The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1868-07-04
from The Lead nlFse Hive


creator or all wealth, as u hrst helpod man.
70 fashion The rude tools and weapons ef his
savage life, helped him to cohstruct The hut
thas sheltered or the skins that rlosh~d him.
and gradually enabled hina q sise mon ~
h1stIHg and fishing 1tste Of barbnrism eoF Ia
rearing Of flocks and herds and the rude cnI.
dvaston Of the land for bis subsister.ces the
time when his rude instrumeDts. kia docks
and herds, and winters stock Of proslaIeaa.
formed his only capital <aszsN-
And, amid the triumphs Of civilixatien In
our own day, labor has been the chief r.
strument Of etfectlDk II, a. without ID our
lands would have BEEN barren wildernesses,
and the splendid construct ons around us
would have bad no existence. The recoIsc.
ton, evens Of those Achiexemenss should in
Dress the poorest labcrsr- among rs witA The
graf importance and dignity Of labor, should
awaken the resolution If prese wing IL from
all degrading associations, and Of making h,s
calliogs however humble, as nobly moral a.
it is physically useful. For if the geDtility,
responsibility, and dignity now claimed feI
many professions were set against The
honest worth and utility Of those Who build
our hoOe.s, clothe our persona, and sweeF
our streets, the latter may Justly claim 70 be
The most useful and most necessary.
Owing. however, to the gIeat neglect oi
our people by their rulers, TO their ignorance
or imperfect education, and to parental neg
hgence and improvidence in the past, the
great mass Of our labOrng population are
destitrse Of capital, the great instrument for
setting labor IN motion.
The workman, therefore, shaving no cap
itai OF bis own, is necessItated 70 Dfsr hrs
labor TO the capitalist, in exchange for por-
ton Of bis capital and the capitalist is in
duced to purchase the labor ofsred, in the
hopes that De will be able to make = PROD
oul Of it" so the compact, il will be per-
ceived, Is one of mutual interest.
But il often happens that this fair and
honorable compass 10 not alwtys honorably
observed. Sometimes the men employed are
not 80 coDsclennously impressed as thy
onght to BE- u giving q tAif days labor for q
fuir days wages, bst. wik often shiFk thef;
labor, drink, and idle away tbeir time, ana
scamp their work, 20 The great injury Of
u eir employer s5d the Subsequent InjdrF Of
themselves and the general pubic; Al
sometimes THEN employer is a mere slave
arlver IN spirit apd disposition, without any
respect or consideration for his wnrkpeoPle,
treAsir Z shem hike 80 many serts, ana calsng
nothing Sr then beyond the q -i.uty Of la
bdr he can exact from them.
IL has been the unFefecting, drunken,
careless disposition Of portion Of their lei
low workpen, joined 70 she overbesrlog and
graspng conduct of many Of their employ
era, that have led workin gmen TO i0rm Their
traA- nulOns and combinations, 80 as 10 pr .
vent themselves IRON beng tyrannlsed over
aud frcm being ground down TO the lowest
pitIance oil subsistence. For without union
the careless AGd improvement are often To-
duced e accept a y terms that 8 aspIu em-
ployers offer, aud are thus maze the instru-
Iuent Tor reducing the wages OF tne sober,
industrious, aud rejecting throughout the
trade. For even . few surplus wOTkmeE
without any means Of suDsIstehce-sr
very elective la competing anu Ieduclng the
wages Of great numbers; and it 10 only by
combining with them or bringing them With
In The union, causing them 10 subnnt to tie
rules OF the traJe, aud providing some assist
ance Tor them wien cut OF employ msnt, that
ths general body can protect tneir own 10
terests. aF
Much indignation has been frequently
vented against trade unions for their
tyranny and injustice, rs in seeking to keep
up their rate OF wages they prevent c0Dsum-
ers Irpfn obtaining things M Oh zap as they
otherwise might. Now as reasonably might
such persons express their indignation
against capitalists because they will not
employ their capitAi without the prospcct
Of re,sonable profit or interest; or ageinsE
landlords because they insist On tie highest
rents they can exact; or against lawyers,
physicians, or other professions, tor the
high lees OF rewards they claim for their
labor and enforce through their unions.
We also hear great lamentations made
over the vast sums expended il strikes,
which the working classes have the greatest
cause to regret, 10 il sacrifices the capital
so necessary 70 their existence, and as they
suffer from the sacrifice, both in their per-
sens and their families. But We seldom
hear Of any lamentations made about the
millions OF capital annually saerit tel in
war and warlike preparations, and in the
keeping up ''arlstooruIlc pOmp and pageant
~ al home and abroad" although the sums
sacrificed in strikes we're raised by the pri-
Vate msans of individuals TO shelter them
against poverty; while those sacrificed In
war and pageauts are often nse'iIessly and
Iselessiy wasted By those who know NOS tne
poverty and misery oohsequent on thelr col
lection.
Inc working olasses cannot fail of per-
ceiving that hey are helpless without univn,
and that II they pass.vsit submit 10 every
OF wages their employers may b.
Disposed 10 make, they wVulu sOun be
brought down 10 the lowest standard oi
wages and comforts. Tor Though wages
depend on supply and demold, Yet, wIlh
their 4 Ieasing number always competing
With them, they would be individually
nelp less, even with good trade, 10 obtain
advances VI wages equal ~ the reduction
made. For they are t1ld by n WY hlga
auIhurity, Mr.. McCullVch, that mo master
ever Winlnsly csnsspt " isise wages; That
be ciaIIIs Of one, or VI a ten ILu.vIduals,
tor al advance, a pkely 70 be, ais. esardsu
as lors as tueir fellows coRsinae ~ wyrk -,
The oid ares; sIa tllal AZ 10 vnly wlen the
greater part vi the workmsu cylnDlue, VI
act in d simultaneous mshher. suu refuse
~ work wItaous rsestFink an ,Asrsassv yut
wages, THAI IL becomes tts intefess OLE Che
master ~ comply Win them cendaDd.,'
But do Lbese persons, wDo aecry work i6g-
ihSo OAoh.e W bOoR ~ suoAE WcSoSD stkAkl
respecEAbls STANDARD oL eomtorl
and independence, ever CONSIDER shs results
On our national welfare VI badly paid
poor, and reckless poPuiAuoAi A reduStiun
VI sIxpsnce n DAY among tbe wofkiAg pop
ulatson " this county Is said u am0ana
70 The enOrmous sum VI thil 8, three NIL
lions per week, (2) a sum which Is now car
culated among tradvsasn snd shopkeepers,
and helps 70 keep up The stamina ana IA
sPectabIlity Of our country. Bot let une
REDUCTION after another take place, till our
working population are brought down TO the
one common level Vt u bare subsistence,
where wO0ld this power and responsibility
be found Do We nov - u among the
psasansry Of ireland : Or gu, miseTably
paid ~ rIeultural labeFers5 Or 40 we bnh
among Them the pest security tor COR ha-
Lionai power, or nationai grea1Gue>A?
Hben trade uBiOns ale established on
Just pIinci lee, and conducted with pro-
pflety and Judgmen there is no doubl oil
.bslr grsas sllliy, bUh 10 The members and
lie genera public. But, GAAappiiy, they
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