The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-09-04

- bosom friend and confdant, had the
pleasure Of knowing him intimately and
well, and In Ill our associations found him
high-tousd, noble, generous, and true; while
In tAis connection, ~ in his public career,
every personal aspiration was subordinate to
desire for the success Of the great cause" !"
To the bsreaved consort and afflicted family
let as tender our condolences. May He who
tempers the wind to the shofn lamb, and
who watches over even the sparrow's fall,
give her strength to bear with Christian re-
signation the mysterious dispspgAtion, and
the assurance that she shall IL him be-
yond the swelling foods whstp ceash and
parting are never known. And now that he
has gons from our midst that hin active,
plodding brain hss been stillsd forever; that
his wovds Of counsel and encouragement will
be heard no more, Iet It bs our highest am
bition 10 carry 70 succsssful completion the
good work 20 gloriously begun. Let Us SO
re-piedge our devotion TO the dissemination
Of those principles to which his life was de-
voted and Ia the attainment OF which, the
welfare Of the human race 10 involved and
although We may not be able to emblaxon
our names In letters Of such shiniDg light,
or sngraye them high on the scroll Of fame
no be, yet We shall Be smulating his virtues
by following hss example, bY making, the
! Pseespas wAieA uAds hin - truly esssseur
precepts, leave behind us the fragrance Of a
wel-sPent life, and memory TO be honored
and rsvsred and rvvsred.
fnen sp and bs doing. Rhs night has ended
Mr. Sty&sl4 Of Richmond, Va, then
arose, and A a salogiun which had been
delivered u g. <e1y on the occasion Of the
death VI Mr.. 6yl
oa ncsion 4 rrsvsllict. ths euiogy
4 Of Mr.. Oamerce- -Nas accepted - the senti-
nents of the Congress aud dsred to be
| printed a. such. -"
The Pres,dsnt then delivered his annual
report, the Arst portion Of which was pre-.
pared by the late lamsnted President, Viii
i.m 81. Sylvis, Esq. The report was as
follows:
ADDRESS.
To tAs Officers and Members Of tie Third
AnaIal Session Of the National Labor
UniOa:
GsxrLkxEN,-It becomes my duty, under
the Co0stitution, 70 report to you upon my
o6icial conduct for the year that has just
closed. And, in doing 90, I shall endeavor
10 express my views upon the general situa-
ton, and bring 90 your notice such things as
in my Judgment demand your attention.
Immediately after the adjournment Of the
last session proceeded to mark out plan
Of operations, suoh ~ appeared TO me best
calcplated q fqgfAsr the objects in view.
Ny arst step, ~ ~ open mp Q correspon-
deocs with sacA leading men a. could
rssch. whoi 80. In sympathy With our
movement and BY that means create sn in
tsFsss 10 our cause by and through which
our IDEAS would be made to reach many peo-
pie Who had never heard Of them. Il was
not long until found my Office the centre
Of huge correspondsnce. Anxious inqui-
ries came pouring in from all quarters
On the irst day Of October issued cir
calar 10 the working people Of the country,
calling upon them to rally under our banner
and help to push on the good work Of reform
The effect was very great II is true that
but small portion Of the people, compsra-
lively, could be reached, Tor the reason that
the general newspaper press was hostile to
our movement and refused 10 publish an ap-
peal, but % far as 1t could be carried by
those papers published in the interests Of la
Dor, and Ne few others In sympathy with US,
lt created . general desire 20 know our aims
and objects and the plan Of organization.
r. On che l6th Of November . secvnd csrrus
lar was issued, detailing plan for the or
ganixation Of the labor Of the country,
especially that portion not embraced in the
numerous Trade Unions. Under this call
the work seemed to take a decided change,
and to assume practical shape.
By the lst Of December the proceedings OF
the September session had been printed, and
as rapidly a. possible were circulated over
the country. These together with the notice
they received BY the press, assisted US very
much.
council Of prominent men In the movement
vas held in Washington to talklover and de-
eide upon some general plan Of operations
for winter campaign. A series Of resolu-
tons, brief, aud to the point, were made
public. A committee Of Eve was appointed
to reside in the city Of Washington during
the session of Congress, whose duty it was
to watch over the interests Of our Union,
lay our plans and objects before Congress
men and Senators, and take advantage of
every opportunity to help along the work
The amount Of good work done by this com.
mittee cannot be over-estimated.
On the 9th day Of January the Hon. Sam
uel +. Cary introduced n bill embodying the
principles contained in the money plank Of
our platform, and made . speech in it's de-
fence. Shortly after this Hon. B. r. Butler
made . speech in defence Of the same prin-
ciples. These two speeches were published
in pamphlet form and widely circulated.
Up to this time our fight was an uphill bus
mess. Our enemies denounced US as dema-
gOgues and disturbers OF the peace-revolu-
tionists endeavoring to stir up strife and
contention, and array one class against Ano-
| nf wht
in the pay or power Of the moneyed inter-
ests, either ridiculed or ignored us altoge-
ther. When We talked, We were laughed at.
When We wrote our productions were quiet
ly consigned to the waste basket. But
when Congressman and Senator's Of high
standing and ability took up our platform
and made speeches in its defence, the atten
ton Of the whole country was aroused and
the hush policy" would no longer answer.
Ia March Senator Sprague made the first
Of his great speeches that SO startled the'
country, and gave 9 greater impulse to the
reform movement than anything that has
been done. He made Eve Of these speeches,
the greatest Of them all being the last-on
the "Tax Bill" delivered April the 9Th.
Many thousands of these speeches have been
scattered over tho country, and their effect
upon the public mind has been very great.
In neither Of these speeches has the Senator
placed himself square on our platform on the
currency or rstiOn, but he has so clearly de-
monstrate> he power, ioAuence and corrup-
tion Of the present monetary system, that
the minds VI the people are prepared to re-
ceive and approve any new system that will
free them from the grasp of the money
ring"
Mr.. Maguire's letter to President Grant,