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

the Rights Of Labor. The events Of the past
three years have demonstrated the wisdom
OF thst decision. For with few exceptions.
where different policy has been pursued, it
has resulted in ,etrayal OF trust or an ig-
nomfnaous failure. Nor should this be q
matter Of surprise, as both existing parties
are now AID have been manipulated exclu-
sively in and for the benefit of capital. Oil
and water will not mix, and it is the sheer
est nonsense for any one to think that either
OF the existing parties, whose very existence
depends upon the perpetuation Of the sys-
tean We seek to destroy, will, so long as they
are the law-making power, be governed BY
other than selfish motives. Moreover Q
movement to affiliate with either would be
especially to be deplored at this time, when
both the Democratic and Republican parties
are rapidly dsentegratlng by their own cor
rupuon, and the people are demanding q
change IN our political affairs. And the Ma
tional Labor party, with the platform Of
principles adopted BY this Congress, is the
oniT one that can lead the people to q VIC
tory over both Of the existing ones
The work before u@ is slnple. We do
not ask sympathy. All that W. desire is
jnst,ce. The aim and end Of all the Labor
movements now convulsing the fairest por-
tis<ss Of the civilized world il TO secure to
u .foducer the result of his labors or
pre$er exchange therefor. At present those
wh0 labor not secure to themselves our pro-
ducts in boundless profusion, whilst those
who toll hardest cannot, in many trades, By
constant work, obtain either proper or sufi- :
cient food for their families and themselves,
or decent and wholesome shelter for tbs
same in our cities and, bad as this state of
thisgs is, it is proposed to make it still worse
and BY the introduction Of coolle 'serfs to
stillfurher grind the faces Of all the toilers of
this community. A people SO base that IA Cal
lifofnia where they are KIN own, all parties by
common consent have in their political plat
forms Condemned them as totally unworthy
Of being made oitizens Of the United States.
Hnt how can this organised system Of
pluAder be overthrown? We answer it is
by establishment Of the principles laid down
in o0r platform. The yalanous land system
which We have condemned at Chicago stands
in our way, and must be removed We
must secure the crop to the hands that raise
il, snd abolish the tolls collected BY land
lord< on our food, shelter, aud clvthing Tor
looking on and seeing others work. We
must overth. DIV the present iniquItous mo-
ney eystem, and provide nne consonant with
the Constitution Of the United States, We
must es tablish the principle that the trafi
Ger is the servant of the producer, and not
bis master, and restrict BY Law the gains Of
all distributors, both of men and goods. The
dignity Of labor has been asserted by politi-
clans it is for US to proclaim anI secure
the dignity of the laborer, by asserting his
prior right to all the productions Of his toll.
Nothing is more certain than that if we
wish to preserve our republic in its simpli-
city, we must make it hot for the knaves and
iGlers the British viilainOus money and land
systems are constantly creating amongst u.s.
We must advance upon our Democratic
Educational System, which CLAIMS for all the
children OF The soil an intellectual chance ia
life, by Overturning the oil Norman laws of
inheritance we have imported from Great
Britain, and demand ng that something like
material equality shall also be instituted
amongst US to benefit our descendants
Otherwise, money seridom will infallibl be
the lot Of hundreds Of thousands Of the chill
dren Of the present generation, and our pre-
sent democratic form Of government will
lapse into the meanesi kind Of aristocf acy,
VIE. an arlstocracy of money.
49, - ~ -..rs III - ~ aeSo ~ .anua
| money, and law, It will Be necessary for US
to collect and organiz. the entire army Of
those who labor. FROM our union none
ought to be excluded who can by their SER
vices to mankind show a proper title for ad-
mission. The doors must open to ah who
can rightly prove that they are laborers.
This is not only justIce on cur part, bat the
wlsest policy.
We have big job before US. 1t is nothing
less than to capture Washington, not with
bullets, but with ballots in 1872. Whilst
we do not propose to draft any workingman,
we propose to accept and encourage volun-
teers to fill up our ranks. For tour years
our standard has fioated on the bret ze,. and
our Plckets have alread y planted the eight
hour Tag on the White House at Washing
ton. Our cause resting on justice We cannot
event uallY be defeated, but our action in
this Congress may tend to secure its early
success. Let US then, brethren, bend to the
work with willing minds and cheerful hearts
ready to bear with one another's intirmities,
and readyto surrender our individual theories
when they are judged Incompatible with The
general good.
We would also appeal even to our oppon-
euts, and ask of them il there are not causes
justifying Us in the course we are pursuing.
Things cannot much longer 60 on as they
are. The alarming advance of crime in our
cities, now commencing to threaten their de-
population, the great AID rapid increase Of
pauperlsm and Dysery, whIca we attribute
to the depression of wages, and the legal de-
fradding of the laborers Of the community,
are rendering life in theIR as precarious to
the wealthy as it is diStasreiul TO the poor.
1t is no wonder, then, that we find IN our
ranks some right thinking employers who
believe with us, that, Of all classes of men,
workin gmen have the first and best right to
healthy human existence 10 the nation.
In conclusion, let US bend ourselves to our
work heartily, cheerIy, and with a will.
Our brethren in Europe are at work also. We
ought to be we'll represented in their Con-
gress at Basler The revolution we are now
engaged in is the Revolution of the Ages.
In advancing the general good it will sur
pass all that has gone before 1t in history
1t IS one which, when secured land it must
be securely, will confer on those who now
oppose US, benefits as great as those which
we shall obtain Tor ourselves it is one whose
success we can with clear consciences and
cheerful hearts call upon the Great Laborer
to sanction and bless; and one whose con-
summation will confer untold benefits on
ourselves, our children and on mankind.
G. II. LUOKER,
President, N. L. q.
On motion of A. W. Phelps, of Connectl-
cut, the address of the President was re-
ferEed TO a committee Of fve
The committee on Credentials made fur
ther report on several applications for seats,
which were disposed of by the convention.
Tne committee reported in the case of Miss
Anthony, saying that they objected to her
being admitted as q delegate, as there was
no locality mentioned in the credentials pre-
scnted by her.
Mss Anthony explained that the omission
was the fault of the Secretary Of the Work
ingwomen's Protective Association, of which
she is the President.