Workmen's Advocate. Honest
voters should carefully compare theii
tickets with the official ones pub
lished in this paper, as the usual
tricks of dishonest politicians will
no doubt be resorted to in order to
deceive the workingmen.
TO CORRESPONDENTS.
Comuaues as"I Fkienps: A num
ber of" valuable contributions fvill
have to lie over till next week, owing
to the fact that t hey came too late
for insertion in this issue. We re
quest that contributions be sent iu
time to reach us by the Thursday
noon previous to date of issue.
NEW YORK LABOR LYCEUM.
Friends visiting the metropolis
may find pleasure and instruction at
the tabor Lyceum, conducted by
the American Section, S. L. T., ev
ery Sunday evening, at 8 o'clock, at
-293 Bowery, where interesting lec
tures and debate are the order.
iAISOR A XI) LAW.
GEORGE MANSFIELD'S RE
VIEW OF THE SITUATION.
What Capitalists I.oe Ihol For
WniKimrmcu -Kescne Force of
Idlers - The People The
State and The State
Sovereign.
The country has just passed
through an exciting National Con
gressional election. Yet the labor
problem has not entered info the
contest at all so far as the "demo
cratic" and "republican" parties are
concerned. There are one million
persons out of work in the United
States. Abundant evidence of this
fact is everywhere seen in the thous
ands of men that are everywhere to
be found, ready to take the place of
strikers when or wherever a strike
takes place. And capitalist manu
facturers, and exploiters of labor gen
erally love to have it so. They de
ny that there is any labor problem
to be solved; or that labor has any
just cause of Complaint. They tell
you that your condition is no worse,
nor yet as bad as that of the toiling
millions of the old world, and it is
your duty to be content in that state
of life to which it has pleased Cod to
call you A statement of very ques
tionable divinity and smacking very
strongly of rank blasphemy. Wheth
er uttered in jest or in earnest makes
no difference, as they pride them
selves upon their lordly superiority
just the same when making it. The
millions He hath doomed to servi-
i Hide and the" sinister, grasping un
scrupulous few lie hath appointed
to enforce the hellish degree. How
it warms up our souls in songs of
praise and thanksgiving as we think
of it and what exalted views it gives
us of the divine economy !
l'licy even deny your right to
combine or organize for mutual pro
tection. One manufacturer in Massachu
setts has a standing offer posted on
the walls of his factory of ten dollars
for the discovery of a Knight of La
bor on his premises. Sonic of the
States have conspiracy laws making
it a criminal oll'eiice for a half-dozen
employes to unite together to con
cert measures to deleat the vile, sin
ister machinations of the bosses.
Armour, of Chicago, and the syndi
cate of pork packers with which be
is associated, demand of every em
ploye his signature to an agreement
to give a lortnights notice belore
leaving his employ, and that one or
two dollars per week' Ironi every
man s wages shall be left in his hands
until he has a sum equal to fifty
dollars per capita on each person in
his employ, to be forfeited in case of
non-compliance with agreement as
he shall construe the meaning there
of; and as there area million idb
persons in the United States wbosi
necessities will compel a majority of
them to sign anything to obtain
work at a mere subsistence wage, I
don't see but that Armour holds the
winning cards in his hands.
Now, then, the retention of liftv
dollars per man would make '.'.", 000
on the employment of 0,000 men.
A stun not to be despised iu starting
a little business Kb ? But this is
a mere bagatelle compared to the
millions that areannually wrung from
the toilers of these killing and pork
packing establishments. Now. then,
as the government or the United
States was organized "to establish
justice, promote the general welfare
and secure the blessings of liberty to
ourselves and posterity," how long
will it be before the people in their
sovereign capacity will be able lo
say to these exploiters of labor
through theirState legislature: "This
robbery has got to stop, and the
manufacturing, carrying and busi
ness enterprises of the State have
got to be run on co-operative princi
ples with an equitable division of
the value of the proceeds among the
toilers thereof, or the State will take
possession, on the payment ol such
compensation as the Stale in its sov
ereign capacity shall justly award
yon, and run them in the interest
of the State, instead of runniiiLr
them as now iu the interest of pri
vate capitalism i1" Would there be
uty injustice- in such an arrange
ment t Would it not be a complete
vindication of the right of the pro
ducer to the full value of the wealth
which bv his skill, genius or labor be
created':' Only this;and nothing more.
lo enact or enlorce a system ol
universal co-opera! ion we must, em-
uoy such legal agencies as will make
private capitalism aa we see it about
us now iin possible. (live to every
man the full value of the nroduct of
the wealth which he creates, abolish
usurv, and private capitalism will
lisappear. There will be as much
capital as there is now, and a great
eal more, because the idle millions
from which Capital draws its recruits
ami the ranks of crime and pauper
ism are being constantly increased
and are heavy burdens on the
tax payers oft he coininunity,as well,
as being the despicable, competitive
tools of capitalists in keeping honest
labor down to the bare subsistence
point, would be fully employed.
Wealth, or the products df labor
would lie universally diffused, and
Lhe iower of taxation invested by
the people in National, State and
municipal government would always
secure an ever-present supply of
abundant capital to prosecute Na
tional, State or municipal enterprises
commensurate with the wants of the
people. The lame, tho halt, the
blind, tho decrepit and other unfor
tunates of humanity would be amply
provided for, and as nobody could
have a motive for stealing where
everybody had an abundance, crimes
against property would be reduced
to a minimum and finally disappear,
as no drones would be allowed to
sponge a subsistence out of our
industrial hive.
FROM THE WEST.
The AvelingH Doing (iootl Work on
Their beet ii ring Tour.
St. Tai i,, Minn., Nov. IT, issii.
It is hardly necessary to make the
statement that Organized Labor or
workingmen generally are deeply
agitated and aroused to a proper
realization of the fact that, what
ever may be necessary towards un
doing the iniquitous system of the
spoliation of labor must be done on
their own motion, and in opposition
to and independent of the old par
ties. The aspiring political activity
in New York and other cities has
made workmen conscious of their
power, and as a matter of fact finds
imitations throughout the country,
with as much earnestness in the so
called "golden" Northwest as, 1 be
lieve, iu the Kastern States, and, let
us hope, with as much success in
the future ns in Milwaukee. We
an-greatly indebted to Dr. and Mrs.
Aveling fr the aid they have given
us in bringing to public notice and
criticism the issues of the social
problem. The lectures given by
these competent and eloquent guests
of the toilers of this continent have
made clear how grossly mistaken
and misled public opinion has been
in reference to Socialism. News
papers, college professors, clergy
men, and, above all, laborers, begin
to see the malice against w hich So
cialism and Socialists bad to con
tend. Moreover, in Minneapolis,
as well as here, but especially in the
former, workmen. are unanimous in
the approval of Socialism such as
Dr. ami Mrs. Aveling have shown
to be a science and the only remedy
against the evils which ail society.
Abolition of the wage system is the
battle cry of Labor, and political ac
tion the sword which clears the road
to economical freedom.
Now, then, let us follow up the
victory Mrs. and lr. Aveling gained
for Ubor; let the Workman's Ai
vo atk become popular in every
home; join hands with the Socialistic
tabor party, and give it your moral
and financial supjiort.
Fraternally, Otto Hae.se.
Y A X K K ICTIOiV.
PERSECUTING A UNION MAN
AND KNIGHT OF LABOR.
Connecticut Landlords ami Masses
on the Witrpiilh-Tlie It exult
of Landlordism and Wage
Slaicr) Only (hie
True Heuieily.
Michael V. Murphy, of Birming
ham. Conn., his wife and children
were lasi. Monday night evicted from
their tenement for back rent. His wife
had but recently receovcred from a
severe attack of scarlet fever, and is
so.)ii to become a mother. Murphy
is subject to ague, but is a good
workman and is capable, even at the
low wages piHil in his town, of corn
ing from 14 to 1T a week. There
was a heavy storm Monday night
and all day Tuesday, and his house
hold goods were left standing iu the
street without protection, lie ap
plied on Tuesday to the town otti-
A It I 1 1 1 1 1
cers lor help, and was tout iliey
could do nothing for him, but his
family could go to the town house. ;
The .Selectmen told him ho would
have to leave the town; he was not
wanted there.
The facts which led up to this
state of alTairs are these: lie is a
member of the Knights of Labor
and also the union of his trade
knife-inaking the Cutters' or Grind
ers' Union. The union was organ
ized some time ago and a uniform
scale adopted. Some of the men
were discharged from tho company's
works for their connection with it,
and all struck; but after a short
lime the men were reinstated. Tho
company then set about to make a
victim of Murphy. He was dis
charged on the plea of causing trou
ble, and has been out of work some
two months. Besides this, he was
virtually blacklisted, being unable to
get work in the town.
The whole amount involved does
not come to C0, but the attempt to
drive him from the town, through
factorizing his wages and for non
payment of rent (his bills he was
willing to jiay, if he only got work
at the same rate the other union
men were getting) is now about suc
cessful. A non-union man is now
doing bis work. Through other
tyrannies the men have lost courage,
and show no disposition to help
their unfortunate brother and carry
out their pledge of knighthood.
That be is a good workman no one
denies, and that he is willing to
work is shown by the fact that on
some previous winter, when out of
work, to support bis family he went
into the woods and chopped wood
for the slender means it would bring
him to keep them in the necessities
of life.
Murphy is a true Knight and a
Union man, and was also independ
ent enough to vote the straight La
bor ticket at the last election.
The legal evictions in Connecticut
do not appear to cause less Buffering
here than in Ireland, nor is there
much difference. When a man's
goods are put in the street, the law
makes no provision for their safety,
and they may be damaged beyond
repair. To see that the wealthy
eorjiorations of the State, backed by
the legal power, do not hesitate for
a few dollars to take the more than
"'pound of flesh," should siioWlho
workers that the absolute control of
the land and the means of produc
tion by individuals will ever produce
the same results. That only by in
telligent organization can the work
ers ever secure more than a bare
subsistence, and that the only hope
for the common people is to obtain
control of the State for the benefit
of alt, the abolition of the present
wage system and the introduction of
universal co-operation.
Henry (ieorge to-morrow (Monday)
night, at Carll's Opera House.
I ... . ..
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