The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1868-08-01
FROM ILLINOIS,

brentwood July 3Otb, 1868.
To the Editor Of the woRKHoxANs ADVOCATE.
Dear Sir; This is a question often ask
ask myself, and after | have revolyed II
bali dozen times through my mind, and
answered it in as many different ways, /
abandon it, about as wise as when first /
put the interrogation:
Why is it that the Organs Of Working
men are permitted to die, or desert the
cause they have espoused and have vowed
to support?
Workingmen, its you alone that ars to
blame. Let every one just look around
among the circle Of bis acquaintance, and
see how very few there are who subscribe
for paper devoted and pledged 20 the sup
port Of Labor, when compared with the
many who are regular purchasers Of some
journal whose every column is crammed al
most exclusively with fiction and ask him
self, is it right that such should be the
case?
We profess to applaud one who tells the
truth, and truth itself is virtue and yet
we will give no more tangible proof o. our
sincerity in thinking 50, than a mere ap-
proval in words. Break the subject to any
workingmsn, and every one admits that
journal Of Labor should be supported by
the laborer; but there is certainly q mighty
difference hetwixt one conceeding 80 much
and that Of giving $3.50 for bis subscrip-
ton for a year.
have heard il asserted as a reason why
the journal Of Labor never could command
supporters enough, or il sc did have, why it
lost them and went down, that it was moi
sufficiently attractive and wanted the in.
terest necessary to excite the immaginatiou
of the reader, and keep them spell bound
from week to week, as some Of our works
of fiction do. This NAV be so indeed; bot
again we ask, wherefore Is il uninteresting
Is it because it tells plain, unvarnished
story, and trumpess TO the world the wrongs
/ and OPPRESSION Of the producers Of wealth
4 the laborer9 Is il because IL is a medium
I through which workingmen can have ar
/ exchange Of ideas, and through which I
can know the state Of the labor market ant
the worth Of labor, or is 1t because il 10 th'
protector of ways and means whereby MG
class can advance themselves on the socia
scale, and free themselves from the fetter
that bind them, TO prevent evil, and point
out growing ones is this the reasons For
as rale, as far as my knowledge goes
these are the characteristics OF our Labo
journals. And, if these be the causes o
30 many failures, (that i, strict adherence
70 the above principles len workingmen
feel sorry for you, because il betFays th
act that you are more susceptible to wrong
than to right, to fiction than to truth.
can't We read lesson from the bushes
men in this regard. II we only watch wit
what eagernees they seek the news Of ID
dailies, and deveuf everything In relatio
to their interest, and take immediate al
vantage Of II and profit by the knovledg
10 not this snhcient cause for MS to 20 an
: do likewise, with respect 70 the paper While
contains news relating to our interestsf
9 think 1t should be. 10 is In you, worl
ingmeD, lies the making Of your pape
: You can make them interesting or othe
: wise. Give the managers Of them the cd
} quate means and they can purchase the j
J, tellect to instruct, amnse and enlighten 20
4 without It they cannot. See the puny shee
insignificant, as compared with some of o.
Labor Advocates, how they can live In an
ence, because they press the cause Of capitl
. and eur Journals esking out an naEroR .
lisaence.s And al because u your spatl