The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1868-10-10


Il. Good and Welfare Of the Union.
-. Adiournmegt =
49, AmmcLa !. Il
SKcrlcs /. This constitution shall not b,
altered or amended unlsss notice b giveE
at least one session prior 10 scticp.
A. hoVr, Chairman.
w. X. GooDENoUaH,
w. 3. KNa,
II. L. RosEAoN,
S. J. WALLAcE.
On motion Of Mr.. Sylvis, the constitution
was adopted Is a whole.
After the adoption Of the Constitution
Mr.. Sylvis offered . resolution that tht
workingmen of the Second Congregations
District Of Ohio, In the fall Of 1867. elected
to Congress Samuel =. Cary that Mr.. Car
was again candidate, and that he was al
able, honest and consistent advocate of ths
rights OF labor, o. detailed in the platform
Of the National Labor Union at Cbi,ago N
1867 and that the present Congress full,
Endorses the action Of Mr. Cary upon th.
Eighthour law in Congress, the financial
question, and all the questions affecting the
interests Of workiDgmen. That the 70.
election Of MIR. Cary should be consideEed a
a matter Of the most vital importance, and
that the workingmen Of his district should
be called on, without distinction of party, tc
vote for hiE.
INSTALLATION OF OFFICERS
The President announced that The install
lation OF officers was in order. Messrs
Bourke and Jessup were appointed to con
duct the President elect to the chair. UpOC
MIR. Sylvis's appearance before the plat
form,
The President, Mr.. Whaley, said: Mr.
Sylvis, it gives me great pleasure to present
to the Convention their chosen presiding
officer for the ensuing term. Gentlemen o.
the Convention, now introduce TO you Mr.
VIM. Ii. Sylvis. (Applause.)
Mr.. Sylvis took the chair and said
made all the speech this morning that sm
going to make. The Union will now proceed
to business.
The other officers we're then Informally i'm
stalled.
cHE PLATFORM.
The Committee on Platform presented
the following report, which was read by the
Chairman Of the Committee, NJ. Cameron, o.
Chicago.
PLATFORM OF PRINCIPLES or THE NATIONAL LA
BoR EkFoRN PARTY.
We hold these truths to be self evident
that all people are created equai, that they ar,
endowed by their Creator with certain ina
liena6le rights; that among item are life
liberty and the pursuit of happiness; thai
to secure these rights governments are in
stituted among men, deriving their Jusi
powers from the consent Of the governed.
That there are but two pure forms OF gov
eminent, the Autocratic and the Democratic
under the former the will Of the individua
sovereign is the supreme law, under the lat
ter the sover eighty is vested in the Who'll,
people, all other forms beng a modification
Of the one or the other Of these principles
and that ultimately one or the other oil
these forms must prevail throughout al
civilized nations, and il is now for the Amer
lean people to determine which Of these prin.
eiples shall triumph.
That the design Of the founders Of the Re
public was to institute government upoI
the principle Of absolute inherent sovereign
" OF the people, and that would give e
each citizen the largest politi, and religi
Gus liberty compatible with the good order
enjoy the fruits Of his labor and talents
that when laws are enacted destructive Of
these ends, they are without moral bindin.
force, and it is the right and duty Of tn,
people to alter, amend or abolish them, anC
institute such others, founding them upOr
the principles Of equity, as to them MAY
seem most likely to effect their prosperity
and happiness
Prudence will indeed dictate that impor
tant laws long established should not bt
changed for light and transient causes, and
experience has shown that the American
people are more disposed to suffer while
evils are sufferable, than TO change the
forms and laws to which they have been &C
customed. But when u long train Of legisla-
tive ebuses, pursuing invariably the same
object, eyinces a design to subvert the spirit
OF freedom and equality upon which our in
stitutions are founded, and reduce them to
a state Of servitude, il is their right-it is
their duty to abolish such laws and provide
new guards for their future security. Such
has been the patient suffering Of the wealth
producing classes Of the United States, and
such is now the necessity which constrains
them to put forth an organized and united
effort for maintaining their natural rights,
which are imperiiled by the insidious
schemes and unwarraHted aggressions Of
INSCRIPTIONS bankers and usurers BY mean,
Of unwise and corrupt legislation.
We further ld-That all property OF
wealth is the product Of physical or intel
lectual labor, employed in productive indus
try and 10 the distribution Of the produc-
tions of labor; that laborers ought Of right,
and would, under a Just monetary system
receive OF retain the larger proportion Of
their productions; that the wrongs, oppres-
sions and restitution which laborers are suf-
fering in most departments Of legitimate en-
terprise and useful occupation, do not re-
suit from insufficiency of production but
from the unfair distribution of the products
Of labor between non-prodocing capital and
labor.
That money is the medium Of distributor
to n-prodGoiug capital and producing
!abor, the rate Of interest determining whaI
proportion of the products OF labor shall BE-
awarded to capital for its use, and what e
lalboE toI rs productions that the power Il
make money and regulate its value 10 a.
essential attribute Of sovereignty, the exer-
else of which is by the Constitution Of ths
United States wisely and properly granted t.
Congress, and it Is the imperative duty o.
Congress to institute it upon such wis
and just basis that it shall be directly under
the control Of the sovereign people who pro
duce the value it is designed TO represent
measure ami exchange, that it may be . cor.
rect and uniform standard Of value, and dis-
tribute the products Of labor equltably bet
ween capital and labor according TO the
service OF labor performed IN their pro
duction.
That the law enacting tine so-called Ma
tional Banking system 10 q delegation by
Congress of the sovereign power to make
money and regulate its value to class oi
irresponsible banking associations, thereby
giving TO them the power TO control the value
Of all the property in the ration, and to fix
the rewards Of labor in every department Of
industry, and is inimlcal to the spirit Of
liberty and subversive Of the principles Of
Justice uDon which our democratic repuh-