The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-03-27

FROM ALABAMA.


had very good meeting o. the moulders Of
Atlanta, Ga, and succeeded in recognizing
the Union. Wo met some frst class
men, and We have no doubt the Union will
20 on uninterrupted in the future. A want
Of proper understanding as to the objects
70 be accomplished, and the good that has
been done, with dull times aud no work,
had been the cause Of the suspension. From.
Atlanta, we went to Columbus, Ga, distant
l56 miles south. Here We found moulder's
Union. No. ia. 10 fourishing condition,
and business slowly reviving. The Columbus
Union is among the best in the country.
Though surrounded BY many difficulties, the
members have done their duty faithfully.
Their corresponding representative deserves
the thanks Of all good men.
Columbus, Ca, Is very pretty city, To-
Gated on the eastern bank of the ChattabOo-
chic river, which is navigable to this point
at all seasons. Directly in front Of the city,
and for considerable distance above, the
river forms one OF the finest water powers
we have ever seen Columbus will some day
be one Of the first manufacturing cities il
the South. There are now three cotton mills
there, in very successful Jperatl N, and 9th
ers are beng built. IL is in the midst of
6ne cotton growing country. The raw mate
rial can be delivered at the mills from FIRST
hands-d directly frem the planter to the man
ufaeturer-without an army Of middlemen
to feed at the expense Of the planter, the
manufacturer and the consumer.
- 80 ~ II Ia ku-
given it BY the federal troops under Gen
Wilson. just previous TO the surrender,
large amount Of private property was de-
stroyed, which has not been rebuilt Aug
usta, Macon and Columbus are three very
imr srtant cites, as they furnish sufficient
water power to spin all the cotton grown ia
Georgia.
| Our esteemed friend, Thomas Casey, lst
Vice President Of the International Union.
met US et Columbus on the day Of our arri-
val, and remained with us until the 2nd,
when in company we left for Montgomery,
Ala, distant SO miles west, on the Mobile
river Here We found an old fashioned well
come, from as good a set Of men as we have
ever met there are not many Of them. but
/ they are the right sort Union No. l54
stands, and always has stood, 10 the front
rank. On the evening Of the Sd, we were
called upon to speak at mass meeting, got
Ten up for the purpose of using Us. The
night was al ext smely bad one: The rain
come down in torrents, and but few could
get out. We talked Of the benefits OF
Trades Unions, Cooperation, the National
Labor Union, &C., and the people seemed
much interested. On the evening of the 4tb
we attended a meeting of the "MOntgomery
Mutual BnildIng and Loan Association !" il
was the first regular meeting, and We
thought they had things considerably ''mIx-
ed" We do not like their pla8, in fact il
is not Cooperation, as we understand the
term the par value Of the shares 10 500
pay able in monthly InstalIments Of : tn
money is sold to the highest bidder, thus fal
it is all right. The number of shares is lin
tied TO 4, 900 and no man can hold more thar
200 shares and eUery share has one vote
and any shareholder can vote his whole
number of shares by proxy. In this 1t is al
wrong. Eleven men can hold 2, 200 shares
and the other 800 may be divided among
200, yet the eleven men could out vote the
200 men, by majority Of 200 Of all tbs
votes. Here is TOO much chance for tb'
big fish 70 eat the little ones. The result
will be failure, so far a. helping the help
less is concerned.
During our stay in Montgomery, friend
Casey remained With u, and took all pain:
10 show US he sights We visited the Court
House, where, for ths.irst time, We saw 9
'mixedy jury, nine blacks and three whites
from tho verdict rendered, We concluded il
was ssmix sd'' jury. The case on hand wa,
that Of . sslIianous working loafer, charged
n with arson. He keepsxte lowest kind Of {
/ A. - 49,
whssxe5s and other refreshments- Their
! sas no doubt as to hiF gull, but he belonged
to- the right side eel was acquitted. Tn.
n Judge failed to make the ia ~ comprehe nd
the meaoing OF CARSON" or of circumstan
cial evidence This is the way Justice i.
dispens d in this part Of the world. Tht
readers of the Advocate have often heard
Of What are known in the South as "carpet-
baggers," There are many bad stories told
OF these men that are not true. Many Of
them are good men, and are esteemed anC
respected by all the people here but there
are many bad ones. We met two OF then
IN Montgomery one OF them, q fellow b.
the name Of Barber, from Saratoga, N. H..
10 Sher'f Uf Montgomery county. He il
man without brains, education or character
Tie is common dfunkard, and his look,
] stamp hAAl 90 n NtlA uibu niHhhHhoAu dhA
excludes Tim from all respectable society
The other is John G. n fer, from Philadel
phia, Pa, Who is Commissioner Of lnterna
Improvements, a man that could not get 9
position as engineer OF a train of night
carts, at home. lie came down here prac
tical -adVenturer, destitute Of brains, honor
or honesty, and by worshlpiag MS superiors
l-negroes-he obtained position. He has
IA IN orrr
negro gentlemen IN their parlors. Ii is Just
such low scoundrels as this Barber and kef
fer, that have been the cause Of SO much baC
feeling between the tw o sections of our com-
mon country; and one of the very best evil
denees to be found, that there is no such or.
| ganixstion as the klu Klux Khan, and thai
The people are orderly and well disposed
having patience, charity and sincerity, de-
string peace and harmony, is the fact thai
such scamps are permitted to live here un-
molested.
Montgomery il very pretty city, well 10
Gated upon high ground and surrounded b.
a good county. Before the war it was very
rich and last place. AT present, like all
other Southern cities We have yet seen.
money is scarce, rents and provisions high,
business dull and the people apparently
DaShC1 0OWh AZ SObAACACS oAd cpiElbs
| From Montgomery we went to Selma by
water, distant Ito miles west. We remain
ed in Selma but short time, and found bus
mess very dull; bus the journeyman mould
ers were al work though the prospects are
not very good. The city IL located on bluff
but the around it in every direction, is fial
and swamPy The city is too sickly 70
amount 10 anything as q manufacturing
place, still it 10 quite an important point as
{ srAilroad centre, and will one day DO a
great shipping point for the iron and coal
vt northern Alabama.
On Saturday afternoon the 9th inst, we
em5srksi upon board the Steamer, @. w.
Dorrance, Capt. B. Mesher, for Mobile, dis
tant 400 miles BY water, nearly due south,
where we arrived at 10 A. NJ, Monday morn
ing. The Dorrance Is q first class boat, and
Capt Meaher l. one Of the very best types
Of 6ne old Irish gentlemen" He is a