The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1868-05-23

FROM PENNSYLVANIA.
PHILADELPHIA, May 10, 1868

4Outct 0C.y VhhAhAo'
FROM PENAsYlvAHIA.
PHILADELPHIA, May 10, 1868.
70 the Editor Of the WoRKssH4s's ADVOCATE.
1t Is natural to suppose that the announce
ment Of the close Of the impeachment drama
upon Saturday last, would have caused some
excitement II 9 stranger had have scanned
the countenances Of our citizens from 1880
until shutdown be could not but have been
impressed with the belief that some terrible
calamity had befAllen one-half Of the people,
while the other half, BY some Intervention Of
Divine Providence, has suddenly come into
possession Of some "good tidings Of great
joy" Those of our working classes who
glory in the title OF democrat, wore faces
wreathed in smilss-smiles on faces and
smiles Of bar-room counters seemed to be.
with them, the order OF the hour, while tho Sc
in sympathy with the impsacnsrs carried
looks Of utter despondency. One would almost
have been tempted to believe tina. reduc.
ton Of wages had been made in all the prin-
cipal workshops, or that another civil war
was imminent, or that some other catastro.
phe, most direful in its consequences, would
most positively occur. The democracy, the
telegraph operators, and the youthful news
vendors, who were Justify shouting Extra
Bulletin, Telegraph, Star and Herald, Ac-
quIttal Of the President" seemed all agIow
with jubilant exsitement, while, with but few
exceptions, every other face looked cheerless,
hopeless and frightfuE. ainyiting. Among
them conversation was INDUCED in, in whis-
pers, in the remarks Of each "serious fami-
"" knot, were bountifully ssndwiched, such
terms as "apostates," ''renegades," "Juda-
ses," "totally UNIV orthy Of confidence" and
numel Jus others of similar import, and refer
ring to those senators who say the good Of
their country deman ded that they should cast
their ballots against the impeachment. Ev-
erybody buttonholed everybody else, and il
was impossible to think, or hear, OF speak
with the faintest hope OF belng heard OF
anything else than the one all absorbing to-
pic of impeachment. There is reason 10 be
thankful that the matter has received its
quietus, provided no new political event CO.
ours to revive the ruinous excitement fiut
such excltements are profitable to the money
and stock gamblers Of Wall and First streets,
and there is no reason to suppose that they
will suffer the in6amed public mind to calm
ly settle down, while the power to prevent il
is in their hands.
Immediately after the Alta vela matter
was made q subject Of discussion in the I'm
parchment Court, the Philadelphla LEDGER
gave its readers, editorially, a few very SEN
sible remarks, to show the blindness with
which q people, as . class, rush headlong
into political contests. After noticing how,
when the whole country believed that Stan.
ton and Thomas were at swords points with
each other, they were quietly .ogaling them
selves with the contents Of bottle Of sold
rye" and also the affinity Of the opposing
counsel, Ben Butler and Jerry Black, ia the
Alta Veta claim, the Ledger continues
snow, II anything were wanting TO convince
people of the utter sham and humbug of great
deal Of the party strife among the leaders OF
the parties, these two instances ought to serve
the purpose. Ii ought 10 show them that be-
fore they rush blindly into bitter, abusive and
violent contests under the delusion that it is
necessary for the support Of their leaders, they
had better make sure that thei. leaders are IN
earnest, and that there ID a real public issue BE-
tween them. Otherwise, while they are icing
aroused by their respective party cries, and hot
headed Democrats and oyer-zealous Republicans
become 50 excited az to quarrel aud fight and
talk Of going into actual war against each other
in championship Of their leaders, they can not
be sure that these very leaders are not some
where quietly taking drink together, or crack
Ing their jokes, or making arrangements 70 put
through their little iobs-"
The comments Of the Ledger upon poIti-
cal subjects are usually dictated BY what
call common sense view of matters, (albeit
il is not always what it should BEL and il
the counsels OF such papers were accepted
with the same avidity as are those Of our
partisan journals, the earnest advocates of
our Reform would soon have cause to con-
graIulate themselves upon m early termina-
ton to their labors.
But little attention 10 paid to matters con-
nee. with union or cooperation, and the
only visible advantage we are gaming 10 the
advance our idea IN regard to the payment
Of the bonds is making. The matter, how
ever, here, Is insaficiently agitAted, or
have no fears but what We could make con-
verts rapidly. The principal cause Of this is
that not one of our city papers 10 avow eddy
in favor Of the gresnback payment. am
to believe that even loudest 10
their denunciatioHs Of the ''monied oIigar-
chy,' 'ruinous rates Of interest,"" and all
that sort Of thing, are holders Of bonds them.
selves, and experience some difficulty 10
being made to believe that they should be |
with the same money as Is given |
20 the poor man without whose aid these |
bonds would not have been worth more than |
their weight 10 paper. A purely labor organ
san secure but . beggarly array Of sabscEi- |
Ders in this comatose town, aud the result 10
hey, the toilers, are left vofnlly ignorant Of
What 10 or what il not just. and are CON-
pelled to accept she interpretations of editors
blinded by party prejudicss.
! have lodged about some considerable
hp week, have searched the daily, weekly
md Sunday newspapers through and through,
have asked every second person mot. but
ave bean unable to scare up one solitary
tam 70 show that VA producing population
4 Philadelphia hsss m eye u their welfare.
{ seems utterly useless 70 talk or argue with
no wcrkingmsn Of this city they don't sse
md they Won't Be made to Gee. When times
~ good thsy are sAtisGed, and think unioa
lsslass, snd whan they are bod they cannot
Ielp themselves 70 they philosophieally In
god times LEI veil enough alone, and i'm bad
imss ere rsuigned bseauss Il b usslsss 10 b
2 - 81 sses,a- lsr =