Workmen's advocate., March 05, 1887, Image 1

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

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workmen's
ADVOCATE,
Shiva 3Jcav, iu m
IJcw jtyaucu, (Connecticut, jtaturctoM, JUuvch 5. 18S7
FUUNDJV ANTING.
'NO STRIKES-NO BOYCOTTS
NO POLITICS."
The Holy " Business Interests" Fool
ing the Woikinsrineii -Traitorous
Leadership -Fight in;;
Trades I'nions - Bro
titer vs. 15rotlicr.
Is it not about 4ime that we re
moved the scales from our eyes, ami
looked with vision unobscurod upon
the little great man who has posed
before America, aye, we might say
the world, as the veritable Moses of
the labor movement? Ho, who has
been recognized as the (J rand
Modil of Organ Led Labor -the
modern Tamerlane, who was to bring
dire confusion to the ruthless de
spoilers of the "hewer of wood and
drawers of water" the greatthe
incomparable-the unapproachable
straddler.
Let us scan for a moment the
heroic achievements of this Chief
Captain of the great army of toilers.
Early in IHMO there was a revolt
of the employes on the Could system
of railroads against a tyrrany, such
as that prince of despoilers, whose
name makes sheol itself shudder,
could alone perpetrate.
We say there was a revolt. It was
a most auspicious time. All along
the line the workingmen, massing in
column, determined to give un
flinching battle to the common foe.
The battle-cry resounded from a
myriad of throats -with that Cod
orivfin intuition, which never errs,
fh masses realized that the "South
western strike must ho fought to the
death." Money flowed into the
general coffers in untold thousands,
men were ready to mortgage then
lives, their honor, yes. their hope of
heaven, if but the battle could i
on, and his satanic eminence of the
"smit.ViwpHtnrn svstem made 10
prove! in the dust. What then?
Why, in the very heat and ardor
of the fray, when victory, "star
eyed" and broad-chested, was about
to uerch upon our banners, then
onnw the ominous croak of the bel
dame from Seranton, sounding a re
treat., known ill accursed memory as
the famous secret (?) circular against
strikes and bovcott. The capitalism
minions of the press shrieked them
selves hoarse with uravos lor men
new-found al v. And, lor a won
der (?), the great strike collapsed.
Hut what became of all the money
that noured in like a mountain tor
rent in support of the great battle?
We know not. Ask r. . rowueriy,
Cod. or the Ceneral Executive
Board: they alone can true answer
make. Hut when, in consequence
of the cowardly and ill-advised
order calling a halt, Martin Jrons
and the crand armv of toilers under
his command were being trampled
in the very muck and mire of
Could 8 despotism, there came a
feeling upon the organized host of
workers that there was treactiery in
Hi camp. His eminence of the hx
ecutive Hoard sensed the danger that
threatened him even as the beastly
buzzard scents the loathsome car
riou so he hastened (well knowing
the uselessness therefore) to nil mi
nate his imbecile tirade against the
victorious Could, wherein, with
hrawart boast, he threatened imim
diateand irretrievable ruin by means
of the judiciary to the great railroad
baron. The rank and tile again took
heart, saying, "Now surely the vic
tory will be ours.'' Again they
poured their hard-earned pence into
the general purse. Again the
leaden horizon of their hopes bright
ened into roseate hues.
The watchword was "patience, "for
soon will the demon of unrighteous
ness he strangled in the meshes of
the law. Hut alas, there is need of
patience yet, for not one suit against
the arch "fiend came of this blatant
bluster of our noble chief. Hut lest
our weapons ehould grow rusty from
disuse as they were no longer to be
used against ourJJJnatural jfoe there
must needs be something done, so to
that end a fratricidal war is inaugu
rated in our own camp. The crv
comes from headquarters, "The
trade L nions must go. Is not this
the very acme of idiocy?
And the pity of it! '1 o thus set our
hand against our brothers brothers
who had stood shoulder to shoulder
with us on many a hard-fought
held. lb-others who had shared
their bread with us when we had
naught to still our hunger. The
shame of it ! Was there ever chron
icled such baseness?
And all this under the leadership
of him to whom labor has bowed in
reverence, and honored with its ut
most confidence. Ihit this is not
all, for, it will he remembered, in
the famous secret (?) circular it was
intimated that by and through legis
lative action swift and sure emanci
pation for the workers would be
wrought.
And as time passed the country
was on the eve of a great elect ion.
A' new Congress was to be chosen,
the legislative bodies were to be
elected, gubernatorial and munici
pal seats were to be filled, and the
hearts of labor fondly hoped that
their time had come. Hut alas,
vain hopes; they had reckoned with
out their host. The mandate goes
forth frfAn his eminence that the K.
of L. must not be drawn into poli
tics. "Alas, poor Vorick," hast
thou to this complexion come at
last ?
The organized workmen stood
aghast, but the enemies of labor,
including the filthy politicians, went
into an ecstaey of laughter. And
well they might. Was ever such
drivelling imbecility met with in a
leader?
Mo strikes.
No boycotts.
Xo politics.
What matters it though the prole
tariat has
Mo food,
No rai mailt,
No domicile
let quiet reign, for otherwise the
"business interests of the country
will suffer," and perad venture the
profit system be relegated to the
limbo of the past.
What a horrible catastrophe that
would be to those who manipulate
the "business interests." It must
not be ! Therefore,
No strikes,
No boycotts,
No politics,
says the great dictator.
Indeed, if an aggressive warfare is
to be waged against any one, turn
your weapons on your brothers of
the Cigarmakers' International
Union and those of the Amalga
mated Association of Iron and Steel
Workers, s.ivs our doughty knitrht.
That, at least, will not injure the
"business interests of the country,
and thus the profit svstem will take
a new lease of life, to the great glory
of the K. of L., sheol and the shy
locks. And is this the end the full frui
tion of the struggle, the sore priva
tions, the noble self-sacrifice of the
battle-scarred veterans of labor's
army?
Yes; at least such seems to be the
fiat of his Scrantonion majesty. Hut
will the poor wretches tamely sub
mit forever to the gasconading
leadership?
Hardly; already are heard mur
murs of dissent, low and indistinct,
as the muttering of distant thunder.
but anon they will smite the ear of
the public m their full resonance
clear, shrill and loud, like the blast
of many bugles:
"Thou hast been weighed in the
balance and found wanting.
And then the great laughing
stock of the labor movement will
vanish into his kindred element
Nothingness. K. of. L.
He "Olga, let us forget our little
quarrel of yesterday. See here, I have
bought you a small bracelet." "Mon
sieur, after your rude behavi jr yesterday
I had expected something more substan
tial." Charivari.
THE TRUE PLAN OF SOCIAL
REFORM.
HY I. A DON VI.
A great number of social reformers
have, during the last nineteen hundred
years, nay, even further back in history,
tried to banish human misery and to
improve society, Beginning w ith (utit
ihiniii, Pijtluujortts, I'luto, Jexitx Christ,
we may mention the names of Thonuis
Moms, Muhhi, Monllu, Jhibm-uf, St. i
Siimiii, Ftiitn'rr, CttM, Waitliiuj, Proud-
lion and many more, as those of social;
ef'ormers, who attempted to render :
mankind free, happier and better
through agitation and instruction, but
left the great question andta.sk they un
dertook unsolved. It mav well be
lotibted whether the condition of a ma
jority of mankind, even within the civil
ized world, was ever so unhappy, so lit
tle free and so low in a moral point of
view as it is at present.
Why is it t hat the celebrated men who
undertook their plans of reform, have
not succeeded? Is it not because they
inagined that teaching and preaching
ould reform society? Valuable, nay,
indispensable, are truths which are
taught and preached. Hut, their effect
is slow and insignil'n ant , unless aided
and supported by the material progress
of mankind, or a it mav be called by
necessities of t he development of natural
forces. Slavery could not lie abolished,
nor ever was abolished before it ceawd
to be necessary for the support of a class
that cultivated sciences and arts and Un
political administration, or-,-in other
words before it became a positive hin
drance to material progress. The feudal
institutions of the Middle Age with their
servitude of the agricultural class anil
their endless regulations of manufac
tures and commerce was necessary and
in its way henelicial, until they became
an intolerable nuisance, .an 'obstacle to
the material progress of society. ' The
present mode of capitalistic production
will not be abolished before it bailies all
its own purposes and life-laws by so im
poverishing the working class of all the
civilized nations that they cannot any
longer pay for the consumption of the
means of life which they have them
selves produced, or before there is a
standstill of production itself which can
be ended only by employing a new mode
of production and consumption.
We must call "Utopias" all plans of
social reform which depend solely upon
teaching and preaching social",, truths,
and upon the expectation that their pic
tures of a happier state of society which
might he realized by universal co-operation
of mankind, will induce the millions
to reform themselves and thus reform
society. Although the name of Utopia
came into existence first through the
book of Thomas Moore, entitled "Utopia"
the Utopist who preached a heavenh
kingdom on earth, had preceded him
for thousands of years, and their follow
ers were even more numerous in the
three centuries after hi death. There
was not one of the social reformers he
fore Karl Marx who was not a Utopist,
and the (ireen backers, many Knights of
Labor, and the anarchists, not to men
tion a great number of "cranks." are
Utopists even now. They all imagined
and imagine even now, that they can
convert mankind into accepting a uni
versal remedy for all social misery a
remedy of their own invention. The
very great number different panaceas
suggested is nowadays the olistacle to
introducing some of their recipes which
are unobjectionable and may, or will be,
adopted when occasion therefor appears.
Since we have learned that the work of
social reform goes on. in spite of all ef
forts to the contrary, by natural force
which we may support by working in
their direction, but cannot successfully
counteract, it is at last time to give up
Utopias and to impure alter the natural
forces and laws which prope! society on
ward. We hojM' to make these force
ami laws intelligible through some few
short articles which are to follow in the
succeeding niunliers of this pax r.
Hy the way, we wonder if it would
lie against the law if the Typograph
ical Union should issue lists of good,
tioiivst merchants who do not adver
tise in the f'ou rter. If it is not
against the Jaw, we should advice
each a course.
BOSTON.
The Central l.iihor Lilian's Review
Resolutions far the l abia l.alicl.
The new president of the Central
Labor at the regular semi-monthly meet
ing last Sunday , made his inaugural ad
dress, in which he gave the following
statistical information:
"A year and a half ago this union look
new life, l'icfore January I, 111, its
membership was increased by delegates
from something over thirty different or
ganizations, and last year about tifty
more were admitted, making in all over
eighty. If we tlx the average member
ship of the respective societies at :!00,
and it will surely reach that number,
considering that there are about I, sou
painters in one local assembly, and "J, '.MM I
carpenters in Union :W, we lind thai we
now represent 71,000 w in king people,"
A letter Wius received from Kdward
Atkinson declining to debate upon the
eight-hour quest ion; he preferred to lec
ture and have them listen.
lie-solutions were passed condemning
tenement-bouse cigar making, and en
dorsing the International Cigarmakers'
blue label. Ilesoluhons were also
adopted condemning the scab shoe nianu
facta rers.
"HARMLESS.
Cardinal tJildtons" Opinion of the K.
of I., pert iiiititlist Telegraph.
K'oviK, March It is authorita
tively stated that t he American bish
ops take a favorable view of the or
ganization known in the United
States as the Knights of Labor.
Cardinal Cibbons has placed before
the Vatican a formal statement as to
the nature of the organization and
the attitude the church should adopt
toward it.
The cardinal says in this that he
considers that any condemnation of
the Knights would be not only use
less, but highly importune, and that
it might alienate the sympathy of
the American laboring classes from
the church.
The cardinal further says he con
siders the organization of Knights of
Labor in the United States not only
harmless, but that it will bo heneli
cial in assisting in the eventual set
tlement of the great question of the
proper relations between labor and
cap
FOR A VICTIM.
A victimized work man of the Con
solidated L'oad is to have a benefit
raffle at Central Labor Hall on Sat
urday evening, March l'.'th. A
Cold-plated Silver Watch is to be
raffled for, and a vocal and instru
mental concert will entertain the
visitors.
A CO-OPERATIVE SCHEME.
A number of workmen, members
of the K. of L., are starting a Co
operative Croccry Store in this city,
under the auspices of I). A., 144.
About :' ) shares at live dollars each
are taken, and those who want to
join should bo lively about it. The
new enterprise will not advertise in
the ('mirier.
A MINORITY REPORT.
New York Legislative Committee
Against the Mosses.
A minority report of the commit
tee appointed bv the New York Leg
islature to investigate the causes of
the late great strike of the coal
handlers reported thai the compa
nies wore not justified in reducing
the men's ways, and recommended
that an act be passed "declaring that
any combination, whether by agree
ment, express or implied, or 'tacit
understanding' between the produ
cers, dealers in or carriers of food or
fuel products, shall be deemed con
spiracy within the meaning of sec
tion I'iiS of the Telia! Code."
SUCCESSFUL BOYCOTT.
The butchers of San Francisco
have done good work in boycotting
Chinese jiork. They have broken
up the Chinese pork monopoly, and
nearly all the dealers have fallen
into fine.
YANK'S CRITICISM.
HENRYGEORGE'S OPINION OF
THE PROSPECTS.
The Cincinnati Boom Reasons YY hy
II o Can't Indorse It-Wliat (.V
(Mill Men Voted lor- A
"Cobl. Cold Shake."
Sans Trowel.
llcnrv (Jeorge's paper, The Shtn
ilanl, contains this week a lengthy
report of the Cincinnati convention,
as well as a column of editorial
matter on the subject. Five col
umns of the first page are devoted to
a mass meeting held the night be
fore the convention, where Mr.
Ccorge spoke to live I Imusand peo
ple. The Siiiii'iiri's editorial comment
upr;n the convention's acts contains
many propositions with which So
cialists may heartily agree, and some
which they cannot fail to criticise.
The Shuitlortl says, spcakintr of
tin' make-up:
"The convention derived what little
representative character it had from Un
delegates of Western greenhackors and
farmers' associations.''
It will be inferred from this that
in the opinion of Henry Ccorge, the
green backers and fanners have
"little representative character." In
this we cannot acquiesce. Experi
ence has shown that the "green
backers and farmers" have a pret ty
clear idea of what they want, and il
is folly to ridicule them because
they cannot spring out at a bound
to Henry Ceorge's position.
Moralizing, the Shmhird says:
"There has been, for some time past,
in the United States, enough discontent
with the existing parties to give rise to a
new party; but the difficulty has been
that the discontent has been vague, and
those who felt it have not been united
either as to the cause of the evils the)
felt or as to the method to he adopted for
their cure; the Knights of
Labor have not known what they wanted
politically,''
This is just what Socialists have
been claiming for years, and may be
heartily endorsed.
nut in the latter pan ol lus arti
cle Mr. Ccorge loses his head, and
recommends the abolition of all taxa
tion, save that on land values, as a
remedy for all erils, claiming thai
the IJH.OOO New York votes were
cast for his proposition, thus:
"Hut through all the chaos of conflict
ing opinions an idea has been making its
way, around which it is possible torn
great pally to crystallize, and the nil
cletiH of, that party, at, least, has ahead
begun to form, At the last municipal
election the workingmen of New York,
instead of presenting, as had former
labor parties, a platform embracing
everything in general and nothing in
particular, had the good sense to bring
the land question to the front, and sub
ordinate everything else to the demand
that the monopoly of natural opportuni
ties should be broken up by concentrat
ing taxat ion on the value of land."
Here Socialists will differ; holding
that the land question forms but a
small part of the reform measures
which must be undertaken before a
remedy for existing evils can be
reached. And again, from the
assertion that the independent labor
movement in New York was essen
tially exponent of the land in ques
tion, nothing can be farther from
the true conclusion. As a matter of
fact, the workingmen of New York
voted for the irrsiuuiliti of Mr.
Ccorge, believing him to bean up
right and honorable man, and one
sincere in his efforts to benefit them
not for the theory which he repre
sents. Probably not more than one
third of those who voted for him
know of or have read anything on
tin subject. To read works of po
litical economy has not yet become a
characteristic of the working people.
How absurd, then, to suppose that
these fi-i, (() voters understood the
land question and voted in accord
ance with such understanding.
No! No! Mr. Ceorge, you have
still a great educational work before
you ere you will be able to affirm
that the ideas which you represent
arc endorsed and supported by a
goodly numbenof resolute" and reli
able men. Assertions will not manu
I'aclure facts or adherents: education
alone will accomplish this end.
Where is your perception of humat
nature': Must experience teach
what instinct should comprehend?
The fact that W. A. A. Carsc
the well-known "bricklayer withor
a trowel." was one of the "promi
nents" of the convention, is enoug1
to disgust any honorable perso
with the whole affair. Carsey is i."
political heeler of the wort type. lie
sold out the Anti-Monopoly Tarty
when it bid fair to accomplish .some
thiittj. During the late campaign
he held labor niettings in all parts
of the city of New York, and repre
sented innumerable labor organiza
tions which had concluded to" en
dorse "our new savior" Hewitt.
lie was a different labor organiza
tion every night in the week; figur
ing as the bricklayers, the boiler
makers, the carpenters, an assembly
of the K. of L., or a section of the
Central Labor Union, to suit his
varying tastes. The capitalistic
press published his letters under
various cognomens, announcing the
desertion of organizations which
did not exist. And he is "run
ning" this convention.
The workingmen cannot make a
mistake in giving the Cincinnati
convention the cold, cold, skake.
Still, it is unfortunate that the
editor of a newspaper shouid bo com
pelled to serve as his own organ.
Yank.
CLEVELAND'S CHOICE.
'Printer" Benedict Ctmllrmctl by the
.Millionaire Semite,
Washington', March 2. In the
executive session of the Senate to-'
day, Public Printer Benedict's nom
ination was confirmed by a vote of;
thirty-seven to nineteen. Messrs.
Mandcrson, Ilawley and Evarts, the
first two members of the committee
on printing, spoke against confining
tion, on the ground that he was nc
a practical printer. All of tl
"democrats" present voted for con
lirtnalion, and a sufficient numbf
of "republicans" voted afliinativel)
to relieve uic action irom strict par
tisanship. AN APPEAL.
7 nil f rirmls of Lalxir and to the Trades
Hint J,(dnr imjttniztdiiHM of idl
Itnutches:
FkI.LOVV YVOKKKUK, liKOTHERS: Th '
Brewers' Union of Philadelphia is sti1!
bat tling against the "pool" of the Phila
delphia liosy brewers' to ward off aredue;
tion of their wages, decreed hy these
monopolists in their greedy hunt for'
profit. As in the niuiitar cases of St.
Louis and Letroit, victory against these
despots can only be gained for the cause
of labor, by a persistent boycott, mart
aged with the utmost care and system
at ical application.
In the interest of our battling col
leagues in Philadelphia, ami therefore qi(
the interest of all labor we make to you,
brethren, the urgent request, to boycott
with all your might, the beer coining
from Philadelphia, because all beer ex
ported from that city is scab lieer.
A siecial request is made to those of '
our friends who are not in the habit of
drinking beer, we leg theni, to shun,
every saloon, where Philadelphia scab
beer is on tap, and refrain from taking
other drinks or cigars there, and also
boycott their meeting rooms.
We appeal to the interest of all lalxri
organizations have in common, and re
mind you that the Journeymen Brewers
Union never failed to energetically r.
spond to such appeals.
May this call be read soon at the meet
ing of ev ery labor organization, and fra-
. I ...I -
lernai action taivcii rvnjiwunc. win
vicloi v will lie a new triumph for or
ganized Lalior throughout the land.
K.KTT1VK HO AKO UK THE NATIONAL
JlTliNKYMKN' BEKU UllEWERS" U.NK
Nkw YokK, Feb. 21, 187.
THE LABOR PARTY RALLY. ;
Last Sunday's meeting at Centra
Labor Hall, under the auspices ov
the LaW Party, was attended by.t
good sized audience, who listened
with marked attention and evident
it a. , ii.li
appreciation to iteury,. miuwiu,
whose subject was ''Historical Par
allels."