The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-10-02

To-day the American laborer and
mechanic has not, 60 far as wages are con-
cerDed, any advantages over the European.
Our system, ct presen', is much worse than
theirs. The advantages that We have over
them is that we have not been able to ex-
haust the untold bouuties of lii violence in
the millions Of acres Of bountiiui soil. Aad
intimately connected with the bonds sold at
large discounts to furnish victims for tn
Ameaican and continental war and from
oil these causes increasing in England the
value Of gold, and all other commodities,
over thaG Of other nations. For these rea-
sons, then, the price or compensation Of labor
n this country will be at least ten or fifteen
per cent below that paid in England.
Notice.
Mr.. Trevellick, President of the Nations
Labor Union, writes TO request all delegates
to the last session Of that body TO send the
names and address of persons in their res
pective States, in order to enable him to
make the various appointments required by
the proceedings and resolutions Of the late
Congress. Mr.. TrevelIick's address is No.
lOs Griswold street, Detroit, Mich.
To the Workingmen Of the United
states.
OvVIcH or TEE NATIONAL LABoR UHIox,
los GTiswOld street, Detroit, Michigan
Sept 2Oth, 1859.
During the Official year which has but just
expired. there was taken from US at most
incppOrtune hour by the fell hand of dis
ease, . great and good man, our President
william A. SylVis, to whose labOrs more
than to any other single cause is to be as
cribed the unprecedented and unexpected
success which has been met by our great
movement for reform. At our recent as
sembling, . Committee, appointed to take
into consideration the sad event, recommend
ed the adoption Of the following.
"That the Presidents of the National Labor
Union and Of the Iron Moulders' International
cooperative and Protective Unions, together
with i've others to be appointed by the Presi-
dent Of the National Labor Union, shall be con-
stituted Committee to be known as the VIII
liam H. Sylvis National Monument Committee
of the National Labor Union. It shall be the
duty Of this Committee, as soon az practicable
after the adjournment of this Convention, 70
prepare an address to the workingmen and wo-
men of the United States, which shall include Q
concise resume of the life and public services Of
the deceased and calling upon them to coOtri-
butte not less than ten cents each TO constitute q
fund, one half of which shall be appropriated "a
4 - - Il 49,
mainder 10 the maintenance OF his wife and
children, and the education OF the latter"
In ful6lment Of the duty imposed upon
me in the unanimous endorsement, by the
Convention, Of the above recommendation,
have appointed the following named gentle
men to serve upon the Committee
Charles, Mclean, President Plasterers I
o., Boston, Mass.
w. j. Mclaughlin, G. s. K, l. G. L., K
o. S. c., Milford, Mass.
s. R. Gaul, President Bricklayers, |. U.
New York City.
.. B. DALEY, President Machinists' and
BlAcksmiths' l. o., Cleveland Ohio.
Isaac ID. George, President National Typo
graphical Union, Nashville, Tenn.
The reputation of the gentlemen named
earned by long, resOlute, and consistent
advocacy Of the toiler's cause, furnishes thu
most indurable guarantee of their fitness f
the mournful but sacred duties il will b
theirs to perform.
Ii will be noticed that the report calls fol
q concise resume of the life and public
services" Of the great dead, but the urgent
need Of his sorrowing relict and fatherless
little ones admonishes us that we cannot
spare the time it would require to prepare q
fit record Of his inestimable works, and that
even at this early hour il is eminently in
cumbent upon us to call upon you, one and
all, TO contribute your mites, 20 the end that
the incalculable debt we contracted during
the lifetime of Mr.. SYlvis may serve 40 90
Immediately available legacy TO his now Sl-
most destitute family. At a later day q
proper official recognition and detail Of hi,
labors shall be made, and through the most
eloquent Of pens can render but feeble tri-
butte to the memory Of such man, il will
be our aim to give to the public such a
faithful cOmpend as ought still farther to
endear, if that we're possible, the mourning
ones he left behind to the kindly Offices Of
those be died In serving.
When, on the 9th day of July last, Will
liam II. SYlvis, by one Of those to as in
scrutable dispeDsatisns Of the Divine will,
was removed from among US, there arose on
every hand the actually sincere lamentations
Of his countless friends. From every cor
ner Of this his native land there came pro-
fuse and beautiful expressions Of res poet for
the deceased, and coincidence for bis bereav-
ed wife and little ones. Almost an entire
nation deeply and truly mourned. But
amidst this intensity Of sorrow. it seemed
for the moment to be forgotten that, in dy-
ing, their leader had bequathed to the work
people Of our country the guardianship Of
those who, while he lived, participated with
him in the multitudinous inconvenience and
privations necessarily incident to such life
Of labor unrequlted. This is indeed q sacred
trust, and one We are charged BY every holy
impulse to sacredly execute. Reviewing his
eminently Christian career we are convinced
that our loss was his proportionats gain,
and though ours is grief which time can
not assuage, that conviction 90 vitiates our
SORROW that we are enabled to discern and
hope to provide for the wants Of the living.
Il 10 now without the power Of mortal man
to do aught for him who, BY the decree Of
that Providence who doeth ever wisely, has
been transported to far happier country
but we can and ought to do for those by
bis death left widowed and fatherless and
we can and ought to erect in solemn marble
an humble testimonial to his revered me-
mory. The cebt we owe to him we have
lost cannot be computed in ANYTHING 40