The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1867-08-24


s'to carry Dut the acts % tho .present Lahor
Congress, to direct agitation, and % further
the interests Of the labor movement by all
possible means !" task Of no small magni.
tnde TO properly perform when u 10 consid-
essd that the ohicers we're lsit entirely with
out means With which to perform the SER
vices. and With q resource that, under the
tcircumstances surrounding the new under
taking, was unreliable end inadeQuate
4 One al the duties to be performed was
the printing OF the proceedings OF the Labor
/ Congress held 10 Baltimore, for which no
left to depend upon the Subscriptions sent "a
to pay the expenses Of having that work
done; but the amount subscribed was insuf-
hcient. and necessarily that important work
had to remain unfinished and be left to be
completed ~ you. AS it il very desirable
that record should be preserved Of the pro-
ceedings OF that body, whose assembling 10
likely TO mark an important era in the his
| tory OF the workinsmen Of this country,
would recommend that -Prsyis;on De made
0y You to secure their publication.
It was also made the duty of the president
% appoint committee TO draft Aconstitu-
tiOn to be reported to the CnicaS session
for consideration. la accordancs Herewith
| appointed Mesgs. Reed, fiardinge and
TIoup as said committee. That duty has
been performed By them, and the report viii
be submitted for your consideration.
With view to forwarding organization
IN the States, and 10 urge cpon the vice.
presidents the NECESSITY of proceeding ac-
lively to work, as We'll a. to establish rcgu-
lar communication between myself and them,
Oh the l2sh September, 1861 addressed
them letter, a the same time suggesting
lin consideration okthe want of means, az d
the long time ii would take to obtain aDy by
tax, ven If sufficient could be obtained at
all 10 that way) that they call upon their
respective Trades Assemblies for loan of
50 much money as might be required to in
tr0duce the movement 10 the attention Of the
labor organ zations and leading workIngmen
Of their States, taking Care to preserve
vouchers OF their expenditures 70 present 60
the Chicago session, thsf they might be
there reimbursed. And in cases where such
vouchers are presented, il is but prope. that
provision should be made for their Pay
ment In the case Of Wee President
Jessup, of New York, he has individually
contributed his money to advance the cause
in bis State, and | would particularly invite
your attention to bis reimbursement. The
following IL cory of the letter;
WASHINGTON, d. c., -, ls6
Srs--Ior having been selected uv the
National Labor Congress as Nice-Presldsnt
tor the State Of -, and as those officers
are required 70 act as secretaries in their
respective Jurisdictions, would respectively
suggest tnat (If You have not already done
so) You open a correspond ence with the diff
ferent trade organization in your State, and
briag 20 their attention the movement lately
inaugurated 10 Baltimore by the National
Labor Congress, and take such other steps
as IN your judgment will advance the move
mcBt / would also suggest that in Places
where there are no organic .tions, you ad-
dress your correspondence to some inhuen-
tai workingman, and, whist urging upon
hlm toe no. essisy for the working classes TO
ofeani--, so.' cit his aid sin bringing togeth-
or that element in his section ID such q man
ner Is to give to US their effective and CO. \
opcI atise assistance in carrying ous The |
priIci les Of the Platform promul gated 10 /
Baltimore.
Having row begun this great uaderte..s.
ing, and planted the germ Of one Of the
gFeatesr fsfarrfs ct tlIcs age, vince - for
it's underlying principle, the noble purpose
If improving and eleva~s;ng the In ndustrial
classes of our great II R>pu5lic- and as it is
absolutely essential tba I, to be successful,
We should systs maticail. y organize and agi-
tate the movement until. .fAe publie are 81
r4.s:aied rs TO accord -ns,'saae right to make,
and give us their CO. operation in making
eight hours a legal days lahes, which we
consider "a an indispensable condition to a
foil enjoyment Of our rights-let us do ali
IN our power tc disseminate the principles
OF the reform, and awaken the Industrial
classes OF. america TO a full realization of
their righas, their powers, and their duties. |
would also suggest that, BY cOrrespon-
dence or otherwise, YOU recommend TO their |
atten ior, and urge them to take one or
more OF the labor organs recon n ended By |
the congress, and seek to impress upon |
them the necessity for encouraging papers |
devoted TO and advocating the interests of
labor, that they NAV, whilst contributing |
20 a laudaOie undertaking, at the same time !
become better informed Of the doings Of |
their fellow wo .kIngmen, increase the II |
store Of information reference to the |
principles of the movement. and establish a |
medium Of me press.
| shall confidently and hopefully rely
upon your CO. operation snI assistance, and,
With proper efforts, feel assured that when |
We assemble 10 Chicago next August this
great labor movement will have assumed |
60 60 dignity and Importance as to bring |
within its Deliberations the voices OF repre-
sentatiVes from the workingmeD cf every
State, and thus, WHILST giving to Us increased
aud character, convey to the minds |
,f the great public tb deep earnestness that
oervs1es and anilbates the ranks Of labor,
md make them feel that the tidal wave ol
reform is moving onward, and must continue
10 move, sweeping away the old system
.hat are oppressive, and establishing othefs
ID at VIII elevate the industrial classes, me~D-
tally, morally, aud physically, in the scsale
II humaDi,v Respectfully,
J. =. q. WEALEr, Pres. w y. ~
With but few exceptions, the receipt Of
my letter was Acknowledged, with tbs, nfor-
nation that the Platform Of Pfincipl es bad
been invariably adopted bY the assoc. ations
before which il had been brought. / had
calculated that in the absence Of m cans to
larry o. c public agitation, If the Y Yice-Pre-
sidents in the different States woulsi bat Sc
:ure small appropriation from th Trades
Assemblies of whish they were members,
they might establish q correspond asnce which
W ould IN n great measure mike nnends for
The want of large sums, and thurF FsIo, ly, but
surely and quietly. lay the groundework Of tbe
structure that we have united to rear; and,
BY cstabiishing chain Of soc ieties, al Of
them recognizing the Natioaal Labor Union,
and many Of them ewing their existence TO
Il, material advancement wotnld be made, it
xas thought, towards the fesemation of the
As an evidence az what
might have been accomplis he'd, would call
yeur attention to the fau report of the en-
erqetie and xealous Vicc-f resident of New
- W;ns.~~ Iasaan y n a~o~.>v;rk s..h.-ss