Workmen's advocate., January 08, 1887, Image 1

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

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ADVOCATE,
SIUNSOFTllE TIMES
A RESULT OF GOING INTO
INDEPENDENT POLITICS.
((tremor Hill, of New York, Substan
tially Recommends (lie Plat
form of Organized Labor.
A Politician With
A liig llca.l.
Xkw Vokk, January . Ou Tues
day last, David B. Hill, Governor of
New York State, issued his annual
message to the legislative bodies of
that State. In his document he
makes sixteen recommendations
which ought to be acted upon dur
ing -the coming session, many of
which bear directly upon the inter
ests of Organized Labor, and the
whole may be taken as a substantial
endorsement of the views of the
wage-workers.
Governor Hill has Jong .possessed
the reputation of a long-headed and
far-sighted politician, moreover he
is a man of pronounced executive
ability, and essentially practical
ideas.
In marked contrast tojiis thick
witted Presidential colleague, G rover
Cleveland, the Governor has sound
ed the depths of the independent
political movement of the workers,
and has realized that this force must
eventually sweep all before it. Ac
cordingly he finds it necessary to
recognize this growing power, und
to take a stand upon the right side.
This article should not be mis
taken as a guarantee of the sincer
ity of Governor Hill. Of this we
know nothing. We simply place
the recommendations before you and
desire to casually remark that if all,
or a part of them, should be realized
during the coming session of the
Xew York Legislature, it will be
the greatest forward step that Labor
has ever taken, and it will be attrib
utable solely to the recent political
movement of the workers in New
York City.
Following are Governor Hill's rec
ommendations bearing upon La
bor:" I'UlSON" I.AHoK.
(1). A permanent system for the em
ployment of prison labor.
This recommendation is not, however,
intended to include or favor the rein
statement of the contract system, or an
other plan that is equivalent to it. The
Legislature of 18s;i permitted the jtcoplo
to vote upon the question of the aboli
tion of the contract system, and they by
a large majority having expressed them
selves as opposed to its continuance, it
becomes! our duty to respect their ver
dict. Some other system must he de
vised which should he substantially free
from the objections which were urged to
the contract system. My views as to the
general features which should character
ize whatever plan may he proposed are
so well known, and have been so fre
quently expressed to the Legislature,
. that pny further suggestions upon this
subject at this time seems unnecessary.
NA1TUAUZATION.
(li). An amendment to the election
laws of the State so as to itrmit natural
ized citizens to be registered without the
production of their naturalization pa
pers, in case of the loss or destruction of
such papers, and making their oath or
affidavit conclusive evidence of citizen
ship for the purpose;) of registration.
The necessity for this amendment was
fully explained in my annual message of
18X5, to which the Legislature is respect
fully referred. The propriety of placing
naturalized citizens upon an equality
with the native born, in the matter of
affording equal facilities for honest reg
istration and honest voting, cannot seri
ously be questioned by unprejudiced
men. It is submitted that justice in this
respect should not longer be delayed.
NO MuRK WATERED STOCK.
(15). An act limiting, regulating and
restricting the power of corj (rations in
the issue of stock and bonds.
The manner in whie'i corporation! un
der existing laws are jiermitted to issue
and place upon the market stock and
bonds representing little or no valuable
consideration or equivalent actually paid
in, and which, although not legally, yet
in effect are a fraud upon the corpora
tions as well as an imposition upon the
purchasers and the public presents a
crying abuse and loudly calls for legisla
tive interference.
AUAINST CAI'ITAI.ISTK' KRAIHS.
(5). An amendment to the (leneral
Assignment act, for the purpose of pre
venting unjust favoritism, unfair dis
criminations and an inequitable distribu
tion of the debtor's property.
These evils can be cured in a measure
at least by limiting the preferences with
a debtor has the right to make, to a cer
tain portion of the assigned estate, or
forbidding them altogether except in the
single instance of wages of employes.
The preferences (other than the except ion
mentioned) which are now by the policy
of the law allowed to be made are a fruit
ful source of litigation and the occasion
of much injustice. The power being
subject to gi eat abuse.it should either
be properly restricted or entirely abro
gated. TRADK l" S ION'S.
(10). A general law providing specially
for the incorporation of trades unions.
The foregoing are the suggestions
of the Governor which bear directly
upon the interests of organized labor;
there are others which are indirectly
favorable to the cause.
It must be homo in mind that the
recommendation of the Governor is
not equivalent to adoption by the
Legislature. And if must be further
considered that there may be a tacit
understanding between the Governor
and his legislature, by which he
makes these recommendations as a
political card for "8S," knowing, in
advance, that the legislature will ig
nore them.
But at all events this message will
be a great stimulus to independent
political action. "' "
IIkkbekt Eaton.
CINCINNATI CONVENTION.
An Attempt To lie Made To liiite
The Dissatisfied.
The Convention to be held at
Cincinnati on February was
called by a conference held in In
dianapolis, last September, composed
of volunteer delegates from various
labor organizations,! i reenback clubs,
farmers' alliances, etc. The basis of
representation is to be, for each con
gressional district, one delegate for
each of the following organizations:
Knights of Labor, Trades Unions,
Greenback Party, banners' Alliance,
Grangers, Anti-monopoly League,
People's Party, Farmers' and Labor
ers' Co-operative Union, Agricultur
al Wheels, and other organizations
in sympathy with the objects of the
movement.
It may be well imagined what the
result of such a loose arrangement
might lead to if designing politicians
thought it worth while to attempt to
capture or disturb the convention.
Eastern States have not taken much
part in the scheme; yet if the result
of its progress is nothing more than
the crippling of one or both of the
corrupt parties, it were worth the
trouble to "have a hand in." Trades
Unions, nd urban labor organiza
tions, if well represented, both as to
the number and ability of their dele
gates, might gain much for the po
litical labor movement in thus taking
part. It would tend to bring about
an identity of interest between the
agricultural classes and their fellow
laborers in the cities. There certain
ly can be no harm in sending able
men to the convention.
'Truth crushed to earth will rise
again." You can't forever hide from
the laborers the fact that Labor is
exploited. And by the same token
you can't prevent them from resent
ing the robbery.
CAUSE FOR MERCY.
Jmlifc "llae you anything further
to say in your own lehalf ':"
l'ruumt'r "Nothing more than to lieg
of your honor to consider, in passing
sentence, that I did not steal anything
from you."
WOMEN IN POLITICS.
Their Interests Kqiial to Those of Men.
Majority lUlo -Representation.
In view of the fact that the State
of New York is soon to have a con
stitutional convention, and the ques
tion of woman suffrage will come up
for consideration, it may bo well for
workingmcn to consider the advan
tages to Labor that woman suffrage
would bring, as well as the principle
of justice involved, remembering
that workingmeii were, and are to
some extent to-day, excluded from
the privilege of participating in elec
tions. Rhode Island still holds to a
property qualification. As a matter
of fact women are in the majority in
our Eastern States, and while they
are subject to all the vicissitude
which fall to the lot of men, espect
ially the working women, they hav0
not so much as the right to attempt
reforms through the ballot.
August P.ebel, the German So
cialist parliamentarian, in his book
on Woman, says: ,
"Millions of women are engaged in a
hundred dilTerent branches of industry,
All these women have an interest in tli '
social legislation relating to their respec
tive callings. They are as much con
cerned ius the men in all questions con
cerning the length of the working day,
Sunday and night work, the employ
ment of children, the, form of payment,
protective measures in facto
ries, the character of the workshops ai;d
similar important legislative subjects),
Workmen know little or nothing about
the condition of many branches in which
women are exclusively or almost exclu
sively engaged, Finally, wo
men who arc engaged in trade are con
cerned in the legislation for the regula
tion of commerce and duties. There can
be no doubt whatever that women ar$
just ilied in claiming to exercise their in
fluence on the direction of affairs by leg
islation." The indifference of 'most women
upon this subject, and the claim
that they would not know how to
use the ballot, has no force in view
of the fact that this is only the case
in States where they have not been
called upon to exercise the functions
of electors. Wyoming Territory,
about to become a State in the
Union, has furnished sullicient evi
dence of the benefits accruing to the
community through the political
influence of enfranchised women.
How much more could we expect in
our Eastern States where women are
much more enslaved than they ever
were in Wyoming ! Pebcl says tru
ly that:
"Nothing is settled by the argument
that women have hitherto taken but lit
tle interest in politics. The fact that
women have not yet troubled themselves
to follow the course of public events is
no proof that they ought not to do so.
Did not the same thing once apply to
men? The same reasons that are ad
vanced against women's suffrage wens
made to do service against the exten
sion of suffrage to all male adults in (ier
rnany. After its introduction all such
objections disappeared at one blow,"
We know there are thousands of
men who do not vote because they
take no interest in politics. And it
is an admitted fact that there are
many who do vote are incompetent
through lack of political education
to vote intelligently. Put questions
are now before the people which
have so close a relation to social
economy, and men vill be force! to
take an interest in them to save
themselves from the consequences of
class rule, which is only possible in
this country while the people at
large remain careless or ignorant of
the importance of the franchise.
Our friends in the Empire State
will do well to consider carefully this
question of woman suffrage. The
influence of proletarian women en
franchised would be powerful in la
bor legislation and social reform.
Workingmcn at least cannot afford
to ignore this, and when they are
electing delegates to the constitu
tional convention, they should not
neglect to make the demand for wo
man suffrage as prominent as any
other plank in their platform.
Artist "Hay rum'!''' 1 'u tint "Waal.
I'm from Maine, but it's a pow'ful cold
day. Ion"t keer 'f I do. Jest a drop
with a leetie m'lasses won't hurt no
body." Ti.l JJtU
HOLYOKE MATTERS,
IMcrlion of Olllcrr-i -Scientific Airitu
lion A New Seitlui Cuming.
lloi.voKK, M:iss., .Jan. 4. At the
meeting of the llolyoke Section, So
cialistic Labor Party, held this week
these officers were elected for the
ensuing six months: Organizer, Her
man Sehlichling; treasurer, Her
man Uackofen; cashier. Prank Weis
ser; secretary, Frank Sehlichling.
Mr. Packofen, delegate to the dis
trict conference held at Meridcn,
made a satisfactory report which was
received with approval.
The party here consists of intelli
fnt, progressive workingmeii, and
believing as they do that there ex
ists in this community a large
amount of latent socialism, a sum of
money has been appropriated for the
purpose of disseminating the true
principles and purposes of the So
cialistic Labor Party by means of
the distribution of literature and
the promotion of the circulation of
the Wohkmkn's Ainoc.vn:. The
formation of another Section is
among the probabilities of the near
future.
The Connecticut Valley Economic
Association was rightit was not
safe for it to meet Or. Aveling.
Even as it is. the association is now
the Capitalists' Visionary Kvaporated
Association, and should at once en
gage the services of that representa
tive Uostonian, John L. Sullivan,
inasmuch as lie represents the
only logic that can beat the Socialis
tic Labor Party. Even the mens
trual capitalistic advertising sheet
that is now being published here
will fail to convince the workingmcn
that a system is right which gives a
Yanderbilt on the one side an in
come equal to oO,()UO farmers, and
on the other murders a Tom Strang
for stealing a few potatoes w here
with to feed his starving wife and
children. It is wronsr, everlastingly
wrong! Ivlward Atkinson and Pro
fessor Picmis to the contrary not
withstanding. Adam Ramaoic.
SOCIAL POLITICAL NOTES.
The Irish National League has received
$ (II )() from contributors in the United
States within the last two weeks.
(lovernor l'attison, of Pennsylvania,
in his message recommends the abolition
of the poll-tax and declares it to be a
means of corruption. This would re
quire a constitutional amendment. He
also recommends the enactment of laws
that will insure secrecy of the ballot.
The new Connecticut legislature began
business last Wednesday. It is said that
there are twenty-six Knights of Labor in
the 1 louse, most of whom are "demo
crats." Two are Labor Party men. One
of the first acts of both houses was to
placate the church element by the elec
tion of chaplains. The Rvijinlrr (capital
ist) says the legislators are not handsome
men.
The attention paid by the (Jovernor of
Xew York to labor questions shows him
to be a far sighted politician. Whether
the legislature follows his advice or not
the Labor Party may be congratulated
upon the effectiveness of its agitation,
and should be encouraged to continue
the good work. After all, it will devolve
upon the working people to carry out
the work of Labor's emancipation.
The situation in Belgium is no better
for the working people than before the
demonstrations of a few months ago,
The promised reforms by the government
are not carried out. Organization among
the workers is going on, both politically
end industrially. Small tradesmen who
show themselves opposed to the people's
movement are practically boycotted, and
it seems as if another crisis were near at
at hand.
They who have doubts that railroads
can carry passengers for less than a cent
a mile will now take note that the P.oston
A: Albany is constantly carrying Is-tween
Worcester and Postoii, a distance of
forty miles, for a trifle less than twenty
cents the trip. At this rate a trip ticket
across the American continent would
cost w hich is, we suppose, ulsmt
?H too much. W'inxfiil I'n xx.
The 'towtr Co-fijirrafiir, of I'uffa
lo, is on the right track. The idea
of eo operation is properly presented
in its columns, and is progressive.
WHATWJETKODUCE
AND WHAT WE GET FROM
THE BOSSES.
To What Extent Labor is Kobbed of
Its Own- llio Klastir Consciences
of the Itiihher Itosses Rub
ber Workers Kobbed
of!fl'J!7iiYear.
The following tabic, compiled by
U. 11. Ferguson, in the Hitffala I'io
iiri'r ( 'o-oK'rafiir, from United States
census reports, shows how little of
the wealth created by Labor is re
turned to the laborers as wages un
der the present robber system of
wage slavery:
Kinil of
Mi'.niil'Hctory.
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ui
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9to !-:
mill
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rnl.e!l"su.!" 1'x' MMI WW 'M'U
eept (i iM, wHO.
l.EATIIKU. $111 (Kl $'JI,I(W,1HN $1,0117 (XI
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Kl.AXTIC
318 (K)
1,111 t.'.TT
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HID INI 11,7,iiiW
7S0 00
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i:ir.,tsr.
I.SIfi 00
All Maim.
fiictureH
anil Alin- Mir. (HI 1,lT,HW,0o:t V'.'u 00
liitf In tin;
I1. S. ex
cept (ins,
I Th(! first live IIciiih mi' I'min cuimi.s of 1870;
tlie lust one Is from that i.f isso
The compiler makes the following
observations regarding tin.1 source of
information:
The (juestion may he asked why did
you not take the census of bSMO for all
your figures?
The answer is that the census of 1NS0
cannot be obtained by any poor man or
wtige slave. They are only intended for
politicians and men with a hoodie. For
years I have tried to obtain a copy. If I
wrote a letter to stone prominent oflicial
for a copy a few days later I would re
ceive an answer from some dealer in
second hand books, who would inform
mo he had tucu at (jri'at trouble to pn
oire a ffw cdjiii'M, which could Ikj ob
tained at so much per copy another
specimen of the boodle system inaugu
rated by a "republican"' administration
und successfully perpetuated by its
"democratic" successors, The figures
for 1W0 are obtained from Spotlonl's
American Almanac for PWO.
WHAT THK KKifllKS i'KOVK.
The above tables convey their own
suggestive lessons to all practical
thinking persons. In lirst column
of the second table we sec what the
wealth producers (the wage slaves)
received as their proportion of the
new wealth which they had created.
Py examining the last column in the
same table it will be readily seen
what the wo (jr. slaves would have re
ceived had they got a just share of
their product, or to be plain: Had
they been employed in a system of
Integral Co-operation in the case
of the Leather industry the wage
slaves would have received $1,'J7
per year, in place of 411 which
the slaves did receive.
In the Silk industry the wage
slaves received :!1S per year, and
under a co-operative system they
would have received $7()3.
In tobacco and cigars they would
have received 780 per year in place
of :S4J.
Iu the stoves and heaters they
2 " 2"32 taUi
t If SUJ3 4, .5 3 V
would have received $!KS1 per year
in place of .VIL
In Kubber and Elastic goods they
would have received l,Sl") per year
in place of 4 IS.
Thostj special industries show that
the wage slaves in no instance (ex
cept that of stoves and heaters) re
ceived one-half of the new wealth
which they created, whilo the to
tal average of all the Manufactur
ing and Mining industries as rep
resented by the census report of
1SS0, shows that they received but
$:14." per year while they produced
C!l) per year or $:$';" each per year
more than they received.
When the working people are
well acquainted with such hard facts
it will not take much persuasion to
induce them to take what is theirs
by right of creation. Capital always
stands indebted to Labor. When
will Labor square accounts?
The socialistic propaganda is car
ried on to hasten the day of La
bor's emancipation, and whether it
be the activity of the trades union
ist or the Knight of Labor, or the
political economist that carries on
the agitation, , the end must be
reached in the consummation of the
socialistic ideal the Co-operative
Commonwealth.
THE YEAR OF JUBILEE.
How English Democrats Rejoice over
Mrs. Victoria Hex.
r The p uirations for that great
event, when, for the fiftieth time,
Her (iracious Majesty will shear the
national sheep, go merrily and
briskly on. I Irudge, the toiler, and
Fudge and Smudge, the toiler's pro
prietors, have been given gracious
leave to rejoice together. The May
oress o Grovel ton cannot sleep o'
nights for thinking that her husband
is to bo made Sir Lickspittle Little
brain. Oh, let us be joyful. Just
to think that this stout, little, an
cient dame has for half a century
done us the honor of taking our
money. Does not Franco envy us
that glorious privilege of the great
and free? Does not Undo Sam sigh
to have the proud distinction of pay
ing to some family a few millions of
yearly dollars. Here is the cry with
which tho poor should greet the
splendid occasion: "God bless your
Majesty, you and yours take the liv
ing of twenty thousand families, and
wo loves you for it, wo does. " Some
body has suggested that our noble
Queen should celebrate her fiftieth
pay day by giving a year's income to
the unemployed. That is the gen
tleman, we fancy, who thought that
the moon was lit with London gas.
London Democrat.
THE NATION'S HOPE.
The strike of the American Dis
trict Telegraph boys of San Francis
co (which, by the way they won)
furnished ground for hope that the
rising generation will not long sub
mit to the tyranny which the wage
workers of tho present submit to.
During the strike the boys had a
procession, in which the following
banners were carried:
"A fair day's pay for a fair day's
work !" "A mechanic cannot work
without tools, neither can the Dis
trict Telegraph without boys!" "Our
rights we will maintain !" '"Give us
liberty or give us death !" "Down
with monopoly !" "Hoys have a right
to live as well as corporations !" One
little fellow unuuiformed, bore aloft
the promising device, "Hrado or
Wud !"
A writer in the Avant-Courier, of
Portland, Oregon, attended one of
their mass meetings, and took down
verbatim the speech of one of the
boys age about VI. It concluded
as follows: "We, the people, know
and therefore demand our rights;
and knowing, and demanding, stand
pledged to the deathless record of
our revolutionary sires, to by the
eternal Gods ! niainuin them." How
is that for Young America? Labor
Enquirer.