Workmen's advocate., November 22, 1890, Image 1

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

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ADVOCATE.
Jlith car, Do. 47
Ucio 5otU, jfcthttdatf, iXoucmbcv 22, 1890
kIjcc 3 (ffmts
FORWARD !
T.HE NEW YORK SECTIONS
ISSUE A CALL.
Necessity of a State Organization
With Nearly f.'.tlOO Votes to its
Credit Hip S. I.. 1. is a Legally
Recognized Tarty and Must Main
tain Hie Advantages of its Posi
tion. To All Sections of the S. L. V. in the
Slate of A'cic York.
Comuapek: We have been charged
at a joint meeting of the American, Ger
uiitn, Jewish and Polish Sections of the
city of New York to submit to you for
action the following matter:
At the late elections the S. L. 1.
polled 11,500 votes; that is, more than
one per cent, of the vote cast in the
Slate, Accordingly, the party is. by
virtue of the new election laws, an
established and recognized party, no
longer compelled to solicit signatures
in order to put up candidates officially,
but with power to do this simply by
means of the certificate of its repre
sentatives. In order to derive the lull
advantage of this, the party should take
a hand in the elections every year. To
this end a State organization becomes
necessary.
To your New York comrades a State
organization seems necessary also for
the further reason that it would enable
us not only to agitate more thoroughly
arid systematically in the future, and
thereby to obtain still better results
from a large number of places where we
have received an unexpected and good
vote, and which evidently olTer promis
ing fields, but also because we would
thereby spread and strengthen both the
Socialist movement and the organiza
tion of our party throughout the State.
That the agitation and organization
within Mie State should be undertaken
without delay, and that, with this end
in view, we should address you so soon
after the election, would be sufficiently
explained by the natural desire that
animates us to preserve anil secure what
we have won. But there is a special
reason why we should forthwith Like in
hand the organization of the State.
There is a possibility, namely, that in a
number of localities winch will hold
spring elections, our Sections will be
enabled to join in those elections. In
such a case the campaign should com
mence immediately, and a central State
organization would be requisite in order
to concentrate our forces as much as
possible anil thereby bring about an
etlective agitation in such places. If
by so doing an increase of the party's
vote could lie effected, such a result
would not only redound to the benefit of
those local Sections, but it would also
encourage the whole party, and would
thus be the very best preparation for the
Fall elections.
The above named Sections therefore
request you to take action, as soon as pos
sible, upon the following proposals and
to communicate the exact result of your
vote to the undersigned:
1) Shall there be formed a Slate or
ganization ?
2) Shall, as a step in that direction, a
State Committee be established imme
diately and consisting of 7 members!1
ii) Shall the seat of the committee he
in the city of New York, and shall the
committee itself be chosen by the Sec
tions of this city in joint meeting as
sembled? 4) If not New York, what other city
shall lie chosen as the seat of the com
mittee? The first three questions have been
answered in the affirmative by the Sec
tions in the city of New York. We
propose the city of New Y'ork as the
seat of the State Committee, for the
reason that w York seems fittest
thereto not only because of its present
existing connections and its facility to
establish new ones, but also because of
the greater number of politically ex
perienced comrades resident here.
"With regard to the organization of the
State, the adoption of rules and regula
tions, the provisions for funds, etc., the
Siate Committee itself could call for
further votes. This, nevertheless, we
consider it important to avoid all delay
in the matter of putting on foot the
practical agitation.
We request that the result of the
voting be reported to Hen j. J. Gretseh,
25 E. 4th street, New York.
Fraternally,
The American, German, Polish and
Jewish Sections of New York,
By he Committee,
Benj. J. Gretsch,
Htoo Yogt.
New York. Nov. 15,
MASSACHUSETTS.
Cull for ii State Convention of tli Soiial
IhI Labor I'urty.
To the Sections of the Socialist Labor
J'arti of the State of Massachusetts:
The last State Convention in Massa
chusetts, which met at Boston on August
;J1 of this year, resolved to hold another
Convention of the Sections of this Stale
in January, ls'Jl, to decide upon the
question, whether or not we should take
political action in the Fall of next year.
Concidering that at the said Conven
tion the resolution was adopted that
each Section should be free to go into
local election, where possible, and con
sidering furthermore that the Sections
have not availed themselves of this
right, the State Committee has, sifter
mature deliberation, decided to recom
mend to the sections that, in the Fall of
1S91, they take part in the elections
independently, as the Socialist Labor
party.
We therefore invite you to a Confe
rence at Boston on January is, 1SH1, for
the purpose of deciding finally what
attitude we are to adopt.
The representation is to be, as decided
on at the former convention and after
wards ratified by the sections, one dele
gate for every 00 members or fraction
thereof. The lares of the representatives
of the sections belonging to the State
Organization will be defrayed by the
Sections collectively in proportion to
their membership. This will enable the
Sections lying at a great distance from
Huston to be represented in the Confe
rence by a delegate at slight expense.
We recommend to the Sections that
they furnish their delegates with detini
tivw instructions. We likewise think it
advisable provided it be decided to
enter the political field that nomina
tions for the various State offices be
forthwith made at the Convention, see
ing it may he necessary to promptly
begin with the collection of the requisite
signatures for the nomination certifi
cates, besides inaugurating the agitation
at an early day.
Throughout the land, as, for instance,
in New Y'ork, Ohio, California, Mis
souri, etc., where the party took a hand
in the State, Congressional, or local
elections, the returns are favorable.
Shall Massachusetts with her preponde
rating industrial population lay behind?
We hope not !
Therefore, Comrades, deliberate se
riously over these propositions; submit
yourselves, ifnecissary, to a personal
sacrifice; and let us at all times keep
before our eyes the success of our Ger
man Comrades on February 20, as wor
thy of imitation.
We request the agents of the several
Sections in the State, to bring the cbove
before the members at their lirst busi
ness meeting, and to communicate to us
fortwith the resolutions taken upon the
same.
The Statu Ckntkal Cummittkk
E. E ScMXPLEU, Secretary.
Boston, Nov. 10, 11(0.
The Unemployed.
The arrest and the (subsequent trial of
our comrade Power for attempting to
speak on the st of St. Paul's Cathedral
are not altogether without their serious
aspect. The fact that a man is willing
to run the risk of imprisonment for no
other reason than to bring before the
notice of the public the existence of the
unemployed is evidence of the import
ance of the question. The amusing part
of the business was the way in which he
conducted his own defence. One after
another of the police were called into
the witness-box, cross-examined, and
dismissed, and even Superintendent Fos
ter himself was not exempted from his
interrogations. The police alleged that
Power attempted to move a resolution
condemning the brutality of the police,
This gave him the opportunity of bring
ing liefore the Court the resolution of
the unemployed, namely, that the City-
Corporation or the County Council at
once proceed to establish Municipal
Workshops and Farms, etc., and would
have emphasised the importance of such
a step had not the Alderman abruptly
interrupted him. The able, and at the
same time jicular, manner in which he
defended himself secured a liizht sen
tence, and he was bound over in his
own recognisances for '10 to keep the
peace for six months. Since his trial
however, Power has been persistently
"shadowed" by the Metropolitan police,
some of them following him even into
the City when lie, was looking for work
it is as well to observe that the S. D. F.
has written to all the London trade
societies inviting them to meet and
consider how liest to deal w ith the un
employed. London Justice.
The receipt of a sample copy of this
paper is an imitation to subscribe.
PROGRESS OF ORGANIZED
SOCIALISM.
A New Section S. L. P. in Oneida,
Madison Co.. N. v., where 125
Votes Were Cast for Fran
cis (.emu.
Oneida, N. Y , Nov. 15. 'HO.
lienj. .. (Iretseh, See' i: lr.
At a meeting held yesterday we or
ganized a Section of theS. L. P. here.
Thirty members signed the application
for a charter.
We had here a club for the collection
of funds in aid of the German Social
Democrats in their Reichstag campaign.
Some of the members had been in the
party in Germany and some hud become
attached to the Socialist movement in
New York City. When the last cam
paign was opened ami we saw that the
S. L. P. had a State ticket we stirred
our friends up and, with a little agita
tion, we brought out 12. votes for lran-
cis Gerau. Considering that Oneida is
a small place with 0,0011 inhabitants and
that no Socialist agitation has ever been
carried on here, this is a most encourag
ing result. 1 he effect of it w as that our
friends came to the conclusion that they
must affiliate themselves with the So
cialist Labor Party.
1 lie members of the Keichstag Cam
paign Fund came together and decided,
unanimously, to transform the club into
a Section of the S, L. P. The funds of
the club will undoubtedly be transferred
to the Section, thus giving us the means
to carry on the agitation.
Fraternallly,
L. Limp, L'ee. Slc'ij.
No. 1 Elm St.
A New Section of the S. L. I. in South
Brooklyn.
Benjamin Gresieh, See', etc.
At a meeting of radical thinkers,
held on Thursday evening, Nov, 13,
at Frederick Leise's Hall, No 427
Twelfth street, South Brooklyn, it was
unanimously agreed to organize an
American Section of the Socialist Labor
Par'y. There were 2i! members present
and the following officers were unani
mously chosen: James J. Withers,
Organizer; Ceas. Longneoker, Recording
Secretary; Frederick Leise, Financial
Secretary and Treasurer.
After the organization was perfected
Mr. C. II. Matchett, of Nationalist ('lub
No. 1 of Brooklyn and Organizer of the
City Hall Section of the S. L. P. deliv
ered an excellent lecture, in which he
depicted the new conditions of industry
and life under the Co operative Com
inonwealth which it is the aim of
Nationalism and Socialism to establish.
His address was greatly enjoyed by
those present- There is good material
here and very good results may be ex
pected in the near future. As Organizer
1 hereby make application for a charter
and necessary paraphernalia for a Sec
tion attached to the central body.
Please mail full information and in
structions necessary to start us on the
right track, 'together with bill, the
amount of which will be promptly for
warded. The name of this Section will be: "The
South Brooklyn American Section No.
of the Socialist Labor Party.
James J Withers, Organizer,
( 5th Ave., Brooklyn. N. Y.
A Jewish Section S. L. I, Formed in
Chicago.
To Benj. J. (Iretm-h, Secy., etc.
Dear Comrade: I herewith apply for
the admission to the party of a Jewish
Section, organized in Chicago, and con
sisting of the members w hose names are
enclosed with the monthly dues of the
same.
Send us a few hundred party-platforms
in the Jewish language anil some
constitutions of the party.
We have read your circular-letter,
sent to comrade Berlyn, in relation to
the Workmen's Advocate. All we can
do at present is to solicit Bubscrilers,
and this we are endeavoring to do. I
may be able to send you some subscrip
tions next week.
Yours in the cause,
P. Sissman, Organizer.
218 Johnson St., Chicago, Ills.
Interesting News from California.
Kditor Workmen's Advocate: I
quite agree with your editorial of Nov.
1st, that the socialistic force of the
country should be concentrated at New
Y'ork. Everything points to the fact
that the social revolution is upon us and
the election of one Congressman on the
Socialist ticket might precipitate the
event.
It i-i a moat palpable fact that the
capitalists have been prolonging the life
of the competitive system by investing
their surplus incomes in new railwas,
new factories, etc; but now the rail
ways are practically completed and the
trusts are a conclusive sign that no
more capital can be expended in the
extension of manufacturing plants; so
the problem of investing the surplus is
not to be solved under the present so
cial system. Not to invest the surplus J
incomes of the plutocrats means, no ;
work for the millions of workers former- j
ly engaged in building new industrial j
plants; no work for millions means no ;
food, means revolt, means revolution, j
I may be sanguine, but if something j
does nl drop inside of two years, I am
very much mistaken.
We did quite fairly out here in the
(ith District of California, the largest
district in area in the I'nited States, and
naturally the hardest to get in new pro
paganda. 1 was the only candidatefor Con
gress that the Nationalists put in the
field.
The returns are not all in, but al
though we had to rely entirely on
scratching and did not have our men
over six polling places in the entire dis
trict, we have good indications that we
polled 1,000 votes.
The district is composed of 11 coun
ties, several of which are of greater
area than the state of Massachusetts;
and as we had little money and few
speakers, I think we did fairly well.
But one county is as yet counted Los
Angeles. and there e get 5H5 votes.
We are now getting ready to go into
the municipal campaign election for
mayor and council on Dec. 1th.
We should poll ii good vote in the city
of Los Angeles, as public sentiment is
entirely with us in demanding that the
city should own its own gas and water
works. I have a small income from an
inheritance, and so being economically
free, you may expect me with you in
New York very shortly to put my shoul
der to the wheel until Mr. Bellamy's
coach gets up the grade.
Fraternally
II. ). WlhHHIKE.
Los Angeles, Cal., Nov. 7, 'DO.
Nationalism in a New Haven Church.
The Rev. Mr. Squires of the church of
ti e Messiah, New Haven, lectured last
S.;nday on the subject of "Adultery,
;) Social evil." The newspaper reports
say that the lecture was "distasteful" to
the parishioners. No wonder; for this
is what Mr, Squires said in conclusion
of his sermon :
"The best preachers are attacking the
living, not the future, hell. The present
system of society, resultant from the
wage problem, makes vice among wo
men inevitable. The greed of employ
ers drives women and young girls to vice.
Not able in large cities to earn enough
to sustain life, they necessarily turn
to what to men appears the easier
life. The great temptation of dress, the
flattering inducements of overseers and
the like are causes of much of the sin,
I feel convinced that the way to bring
about the regeneration of society is the
solution of tlie wage question, especially
of the women laborers. Edward Bel
lamy, in the centralization ami nationa
lization of manufacturing industries, has
the only solution to this problem. For
my part I hope that none present will
attempt to reach heaven on 50 cents a
day. Ii is an impossible struggle.
M. It.
Moving for a Daily.
At the last agitation meeting which
was held in the lUth Assembly District
immediately before the election, speeches
of more than ordinary interest were
made by Glyn, Field and Niewland.
The practical difficulty of reaching the
people and presenting to them in their
true light the issues of the day had evi
dently impressed itself upon the minds
of the speakers, who were among the
most active of our workers throughout
the campaign and realized at every step
the need of a daily paper in the English
language. How to establish such a
paper was therefore one of their chief
topics of discussion. They argued that
in every one of the 1,595 election districts
into which New York and Brooklyn are
politically subdivided, there are some
Socialist, Nationalists, and progressive
men connected with labor organizations.
If these would meet and form oluiw in
their resjiective districts, they could not
only gather on short notice the funds
nece-sary for the establishment of a
daily one cent morning or evening
paper, but could also secure its circula
tion and success. It was furthermore
suggested that the Volhszeitcitt) and the
Workmen's Advocate might render
valuable assistance in the formation of
such clubs, which would also prove a
poerful agency of education and prop
agandist!!. We hear with a great deal of pleasure
that Comrade August Delabar, late
candidate of the Socialist Lalior party
for the Mayorality of New York, has
cards out announcing his engagement
to Miss Franziska Kalienbach. We wish
him long and undisturbed happiness.
ORGANIZED LABOR.
WEEKLY MEETING OF THE
CENTRAL LABOR FEDERA
TION. Three Additional I'nious Admitted
The P. Con. Shoes no longer Fit
Organized I.uhor Strike of the
Piano Viirnishers Victories gain
ed by Various Trades A Com
mittee Appointed to Work out
and Report a Plan for the i'.stah
lishiuent of a Strike Fund.
The constant reference in this paper to
the irregular attendance of delegates has.
resulted at last in securing a larger re
presentation at the regular session of the
Central Labor Federation. In their own
individual interest us well as in the ge
neral interest of Organized Labor the
unions should hold their delegates to a
strict performance of their duty.
Delegate F. Keller of the United Ma
chinists' was presiding officer at the
meeting ami delegate G. McVey of the
I'iuno-makers, vice-Chairman.
Immediately after the reading of the
minutes a delegate from the Rochester
branch of the International Boot and
Shoe Workers was granted the floor and
requested moral and financial aid in the
struggle of his brunch against boss Cox.
A motion was adopted, embodying this
request and all unions are asked to boy
cott the P. Cox shoe.
Then a commit Ik of the Vest-makers
appealed to the body in the struggle
against boss Solomon. The matter was
referred to the Non-Intercourse Com
mittee. Next a committee from the Saloon
keepers' Union appeared and presented
a request to the unions, asking them to
insist that the djlferent proprietors of
the meeting halls shall join the said
saloon keepers' organization. The mat
ter was referred to (he unions .with re
quest to report in two weeks.
Credentials were then received from
the following unions and approved:
Advance Association of Bookbinders,
Amalgamated Brass Workers No. 1,
and three additional ones, viz.: United
Packing Boxmakers and Sawyers, Pork
Butchers' Union No. 1, and Encaustic
Tile Layers' Helpers No, 1.
The United Hebrew Trades will be
asked to organize the Jewish Varnish
ers. The Arbitration Committee reported
progress on the Consumers' Brewery.
The Corresponding Sec'y was directed
to request said Company to recognize
the Union.
Cigar-makers' Union No. 1(0 reported
that Stachelberg t Co. had imported 411
Cuban cigarmakers, and that they
would appeal to the proper authorities,
to enforce the Contract Labor law.
The Custom Varnishers and Polishers
reported that two bosses had attempted
to cut down the wages.
Confectioners and Cako Bakers' No. 7
stated that the State Board of Arbitra
tion had interfered in the boycott on
boss Kdelstein. This Ikiss had leen
forced to reduce his output from 2H to IN
barrels of Hour and had appealed to the
Arbitration Board. Union No. 7 did
not believe in the intervention of that
board, but was willing to submit its
case.
Cigar makers' Union No. 10 will have
a hall on Nov. 22. at Nilson Hall.
The United German Waiters have
prohibited their members from working
at the Lyceum Opera House under pain
of expulsion.
The Organization Committee was in
structed to assist the Architectural Iron
Workers in forming an English branch.
Progressive Musical Union No. 1 has
arranged a concert for the Piano Var
nishers and Polishers, to 1 held on
Thursday, at Wendells' Assembly
Rooms, West 44th street.
Progressive Tailors' Union No. 11 re
port a good standing membership of
! 1100.
I The United Upholsterers have settled
i a dispute with an obstreperous boss.
! They had a successful ball on Saturday,
and collected f 10 for the Piano Varnish
j ers.
The City Pedlars' Union requested
I two German sakers for Sunday after
noon, Nov. 2:5, at 2 o'clock, 201 Broome
1 street and delegates Schnepue and Herz
lierg were deputed as such,
j The Operators and Cloakmakers re
I ported continual skirmishing with the
contractors who are trying to reduce
prices. They donated $50 to the Piano
Varnishers.
The I'nited Coat Operators requested
to be re-organized and the proper com
mitere was so instructed.
The Carriage and Wagon Makers are
making strenuous elTorts to strenghten
the union and should be supported by
the Beer 1 irivers.
The Piano Varnishers had a confe
rence with the piano manufacturers,
but without any result. The bosses
pleaded the McKinlv Bill as a reason for
refusing the nine Iiour rule, while two
years ago protection to American labor,
had been the battle cry.
During the discussion which followed
delegate Sanial moved that a strike fund
be established, It was finally decided
to appoint a committee of three to draw
an amendment to the Constitution in
this seme and refer the project in that
form to all represented unions for a
vote. The committee is composed of de
legates Sanial. Schneppe nnd Waldin
ger. At tl ). m. the case of Typography
No, 7 was again debated and its com
mittee was unanimously authorized to
declare a boycott on the Morninij Jour
nal and Das Morije.it Journal, if no satis
factory agreement could be arrived at
with Typographical Union No. ti.
The Auditing Committee will meet
on Saturday, Nov. 22, at 25 Fast Ith
street.
FRANCE-
Till' Calais Colli: i'i'nh All IiuiueitH) ii net
HiitlumliiHt ie CathtiriiiK Oiiwiinl tor
Hill lit- Ileum an it Legal Work-Day
Sni'liilln tlui Mimm of I'iimIih IIiim.
The Fourth National Congress of the
French Federation of Trades (Federation
iles Syudlcats et groupes corporatifs des
ouvriers do France), which was held
in Calais from the Kith to the 10 th
of October, while the strike of the tulle
makers of that city was raging with in
creased determination and bitterness,
ended with a grand mass-meeting, at
which the following resolution was
adopted:
WiiniiKAS, All the political parties
have hetrnyed the working class and
given it nothing but misery and grape
shot;
Hcsolml, That the Calaisian popula
tion and the 1,000 Socialists here as
sembled brand as traitors the govern
ments of the past and the present gov
ernment, ratify all the decisions of the
Labor ('ongress, and acclaim the strike
of the miners as a step to the Biilvation
of the proletariat."
The delegaten, numbering fifty-five,
represented several hundred syndicates
(trade unions) of Paris, Troyes, Thizy,
Coins, Lyons, Roanne, Marseilles, Vil
lers, Lille, Roubaix, Commentry, Ceite,
Nantes, Amiens, Corbie, St. Quentin,
Tierzon, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Alais, St.
Floy, etc.
The Fight Hour League of England
was represented by Dr. Aveling.
The Congress unanimously demanded
the socialization of the means of produc
tion and the abrogation of all conspiracy
laws and all the other laws restraining
the free association of workingmen for
defensive purposes against the aggres
sions of capital. Among other demands
we note: Public education anil support
of the children; abolition of the contract
system; equal pay for equal work, re
garuless of sex; the pensioning or old
and disabled workers; the strict liability
of employers for accidents; appoinment
of the factory inspectors by a commis
sion of the rhumures Hjndicales (trade
unions), etc., etc.
To some of the questions issued from
Lyons by the Council, the Congress
replied as follows:
(,'. Are you in favor of the eight hour
workday?
A-Ycs.
(.(. What do you think of regulating
by law the hours of labor ?
.I. Such a law is necessary.
y. Are you in favor of a general
strike?
A. Yes, if it is practicable.
(,. Are you in favor of a national
understanding first and an international
one thereafter?
.t.-Yes.
(,. Shall the 1st of May demonstra
tion be renewed next year, and shall its
nature be preserved or changed ?
A. It must be renewed and its pacific
character must be preserved.
Lastly and unanimously, while Com
rade Lachize was unfolding an immense
red Hag, the Congress again replied
affirmatively to the four following ques
tions: Are you in favor of the legal eight-hour
work-day?
Are you in favor of holding a demon
stration on .May 1, 1M1?
Are you in favor of the International
Congress of 1 syl , to be held in Brussels?
Are you in favor of the miners' inter
national strike and will you support it
by all the means in your power?
The Congress then adjourned amid
the greatest enthusiasm, with prolonged
cheers for the Federation of Trades,
United Labor, and the Social Revolution.
0
77
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