New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-08-23
TIE LABOR CONGRESS.

! The last days work of the Labor Congress
was so thorough and effective that 1t deepens
our regret that so large share of its session
was devoted to Miss Susan b. Anthony. We
do not decide between her clam to a seat and
the ultimate resolve of the Congress that she
had no right to one; but we do heartily trust
that, in case she shall appear at Cincinnati
next August, she may there absorb considerably
less than half the weeks deliberations.
We do not concur in all the opinions put
forth by the Congress; and yet We feel that
representative body has seldom met which
more fully commended itself to public consid-
Grafton and respect. It's treatment of Colored
delegates precisely like any other was, if you
! please, simply an exhibition of common sense
but then SO many imposing political and eccle-
sastical bodies have evinCed an utter lack, not
only of common sense but of common humanity
as well, that this is no light matter And the
COlOred delegates nobly justified the Judgment
of the Congress by proving themselves wise
counselOrs as well as faithful and deferential
associates. The Congress strengthened the in
terest represented by it in treating Labor as
Labor, regardless of the color of those who
perform it.
So with regard to Woman. That it is not
merely just but benefcent that Woman should
be welcomed and encouraged to do whatever
she can do well, may seem a threadbare truth
yet it is hardly ten years since the writer hereof
was Kissed while arguing, before gathering of
printers that women should be welcomed to
participate in type-setting wherever they should
evince desire and capacity to do 50. This Con-
gress took reasonable care not to be too far in
advance of public sentiment: wherefore we
hail its overturning of the barriers imposed by
Sex and Color as proving not merely its own
recognition of the rights of Humanity but de-
Cided progress toward ideal Justice in the
average opinion at least of our cOuntymen.
The best word of their gathering was that
so emphatically spoken in favor of Cooperation.
We fully agree in the averment Of its appTO-
pirate Committee, unanimously adopted by the
Congress- that OF all the plans devised for
the amelioratiOn of the condition of the
working classes, none has proved effective
" to solve the problem of human hap
"pness to so great an extent as that
"of Cooperation" This is in truth the
Malakoff of the whole position. When the
Working Class shall have become the en-
plOyer of its own labor, buying by wholesale
whatever OF stock OF materials it does not pro-
duce and selling fOr cash only directly to con-
sumers-that is, in the main, to its own mem
bers-questiOns of hours of labor, wages, &C.,
&c, will have sunk into their proper insignif-
canoe. The true and only way to secure to
Labor the full recompense of its efforts lies
through Self Employment-that is Cooperation.
And this is no improbable theory More
than half the Labor Of our country, so far as
it now renders service for wages, might employ
itself within a year from this date if it only
would. 1t has money enough on deposit in Saw
ings Banks and elsewhere to set at least One
Million of its members at work on or before the
Let of January next; and it might save, by
one years abstinence from Alcoholic and Mar
cOtic poisons, enough to set an equal number
in addition at work as co0peratOrs within the
ensuing year. The change should begin with
TailOrs, ShOemakers, and other trades, wherein
800 per man Cor woman) would serve as a
Working capital fox each COMPANY vi one