The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1868-12-12

NEW LHAA3 Gcfs " AOoOs
~ the Edtor Of the wohEmsnAEs Advocate.
In your issue Of the 2Srd o. Nov, notice
that q resolution adopted Ny the United
CoOpers, No. 4, Of New York, to the effect
hat cOIored man working 10 Mr.. Briggs
shop, and complained Of BY hiS ahCpmates,
the union 70 take action 10 the
matter, and the action taken by the union,
leaving it optional witb the men most inter
ested whether they would work with the
coloTed man or not, has furnished the text
FOR the false side on 70 ur editorial entitled
"False and True" and your text for True
being furnished by section in the consti-
tuition Of homestead association Now,
Mr.. Editor, | shall ask YOU TO Be
kind enough TO give me space 10 your
widely circulated and useful paper.
to set the action Of the union, Of which !
am q member, right in the eyes OF our fell
low-workmen throughout the country. Nov
sir, shall meet your arguments In rotation.
10 the fret place you say it is quite evident
a strike or discharge afforded the only re-
NEEDY. Now sir, the union knew previous
to taking action, that neither one or the
other vas necessary, for the foreman of the
shop in which the CO lored man was working
had signi6ed bis intention 70 discharge him
il the men working in the shop wished Il 20
BE- done and il is my belief II the men
working with the negro had signi6ed their
intention TO work with him, permit TO work
without a card would have been granted By
The union. agree with you ~ regards or
gauiza.iOns, and believe they should be es-
tablisbed on the broadcast basis, 90 broad as
to embrace all who know what Is 10 70 sell
their labor, but disagree with Your mode
Of organizing. believe organization should
not be promiscuOus, aud instead OF saying
wise indeed are those who organize on a
basis without respect 20 race or sex, should
be inclined to say un Use indeed, and not
from any prejudice or respect to caste. l
disrespect caste, aud hold aud IN Iintan thtt
Ii IL assumed, not inherited from nature
\ but also hold that caste IL not race, a
V while legislation should meet all races alike,
I ignore caste ia tie different races and place
all alike on q so4nd democratic basis, vet
such result nv this does not argue for
momeot that the barriers OF race should be
torn down aud all races be received into the
social embrace, no more than the Arab
steed and jackass 10 the same 6eld, enjoying
all the blessings OF heaven alike, should
fraternise and become social Equals.
The next turn your editorial takes, con-
slder a groundIess threat. We all know
that the negro ia America is free man,
never again to be bought and sold, and who
does not feel thankful that the greatest
stain on the fair fame Of our country is re-
moved ~ The act o. emancipation. now see
ing they are free a. all o. y ld's creatures
are BY nature, and should be by practice
Such being the case, the question then
arises. what are the daties Of FREQ mao ia
free countrv7 It il an easy matter 20
solve BY each person asking himself thO
aaeston. Then what Yon claim for Tas.r.
self you should willingly grant to Others,
and that is in this country voice i. max
ing tine laws we live under, and in whose
eve all should be on an equality, all receive
alike the same protection. Nor, sir, you
will see bV nv sentiments that | consider
that although that col0Fed cooper is not as
vet nv political equa. in this state 10 should
be. But you say political equality to the
negro will be political enmity 20 labor, be-
cause the white Iaborer refuses to place him
self on a social platform with the negro Ia
borer. add must confess, honestly, that |
have not the slightest ambition to work With
negro, TO meet him in our trade unions,
or do ANYTHING that you'd have tendency
10 break down the demarcatiOns on race
that God has seen 6t TO ordain, and Tor
those reasons know that no sensible negro
will be my political opponent, and further I
, more, no sensible negro will demand sucn
. concessions. for II takes them out o. their
element. Am sure that poor colored coop
, er, surrounded by thirty white men, just
/. felt as I would feel surrounded BY like
: number Of blacks, and am sure have not
ths least wIsh 20 realise the feeling. The
old saving, birds of a feather flock together,
. has always proved true in the past, and will,
. feel persuaded, in the future, and think
|. that the lines Of demarkation between races
will be more closely drawn in the future
than they were i'm the past. My reasons FOR
thinking 90 are these: First, freedom leaves
the negro at liberty to turn their Eases 10
any direction they wish secondly, growth
in intelligence consequent upon their chang
ed relations In life, will enable them 70 Gee
that they are scntending against odds 10
competing with q superior and more enter
prising race snd thirdly, self-preservatiOn
will cause them TO draw from the unequal
contest and coIoniEe BY themselves, and AZ
IL INV serious impression shat il such a
course should not be pursued they will the
sooner disappear before the onward march
OF the white race, which Is destined, be-
lieve, &C no very remote date 90 supplant
oil tbe races on the globe As regards their
political action, ia thatl zee nothing 70 fear.
Some, like the minority OF our own race will
have minds Of their own, ard act with US
and for ne, while the mass like the many Of
our own race, WILDE the puppets Of politi-
cal gamblers. have now come 70 the pleas
ing contrast, and | must aay that | cInnot
:. the parallel betw cen the societies
The society you have branded a. false, is
a protective society composed on men 0f thm
same race who assemble nc these meetings
on a social, not q political equality, and
only separate r. co-minRle more closely.
j The true society Is . specializing enter
1 prise, whore one persOn's m00ey 10 no good
a. another's, and when they separate they
may mot meet again until the NEXT meeting.
Irsmain, yours truly,
JoHE HExnr.
Member Of United Coopers' No. 4, N. Y.
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