The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1868-08-22

Address OF the the International Work.
Ingmen's Ass0cRatIOn.

The following address has just beer
issued to the Trades Unionists Of Great
Britain:
FELLOW W. KINGxES,-Neariy four years
have ,EaPsed slIce = small number Of wor k
ingmen, belonging 20 different countries,
convened n public meeting ut St. Martins
hall, ~ wh en- the International Working.
mems Association was established. They
were doing the right thing ~ the right time.
During that space Of time the Association
has acquired position that no other organ
izaion has ever attained in Europe. IL is
neither a rival OF, nor in conflict With any
workingmen's Organizations; on the con-
traTy, Il aims at utilisi1g ana extending the
lnnuehce OF exisung organizations in all
Countries BY endeavOring 70 Drinx about a
common understanding and promoting com.
mon action between them. As 10 It's char
acier, though 1t advocates complete political
freedom, n Is not q political association in
the u,u acceptation OF term. While aiding
ali progressive movements Ct q uoIds the CON
tending factions, well knowing bow futile il
Woulu be 10 expect any real ameliorstion in
the condition Of the labouring poor by trust
ing TO the capitalists as . class. Slanderers
assert that the Association has provoked
strikes, it has no. Gone any such thing, but
u has enabled workingmen 10 resist lock-
outs, and successfully terminate strikes rem
dered inevitable Dy the encroachmenLs, bad
iaItb, aud wanton conduct Of employers
The fun damental principle of the Assocla-
zion is, THAT the produce OF labour ought TO be
tie property OF the producer that the
brotherhood of LGbOuT should be the basis Of
society; anu that the workingmen of all
countries should throw aside their
petty jeslousles and national anti.
pathles, and make common cause
with each other 10 their struggle with capt.
al. labor is Of no country. WorkIngmen
have the same evils to contend with every
whei ;. Capital is but accumulated labor
WIZ should the lsborer be the slave to that
which be has himself produceds Too long
have the capitalists profted by the national
isolation of the sons of toll. Foreign com
petition has Always furnished q plea for the
reduction Of wages. For a long time the
trades unions Of this Kingdom sufficed to
keep up prices. Free trade has worked a
change. The continental workmen work
longer hours, for less money, than the Brit.
ISL 90. II this country Is yet producing
vel0pment Of Der machinery. The distance
in the race between the British and the con-
unentsl manufacturer for the prices in the
mark Il Of tDe world Is rapidly diminishing |;
the British are ahead, bat only Just ahead.
These facts ought TO convince The British
workmen u the Importance Of the lnternar
tiOnai Association. IL has everywhere on
the continent iostered the formotson Of
Trades Untons, and served a "A engine for
their cJmmon and fraternal action. In
France lie action IN the lookout NJ the Pa
ris bronze workers was characteristic, loo
men we're locked out and 1000 men were
threatened 70 be loeked-0nt unless they
abandoned their newly formed trade society
---ous Of thu 6rst that was formed after the
British model. BY the aid Of the lnterna-
tlonal Association that combination of eur
ployeFs was defeated. Since then trades
unions hare become nataFalixed in France,
and she goperumen5 aiarEre at the prosress
Vt the kntsFnanoual Association, has again
and again tried ~ suppress it by finins
a.sd imprisouing the executive comn,lttee ..
Paris In Swilzesiand the slrike in the
buiiaing trades Of Geneva resulted in re-
ducsion Of the hours Of labor and m Increase
q wages per day, bus the masters only gave
40 aiteR tlsey bad asoertainou 20 what |. ytent
the men received snpphss from abroad. In
stsad 81 crushing tins association. the action.
q ne messsr builders had tended to in
cEease Is innnancc
A belsium<e tnternational Association
has Played ~ eqoaliy prominent part. In
ecpseq ene4N tbs esaersl crisis in tbe
snetal .sade1 Ne DIRECTOR Of the mines re-
Se'sed np0a Mofkine only Tour days . week.
Az Neke MNe a ths shsrsheIderk dividsnds
WY nnEe perenptory nesics 81 ! ten. per
l@lsfs Hpna'on ~ wsgss The uinms -
inss1 nainqe " lrking 90 80 soodE.