Workmen's advocate., January 17, 1891, Image 1

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

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HELP THE 311MIIS.
AN APPEAL FROM THE S. L. P.
NATIONAL EXECUTIVE.
Socialists Expected t(i Do their Duty.
The Organized Labor of New
York Coming to llie Rescue.
Subscription List Circulated and
other Measures Taken to liaise a
Relief Fund-Delegates to tlie C.
L. F. Instructed to Report From
their I nions next Sunday.
The following appeal in behalf of the
Alabama miners now on strike has been
issued by the National Executive Cum"
inittee of the S. L. P. :
To the Section and members of the So
cialist Labor I 'arty.
OoMHAbics: As you have surely learn
ed from the daily press and from our
own party organs, the miners of Ala
bama are engaged in a struggle for life.
Driven by the capitalists to the point of
starvation, the coal-miners rose a few
weeks ago and demanded a trilling share
a slight increase of five cents per ton
from the growing profits of their exploit
ers. Hut this is not all. What was at
lirst a mere strike for wages has since
developed into a battle for the right of
organization itself and against abject
slavery. Those capitalists, who squan
der their profits in England, and who
are the principal owneis of the coal
mines in Alabama, roundly rejected the
modest demands of their workmen and
took speedy measur 8 to crush the or
ganization of the miners and compel
their unconditional surrender. They
hired the Pinkertons, that body guard
of American money-bags, in order to
Vprovok-e outbreaks and in that way to
get pretexts for massacres and judicial
persecutions. They obtained from the
State, that willing tool of the capitalist)
convicts from the penitentiary to be
used as substitutes for the free citizen.
More brutal than the slave holder of
former days they crack the lash of hun
ger over the heads of their workmen in
the hope that these may be cowed into
tame submission.
Comrades! The Socialists are ever
found ready to sustain labor in its strug
gles against capitalism; the harder thai
struggle the stronger our duty. The
attitude of our party is that of a consis
tent representative of the interests of
the working class. Our aim is to or
ganize labor both economically and poli
tically, to train it both for the daily
struggle and for the final political
struggle against the capitalist system.
We hold the position that these two
forms of organization are intimately and
inseparably connected.
As the representatives of that position,
of the only true position the working
class can take, the Socialists, who in
the hour of political conflict strive to
bring about a concentration of the forces
of the workingmen into one party, and
this their own, are in duty bound, in
the hour of economic conflict, to bring
about a concentration of the forces of
all for the support of the economic or
ganization. It was the very representatives of
these miners' organizations, who, at the
historic Convention of Detroit, stood
openly and firmly on our side in the
assertion of the Socialist position against
those organizations which still lag be
hind on political lines. Furthermore,
confident that our party is the truest re
presentative of the cause of labor, they
have appealed to us firfet for aid in their
present severe trial. Already several
labor organizations have respondjd to
the call of our comrades and taken
steps towards the raising of fund for
the Alabama strikers. Now, however,
we turn directly to the Sections and
members of the party with the urgent
request that, to the best of their powers,
they throw in their contributions.
Together with this call collection -lists
will lie distributed to the Sections, to
be circulat' d among the memlers and
the workingmen affiliated with us.
Keep in mind that the conflict in
Alabama is several weeks old; speedy
aid is urgent.
With Socialist greeting.
The National Executive Committee of
the Socialist Labor Party
Jl'Ut'S HuHUOI.i.o,
Cut!. Fi.ix iisto,
JOSl'.I'll (ihlKsliKCK,
ClIAHUCS lltSKN,
JIknky Kciin,
Christian F. Patthkhu,
Lot is Waoknkh.
I'.KN.I. J. GltKTSi'H. Sec'y.
','5 East 4 tli st., N. Y.
The two committees appointed by the
Central Labor Federation are at work
arranging entertainments for the benefit
of the miners. The Carl Salmi Club and
other musical societi s have kindly
volunteered their services. So has a
Brooklyn company of amateur artists of
considerable talent and established repu.
tation. The probability, therefore, is
that two entertainments will be given,
one in the form of a concert in one of
the largest balls of this city, the other a
dramatic performance at some theatre
here or in Prooklyn.
The United Machinists of New York
have issued subscription lists and in one
evening collected over 120 among their
members. They are good for $150.
Other unions have done likewise. The
matter will be submitted to Cigarmak
ers' Union No. 00 at its met ting next
Sunday, and action thereon will prob
ably be taken. The cigar trade is now
at a standstill, and the consequent
enforced idleness of its members, follow
ing closely upon the holidays, places a
natural limit at this time to their well
known generosity; but we are assured
that they will nevertheless come to the
rescue to the full extent of their ability.
It must also be horn in mind that the
unions connected with the C. L. F. have
lately contributed freely and are still
contributing to the relief of other work
ers on strike in this city and elsewhere.
The feeling, however, is general that
the miners must be helped at the cost of
any individual and collective sacrifice
We shall jfublish in our next a list of
the various donations that will then
have been made for the worthy purpose
in question and an account of the reports
which the delegates to the C. L. F, have
been instructed to make at next Sunday's
meeting of that body concerning the
action of their respective unions.
We remind our subscribers that indi
vidual contributions may also be sent to
the Workmen's Advocate, in the co
lumns of which they will be duly acknowledged.
CHICAGO.
A Great Meeting and a Strong Soeiailitt
Movement.
As we go to press we learn that the
meeting held last Sunday In Chicago
under the auspices of the united Social
ist organizations of that city was a great
success. Turn Hall was crowded and a
large number of Americans were pre
sent. The lirst speaker was Comrade
15. Berlyn, whose warm words enlisted
from the start the sympathies of the
large audience in favor of the object of
the meeting. Then came Comrade Rich
ter, who spoke in German with equal
success. Comrade Thomas J. Morgan
Wowed him and held his audience
spell-bound with one of the happiest and
wittiest speeches which he ever deliver
ed. When he said that independent po
litical action must be taken by the wage
workers in order to obtain that
political power through which alone
they can emancipate themselves eco
nomically, an anarchist exclaimed, "Dy
namite will do it". Morgan replied"Aye,
intellectual dynamite, through which
we may explode foolish notions and
stupid prejudices", lie then put to a
vote the question whether those
present would go to the polls and
cast their ballots for Socialism. An en
thusiastic "aye" rose from the au
dience ; it was almost unanimous, seven
anarchists only answering in the nega
tive. Again Morgan put the question to
a vote. ' You must not," said he,
" make under the influence of the
speeches which you have just listened
to a promise that you may not keep.
Consider well ; reconsider, and tell me
now whether you feel that you can and
shall keep this promise." The name em
phatic answer came from the multi
tude and the meeting adjourned amid
the greatest enthusiasm. It is very evi
dent that a solid Socialist movement has
at last been initiated in Chicago.
In spite of money disorders in her spe- j
culative organs Old Mother England is i
still swallowing and digesting grandly. :
Her lattst meal consisted of Canadian !
flour, duly capitalized on a ten per cent.
income and abundantly watered. j
OKUAiNlZEl) LABOR.
WEEKLY MEETING OF THE
CENTRAL LABOR FEDERA
TION. t.oinperism Once More Rebuked and
The S. 1.. 1 Question Finally
Settled Looking for Permanent
Headquarters- Speaker Appoint
ed to Address .Met lings Called by
1 lie Inited (ierniun Trades and
tlie l'atersoii C. L. V. Routine
Business.
Another iarge'y attended meeting of
this body was held last Sundav tit which
a delegate of the United Machinists was
Chairman, and a delegate of Typo
graphia Union No. 7 was vice-Chairman.
Credentials were received from the
Federation of Bookkeepers and Clerks,
Ale and Porter Union No. 1, Carl Sahm
Club, Brotherhood of Paperhangers and
Decorators and the Amalgamated Sec
tion S. L. P. They were all approved
except the latter one, which the coin
mittte referred for action to the body.
After a lengthy discussion in the course
of which the few opponent of the S. L.
P. were given ample opportunity of
again presenting their arguments against
the admission of its representatives, the
credentials of the latter were finally
accepted by an almost unanimous vote,
four delegates only voting in the nega
tive. Coming as it did immediately after
the publication in the morning papers of
a venomous letter against the S. L. P.
signed by Samuel (Jompers this vote was
a not less significant rebuke of Gomper
ism than the action taken on the same
day by the Furniture Workers. This, it
is hoped, definitively aeUleB the quos
tion, and 'e C. L. F. may in the future
proceed, undisturbed, with the regular
transaction of its constantly increasing
business.
A committee from the United German
Trades requested a speaker to address a
mass meeting, to discuss the labor quea
tion. Request granted.
The Progressive Musical Union No. 3
of Brooklyn extended an invitation to
the delegates to attend a benefit concert
on January 18, at the Labor Lyceum for
the locked-out shoemakers of Rochester.
Branches 15 and. 25 of the Operators
and Cloak-makers appealed to the Griev
ance Committee to investigate grievan
ces against Barondess, who keeps a
coffee saloon and at the same time
"manages" the cloakmakers. Request
granted.
The Coopers' Union No. 1 desired that
the body support them in their request
to have breweries employ none but union
coopers. G ranted.
Cigar-makers' Union No. 90 requested
the Arbitration Committee to take hold
of the Rtrike at Alderman Harts' shop.
G ranted.
The corresponding Secretary was in
strueted to again notify the German
Painters' LTnion to meet the sp eial
committee appointed to consider the
differences now pending between the
several painters' organizations of this
city.
The Central Labor Union of Paterson
sent a committee which explained tlie
action of the Passaio County Trades'
Assembly in relation to the raising, by
the latter body, of the special boycott
on A Fink & Sons beer. The committee
also announced that a mass-meeting
would lie held next Sunday, January
18, at 2 o'clock in the afternoon at the
Turn Hall, corner Ellison and Crops
streets, where this action was to be cri
ticised and a true stotenient made of the
case.
The Carl Sahm Club volunteered 35
men for a concert in aid of the Binning,
ham miners and a special committee for
this purpose was elected to act with the
committee on miners' appeal.
At 4 o'clock next Sunday, the special
order "Strike Fund" will be discussed.
A committee of eight was elected to
procure a whole house for the C. L. F.
wherein it could meet anil which could
be sublet during the week, thus estab
lishing a C. L F. Labor Lyceum.
The United Machinist' reported that
they issued private subscription lists in
aid of the miners, besides donating
money from their treasury. They further
reported that they had organized the
strikers of the Bliss shop in Brooklyn,
about 400 men having come together
and formed a branch of their union.
The Amalgamated Section S. L. P.
reported that the Central Committee
had issued an appeal for the miners to
all the Sections throughout the country.
A special committee was elected to
attend the meeting of the Architectural
lii'ii Workers.
Confectioners' Union No, 7 called at
tention to a fake publication called l,a
Herald and edited by one Marx
K-'Versdorfer, who is the lawyer of boss
Kdelslcin and was instrumental in h iv
ing thre of their members arrested on
a charge of conspiracy. In the columns
of thai paperthe Central Labor Union of
Now York is highly praised for its
action in taking oil' a boycott about
which it knew nothing.
it was reported that a conference be
tween the Hoard of Walking Delegates
and the Italian Mosaic Workers would
be held at 21 Clinton Place this week
at d a delegate w as elected to attend.
brotherhood of Paper hangers and
Decorators Local 12 reported that they
were now recognized by the Brother
hood of Carpenters and Joiners.
A special committee to aid the Cnr
ri; ge and Wagonmakers to organize will
be elected next Sunday.
The Progressive Clothing Cutters re
ported that they had gained a large
number of members.
i'he German Waiters' Union reported
t Ji it it had sent delegates to the Hudson
C. C. L. U.
The session adjourned at 7.30.
SOCIALIST LABOR PARTY.
Central Committee of Section New
York.
On Tuesday, the Oth instant, the Cen
tral Committee held its lirst meeting.
There were present the Agent, the
Financial and Corresponding Secretar
ies; also delegates from the 10th, 11th,
15th, Kith, 17th, 20th, and 23d Assembly
Districts, and from the Liedertafel
Branches.
It was decided that the lists of mem
bership of the former Sections and the
lists of registration be used in order to
recount tlie Assembly Districts.
The outgoing Agent surrendered the
property of the Section under his
charge.
It was decided to meet regularly on
the 1st and lid Tuesdays of each month,
promptly at 8 P, M., at i!5 East 4th
Street.
iSew York Slate Committee.
On Wednesday the 7th instant the
State Committee, chosen, agreeable to
the vote of the Sections of New Y'ork
State, by the Section of New York City,
and consisting of Alexander Jonas,
Lucien Sanial, Daniel De Leon, L. K.
Popp, II. Foth, A. Jablinowski, and
August Waldinger, met at 25 East 4th
Street and effected a permanent organi
zation with Alexander Jonas as secre
tary. A large number of details and many
routine matters were disposed of. The
plan of campaign and organization was
the subject of general discussion, and
it whh decided to posi pone deliniteaetion
on this head until more detailed inform
ation was gathered from the, existing
sections and from private individuals.
To this end a circular letter was ordered,
and the Secretary wan instructed to call
a meeting as soon as he should be in
possession of answers that would furnish
the committee with a starting point.
Notice.
Socialists residinir in the 1st 2nd. !!nl.
5th, 7th, 9th, 11th, 13th, 19th and 21st
Assembly District are invited to for
ward their names and addresses to the
undersigned in order to aid in the or
ganization of their respective localities.
jjamel UK LEON, organizer,
25 East 4th st.
Harlem Socialists.
On Saturday, the 17th instant, the 23d
Assembly District will hold a mass meet
ing at headquarters, Becker Hall, 107th
street, betw. 'id and 3d Avenues. II. G.
Wilshire and other prominent speakers
will address the meeting on the issues of
day.
South Brooklyn Socialists.
The third American Section of South
Brooklyn held its regular meeting on
Thursday, January Hth. A resolution
was passed that 10 co.des of the Work
men's Advocate be lought weekly by
the Section for the purpose of distribu
tion The agitation committee reported
progress, and that the ma".s meeting on
Wednesday, Jan. 14. will he held at 179
Richard street, lied Hook Point.
The question, "Would it be beneficial
to the .Socialist movement if labor strikes
were lost'r" was then taken up. Altera
lively debate, which lasted until a lat
hour, it was decided to continue the
discussion of that subject at the next !
meeting. '
The receipt of a sample copy of this
paper is an invitation to subscrilie.
THE FAN 311 IIS.
IGNATIUS DONNELLY MAKES
A GREAT SPEECH.
Kail road Robbery, Political Rascal
ity ami Idiotic Conservatism
The Mood Tick and the Honey
Ifce The Plutocrats and fin
People.
At the recent State Convention of the
Minnesota Fanners' Alliance, in re
spouse to repeated calls, Ignatius Don
nelly, who is now known to be the
author of "Ciosar's Column '', delivered
a remarkable speech, copious extracts
Iroin which are published below. Mr.
Donnelly has been suspected of woiking
in the interest of the Republican parly,
His emphatic condemnation of both par
ties and his consequent advocacy of in
dependent political action would tend
to show that the charge was unfounded.
On the other hand, however, the "pure
ly greenback" theories which he has
long been known to entertain seem
rather inconsistent with his latest radi
cal utterances. Has ho progressed V
Is he sincere? We hope so. Mr. Don
nelly said in part
" We must not get into lied w ith eit her
of the old parties. If we do we will con
tract their diseases. And the worst dis
ease they have is the disposition to re
gard the people as something to be hind
ered, thwarted, lied to, 'humbugged.
Their highest idea of statesmanship is to
obtain power by tine promises, in a
grandiloquent platform, and then stick
their tongues in their cheeks at the
people and sell out to the corporations.
This thing has gone on year after year
until thousands of men have risen up in
their wrath and declared it must stop.
And it will stop. You have but to com
pare the alatute hooks of the last ten
years with the platforms of the two old
parties, to perceive the villainous frauds
that have been practiced on the people,
Both parties have declared, time and
again, that the water must be squeezed
out of the watered stock but there has
not been enough water extracted to wet
the lips of a thirsty Arab in the desert
of Sahara. The fraudulent capital
ization of the railroads in Minnesota, in
the face of an enactment declaring it a
penal olfense, has increased about $3H,.
000,0(10; and the average capitalization
of the roads of the State has risen from
about $37,000 per mile to $13,000 per
mile. If it is a crime to steal a loaf of
bread from one man, how much greater
is the crime to steal the money that
would buy that bread from the pockets
of a million men? If it is a crime to
forge a note for $10 how much greater
is the crime to forge a bogus mortgage,
for which no money is expended or re
ceived, and saddle it on the backs of
great communities, to lie paid, principal
and interest, out of unrequited toil
through generations of misery r
"Everything u comparative in this
world. Jay Gould with his $250,000,000
of watered stock would consider it an
abominable piece of "radicalism" if a
single dollar of it was confiscated by an
indignant public. The people will regard
it as rank "conservatism" if a single
dollar of it is left in his hands. The
Lowland Scotch have a proverb, "It is
ill getting the hreeks ofr a Highlander ; "
for two reasons: first because a
Highlandman will fight like the devil on
the slightest provocation ; and secondly,
because he has no "breeks," or breeches
to take oIL But the Highlandman's de
fense of the place where the " breekH"
ought to have been, is as nothing com
pared with the light which bogus
capitalization will make for the defense
of its figment of possessions. The High
landman's non-breeks would not exclude
the cold ; but the capitalist's non-capital
is as good as refined gold, to exclude the
blasts of poverty, ho long as a patient
people submit to be plundered to make
it good, by paying interest on it, out of
their hard earnings.
"There was a rich man in San Francisco
who was very corpulent and troubled
with a penduluua st'inach. He consult
ed a Chinese doctor. The disciple of
Confucius shaved his head, put a plaster
on it, stood him in the corner, and told
him to stand there until the plaster drew
his belly up. I don't know but he is
standing there yet.
"The old political parties in this country
have had the people in a corner for 20
years past, drawing up their bellies with
the plaster of fair promises. The lielly
shrinks but it does not rise. When the
victim complains the doctor changes the
plaster be takes off the republican
plaster and puts on a democratic plaster.
And still it draw-, ami still the victim
waits, for both pla-tersate made out of
the same materials and bought in the
same shop the old shop of monopoly.
"The civilization of the world to day is
the civilization (if the wood-tick and not
the honey-bee. The wool lick suck-,
but it creates nothing. The thing that
carries it feeds it. It is the bloated plu
tocrat of the woods--simply claws and
iH'lly. A higher civilization means death
to the wood ticks and fair play for the
honey bees,
"The fool needs a strong constituent)
for all the burdens of life are piled on
him, and he grins and is tickled. He
feels that God intended him to husk the
corn for another and live on the husks,
lie is happy, lie is u conservative. He
is opposed to all radicals. He don't lie
lieve in the Fanner's Alliance. To him
the rich man is a visible God in breech
es. Nothing else ever was so completely
happy as a fool. Omnipotence, that
made Ihc universe, can do nothing with
a fool except kill him. And God so
pities him that he lets him live for the
amusement of t he angels ; and all heav
en holds its sides and roars with laugh
ter over the antics of the fool.
"( iovermueiit was instituted to improve
the condition of the people not to per
mit Jay Gould to absorb the planet. But
the fool believes in Jay Gould. He
makes a hole in the ground with his
stomach, as he grovels before those two
hundred millions. He imp'ores Jay to
come and walk over him and kick liim.
And every kick thrills him like cham
pagne. 'Our whole battle is between human
sellishness and human love. Our reme
dy must be the arrestment of human
sellishness. Darwin tried to prove that
man was descended from a monkey,
There is so much of the hog in human
nature that I have sometimes doubted
whether our ancestors were indeed the
vivacious and intellectual sitnia.
"You may clothe the hog in broadcloth,
but he is a hog still. You may put a silk
hat on his head and a gold chain. about
his neck, but he is nothing but a hog;
and the bristles protrude through tho
jewelry. And Mrs. Hog! Clothe her in
satin; bane; her ears with diamonds;
and yet she is nothing but a hog;
and when she speaks you can hear
between the syllables the guttural grunts
i hat remind you of gorging and guzzling
in the royal swill tubs.
A father was once enlarging to his son
on the goodness of God, when he in
spired Adam to give the right kind of
names to the different animals. "Why,"
replied the irreverent youth, "it don't
seem to rue that it took much inspiration
to name the hog any one could tell he
was a hog!"
Poverty is aimply a testimony to the
imperfection of our nodal conditions;
vice in Miupiy the biouuy eu of
poverty, Religion must begin by im
proving the condition of mankind. The
establishment of universal prosperity is
of more importance than the preserva
tion of Individual virtue. God never set
the abundant table of this world with
intent that the gluttons should gorge to
sickness, while thousands a arved in the
anterooms There are seats for all and
food for all, but he left the distribution
of it to that sub deity and under creator,
the intelligence of man. This ii iH that
out of the thistles and the stones is to
recreate Paradise and plant anew the
trees of Life mid Knowledge.
We are here part of a universal move
nient. In Scotch cabins, in Irish shiel
ings, in English hovels, in the prison
mines of Siberia, among the peasantry
of Scandinavia, Germany, France, and
all the world, men are talking the
thoughts that occupy us here; men are
muttering to one another, in the dark
ness, under their breath, "How can we
take these vampires from our throats?
Those vampires that suck the life blood
out of our veins, and the milk out of
the breasts of our wives; and the nour
ishment out of the muscles and brains
of our children," And here, in America,
the very essence of the life of the repub
lic, the very spirit of 177(1, the very
aspirations of Washington and Jefferson
are found in these great labor organiza
tions, which, have risen up from the
farm and the forge, and the shop and
the mine, to preserve liberty and re
deem mankind.
Let us rally the stragglers, close up
the ranks, drive out the camp followers.
and give the mighty command "For
ward! to the human race.
Projrrciw of Capitalism in the South.
The Pacilic Improvement Comnanv
has contracted for the building at New
port News, Va., of two 5, 000-ton iron
steamships, each to cost about $000 000,
lor the Morgan Steamship Line. These
are the first iron steamships of large
capacity ever built south of Baltimore,
and the largest ever built south of Phil
adelphia. They will be 405 feet long and
4H feet beam, with triple expansion en
gines, ami in every respect will he of the
highest grade of workmanship. I he
Baltimore Manufacturers' Record reports
the above and gives particulars of other
enterprises, reported during the first
week of the new year. Among these
are the organization of a company with
a paid up capital of $1,000,000 to build a
cotton mill in Mississippi ; a $3,000,000
gold mining company and a $2011.000
marble quarrying company in North
Georgia; a $100,000 coal mining com
pany in Kanawha County, . a.; a
$200,000 lumber company and a $50 W0
cooperage company at Brunswick, (ia..;
a $300,000 wagon factory company and
a 150OO0 rolling mill company at
Salem, V.; a $300,000 manufacturing
company at Gainesville, Fla.; and a
$250,ihmj machine company at New Or
leans, La.