The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1868-08-22
ST. LouIs. August l5 1aI

ST. LOUIS, August Is, 1868.
70 Ne Editor OF the wORKIsoMAs's ADvooATa.
My attention was first called to your pa
per by letter from Hon. s. r. Cary, Of Gin
cInnati, who claims to be n representative
advocate of the workingman's interest. Thus
far have received two numbers Of your pa
per and like the general appearance, charAc-
ter and tone Of il, but propose to you q
word Of criticism and suggestion.
You must know that TIE labor question il
one Of tue greatest questions Of human So
ciety, and has been 50 since the establish
iishmen Of compensated labor upon the ruins
Of the dark ages. SO great 10 its character
and Importance, that Neutrality-suspicious. Of
it, and an inability TO regulate it any time.
1t once diseases society and perils individual
and public interest; and so great are the
number Of individuals interested ia its reru-
latiOn, that the political demAgogue-the pa.
tron Of vice and the mau Of deception-is
ready, ut all times, TO volunteer in defence
Of labor for the certainty Of office, and he
becomes the most loud-mouthed M d sclain-
ing party politics and defending that cause
which will secure hun votes.
Last July looked on in the United States
senate while the elght-hour bill was being
discussed and passed, thus establishing
eight hours as days work for all those III
Cover nnent employ. While looking on AMI
listening to the remarks, tor aud against X,
| soon became convinced that many were ID
the United States senate who dill not know
any more about the labor question tnAn
many out of it. la fact, Wasningtoa civ j.
not the place TO always % II search " wise
men. Most Of the men there act from per-
sonal interest 10 some form OF other. Those
who voted for the elght-hour law knew but
little OF u outside Of their supposItion that II
Was popular movement. linus It Il, man
kind is controlled too much by selfshne,s
aud popularity.
ooJect 90 your platform Of princp pies Il
- wordy defamation. and tbs authors of
t 90 lot understand the labor uuesuon.
much less the business interest OF mankind.
he principles VI AL great questions are sim-
ple when rightly understood. Tue authors
ot your platform have been unfortunate In
not understanding the subject with which
tnsy were dealing The lasJ par graphs w
the platform, beginning at co-operaLive regu-
lations, are good aud should be stu lied and
understood.
AZ new country, like America, there Is
40 occasion tor agltating Lae labor question
70 the extent oil producing strikes, ,T H. 10
impossible u establish mOnvpOlies n cOun-
try 50 new. But there must be ~ ..-. ,-m W
some kind that will provide suitable tenant
houses Tor the labOrers at reasonable rents,
rents that are graduated W the wages vi tue
40 'reT. Nor must the houses provided be
no. sis, where disease always COMES without
invEAlOn.
IOOr should be based upon two fund4-
mel "a requirements faA IIss IO0rk 5y NJ
1aoyTer ind jtItI compensation 6y sAe employee
-tDis vail insure t-ls must In4astry And LRs
most reward, u .-s tnIDgs tor whica all hOa-
eat men are surviving. Fue object o. the whole
word u mankind Is u d. Iueir best ia the
struggle Of lie, aad Ill IsEns, Ag,tauons, tao
Ii0Ilai or Individual uecvptlOnS, that de-ract
IRON THIS great efJfI. are iAlse and deserve
tne severest rebuke.
:. individual and national life 10 alike essen
taai 10 nil, and no Interest can grow Dy un-
Just aggression aud ruin 70 any OIqvr. ItIs
nos wIIfuliy dsslgn.d that oar LAWS snAlI ak
srclse auy Restraint but that wnlc0 Is the
same to all Respectfully,
L. q. REAvIs.