The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1868-09-12
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FROM TEaaEsgEE.
NASHVILLE, Sept. 9, lsG:

r. TAD Eii,or 4 the wokKnGaAS's Any0cArE.
On account * the irrcguarity Wy the
mails, failed 70 get my paper lor the last
TX weeks, ana II was a lonesome time | A.
sure yos. Bat the welcome old comforter
hA- returned gain, and | am W glad ~ get
,t, believe must stop 70 find fault till
-ofna other time. | had, consequently, lost
track Of the workings II tie labor move
ments IA The North, but see from my thi-
week'e paper lhat matters are running slowly
hur surely Ann Arn. Bot not ~ ID Tennessee
Tor any thing ike tonne late action aefe j.
hopeless; Htill wo are keeping the Unions
together The best We can, hoping for more
quiet times Wages are nj ,hG lowest point;
all kinds of business l. stxrnant and 'aot y
scarce and worse th4n All, We DEe on che
eve vi a rebellion. The Legislature is "A
session, having been called together ny the
Governor 90 look after The financial con-
dition II The State A. wei ~ w provide fur
calling out the militia for the purpose of
enforcing The laws, and the better protection
81 loyal men. And here is wA-fe the trou-
bic arises TIE champions Of the lost cause
declare that if the militia is called ont they
will marshal the ku- kluX and tight, and IT
they are not called oue OF other troops fur
nisha "a, the.life of no loyal man il safe out
side u the large cities.
The tlorlle With our finances Is that bonds
have been Issued to worthless railroads IN
I'll With the light resources Of the State We
can hardly pay the Interest
YouF readers vii readily understand why
but little can be accomplished nc present
under such a state Of atf1irs az have ny ~
toned. oar intention j. 20 open the ar' =
ti0n " the labor question this fan BY rti-
sioEing shs Legislature for the ,,assags 81 an
eight bOur law; this, we think, Will bring
about IN time, thorough discussion 0i the
principles of labor, which j. all We want,
for II We once yet our principles a. labor
party before the people with their plain and
natural truths. the battle will be more than
half won. | am satisfied, however, thai nO
ereat reform issues can be successfully pre-
scented 70 the South until the question Ot r.
construction is settled, whIca | hope and
believe viii be done by selecting the best
man now 10 the field for our next President.
Meantime we must steadfastly aud per
sistently labor Oh organizing and agiEating
and accomplish what We can with our dis
Advantages, and leave 70 you Of she great
North 10 lead OF and 10 the heavy WORK tor
the present. have last been reading tGe
proceedings az the special council VI the
National Labor Union. Jadging from the
r@rort il must have been ably conducted and
reflects much credit on those who tcOk part
for which they gained all that could be pos
sisly gained from the Democratic COngen-
tirn. Yet they left themselves aud the
worxinrnen 0I the country uutrl need "
take such steps in the future as their inter-
est may demand.
IL wor.a Se really amusing il il did not
make one fet sad, to read the comments of
the Maryland correspondent on 1bad. Ste
vens. Qacse from his letter " This com
Frsnisv seems to experience relief from
the death Of this man" Il it any wonder
that he should be compelled to write that
the labor movement is beginning ID lose
ground il this section of the Union" when
the community are glad of the death u a
man who has dome more for the labor cause
than any other man ia The nation. A man
who Tor years was the leader Of class VI
worst class Of capitalists known to the civil
lized world mer who did not stop 70 ad-
vocate that capital should control labor,
but who boldly asserted that capital should
otea its own labor aud that the normal COZ
dItlOn OF the poor man was that Of slave,
whether be be white or black" And again
he says Let Us hope the last few years.
VI his life was passed in ignorance Ut the
wrongs and sCferings he was instrumental
IN having Inflicted on Others" Bot what
was this great wrong. Il certainly was not
that DO advocated free labor, or in other
WORDS. that labor should control capital, ia
the place Of advocating the doctrine that
capital should own its labor, or that the
natural condition of poor man was that Of
. slave, for certainly no workingman will
claim that wrong would simply sag
gest IN conclusion, would it not be- well to
study the history Of eat and good public
men before We critleise. REF0RM.