The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-01-02
CORRESPONDENCE.
rive do NOT hold ourselves responsible or any opin-
lon expressed Nv our correspondents.
FROM SCOTLAND.

IL is q long time since sent you line or
two, to say how matters went with us here
d regard 10 the labor market and other
matters. The causes for my not writing
have been, not the want of desire to keep up
that interchange of opinions that was begun
IN your side last year, but the absolute
want OF time. The -wages OF the miners ON
nv return home, had become so small that
I was sad,-sad to see this state. threw
nv whole energies into that matter, and the
result has been that the men have, in many
places, had an advance &C the rate of one
shilling on the day. In all places of the
mining districts in Scotland they could have
had the same, had they only acted as advls-
ed; but the truth must be told. The mass
of the men that now remain in the mines OF
this part Of the kingdom are so ignorant and
50 Jealous, that before they would contribute
one cent for their own improvement IN any
way, they would rather work on the long de-
grading hours that they do work-twelve to
thirteen, and even fifteen hours per day IN
the mines, and see only the poor house for
themselves and their families in the dis
lance.
The causes for this low state Of feeling in
our population are various, the most i'm
portaut Of which il, that the best of the
mining population fly from 1t, as from the
"wrath to coLe,'' be residium that il being
left is the ignorant and the vicious TO a
large extent. The thousands OF Scotch
miners that Rave found their way into your
great republic form, perhaps, the largest
item Of those that have left, while others
have gone to Australia, New Zealand, and
Africa others have beraken themselves to
the trades and occupations that are open
for them in this country. One result OF the
policy Of all not acting IN the same spirit
for the advance is, that ! am afraid the
wages viii again fall to the starvation point
so low, Indeed, that those anxious to
leave the country will have no opportunity.
In your journal, saw you noted the fact
that was trying my lot to become a mem
Der Of the lew house Of commons. As il
may interest many Of my friends, l will state
why it was that gave up before gong to
the poll. !, on entering on the contest, was
the first publicly to declare my intention Of
standing against the then NJ p, and against
the MP for the Kilnarnock district Of
Burghs, E. p. Bouverie. | came out at the
solicitation of a meeting in one Of the
Burghs, at which 1900 persons were present,
as a "workingman's candidate" was nc
sooner out than a Mr.. Chadwick appeared,
Then to complete the thing as it were, fol-
lowed clergyman, noted for a "bee in bis
bonnet" In every place was well receiv-
ed nay, | alone had fair and impartial
hearing. In the canvass ! soon saw that the
old Mp. would have all the middle class
and all the workingmen that the "screw'
could be put on, and that for all three to
stand against the old sun" we were all "a
be out. felt convinced if left alone could
have run him, but that in the case Of the
Q ther two, any effort on their part was sim
ply folly. An arrangement was attempted
for all to retire but one that failed, the
other two seemed misled By some means.
then retired, knowing to q on would have
been defeat and an outlay and loss Of folly
more than 81 900 sterling, to what had al.
ready spent. In this course / dissatisfed
some-those that would not care if even
had spent my all and had a loss. have
however, the good opinion Of every mar
'~---- ~----A-s-- - @s4a4Ad -a4----y AAss.
could see matters as they really stood.
am fully satisfied that had beeG alone in
the field with the old "un," the result as be-
fore stated, would have been in my favor.
The result of the present elections in this
| foh L.
prise. For more than thirty years the cry
Of the workingnen has been "change,
change !" agitation after agitation has fol-
lowed to that effeeS, till now large portion
of the workingmeI have votes. With that
power, they cou have returned work
lngmen, or the avowed advocates Of the
workingmen's interests in fully one hundred
and fifty seats, yet the fact is that they have
not sent one workingman &c parliament {, anu
only a very few of those that profess to take
any interest in worklngmen's q, 9stIons I;
nav, but they have returned more men to
this parliament woo expressed themselves
against workingmen's Questions than TO any
one in my time. The coal and iron in
terest on the employing slider, will be ali
but omnipotent IL the new house. From
that source the w king miner-, whose com
plants have been long and loud, have
;,othing to expect, and fairly speaking they
ought to get nUti Ing if they support the
men as they have done, that will do eli in
their power to crukh them.
The parliament about to assemble will be
one of bitter and severe disappointment on
all the questions that affect the bread aud
cheese Of the workingmen. am afraid the
knowledge that We have the power 10 change
the present holders will free Us from fear
Of revolution. lt will not save us from
much commotion. One thug. we fairy
expect to see the partIng out Of existence
the Irish church, an evn that ought 20 have
been swept away long since. bis will,
hope, lead TO the extinction of all state
churches in this country before long they
are all at variance with the true spirit Of re-
hgion.
The elections, in one or two instances.
have shown notably the power OF the people
when they wiiled It. la 10 case mas this
been shown more than ia Sheffield. Joan
A. Roebuck sought election. AT one um.
the voice OF Mr.. Roebuck was always heard |
on the side of the wtak-fOr some time this
has been all changed. As member OF the /
Trades Union COMMISSION he has exhibited /
tie most malignant spirit against working |
men unions oil any Que there indeed, his /
language was often coarse and vulgar In his |
attacks upon the witnesses. Notwithstand-
ing all be had said, when he appeared b. fore
the men OF Sheffield he actually whined foI
them to return him anu be would do every
tang for the protection of the unions. They
were not to be taken in or csjoEsd by him /;
they have sent him to his rest BY returning
MIR. Mundalla, OF Nottingham, gentleman
every way worthy TO represent them. One
place the worklngmen most miserAbly failed
10 doing their duty. Mr.. Thomas Hughes,
'amIlariy known as "Tom Hughes" long
he tried friend Of workingmen, sat in the
last parliamens for Lambeth, they took 80
little interest IN has return that he left them
md went to small country constituency,
Ind they have sincn returned bitter oppo.
nent 70 trades unroIs, in tie person Of Mr..
,amuda.
The telegraph will have before this ALL