The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1867-11-23

latent IAAbNAs
We hail with delight the action taken By
the Trades Assembly, Of this city, IN setting
apart every alternate meeting for the discus
sion Of political and scientific questions and
in extending an invitation to al parties, IT.
respective Of past associations, TO participate
in their proceedings. The great lack Of the
working classes il self-relianee. While they
can, and il many instances do, express
their views, in an able and, logical man
nsIa.9n the alLengrossing topics Of the day,
tneir fortitEds fJfsA6sa, iEsm the mo
ment they are expected o called upos 10 ad.
dress public assembsee. While this difi-
denco, under OrdInaE5 circumstances, wouIs-
Be aisiiy s6ifBper,esble, YET when carried to
excess. as IN this instance, it becomes posi-
tive weakness, and one Of the greatest bar
riers TO their advancement Any means,
therefore, which will tend 70 tho removal
q Lhis wesknsss, and the development Of
that latent talent, which they undoukt
eddy possess, should receive the endorsement
Of every friend Of the labor movement The
rebnke administered by Napoleon to bis ply
stefan on the birth Of his child, Remember
you have woman, not an empress, in your
hands, is one from which they can CLEAN an
important lesson.
While We acknowledge this fear owes its
sxisteneetc our false social system, Of which
it is an Offshoot, We believe it is the incun-
Oeh srEsy ell true rec use every
mears to efisssits and in no
: way can this be done 50 ly a. BY
making our Trades gaions and Iraoss, As
'eE1lies training schools, mediums to in-
part to their members an intelligent under
stsndins so to speak, Of the laws Of political
economy which under.ie our social fabric.
is ell sheer bosh to protest against the
introduction of political issusss the. time
Tor such arguments to avail 8 snvince is
patt. On the contrary,f ksact is,Sast
forcing Itself upon Che nj ne WORKING
classes that until they thoroughly under
stand these questions, the evils Of which shey
complain will remain uDdisturbed and thai
il is 10 this popular ignorance and the ab.
senes of an isiepi9ent exercise Of the elsc-
tive franchise, that they owe their degraded
position. What valid reason, for exampls,
can be cited, why the Ship-carpeZ;ers and
Caulkers Of America 50 ould not discuss the
-nsture Of the causes which have well.nieb
driven the commerce Of this country from
the sea; to inquire and learn why, while
the doek5ards Of America ars silent "a the
grave. British wOrkuen are building ship.
Tor american merchants: or for the Coorsrs
or Cigar Makers to protest against the en-
pioJment Of convict labor aspprosed 20 the
employment Of honest men or for the Col.
liers in the several States to petition thsir
respective legislatures for the passage az :
laE regulating the ventilation Of nines !:
and-yst the consideration Of these ouesfions.
partaking Of political character, should.
according to the arguments OF our wiss-
acres, be secluded entirely from their dslib-
The truth isthat our ,rrades' Unious. which
deai with their members from the beast Of
burden staya-point only, must enlarge their
sphere Of action, or fail to fuIsll their mis-
Zion and they certainly pursue short
sighted, suicidal policy, By refusing to 70 4
form or isedAsioer heir action. We bold
that men who have risss from obssuriiy.
under the most adverse eifcmnsl1ncs ~
srkna. s~-n-xs-. ~ - III Z n q r ~ II