The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-07-24


system, would have fought az men fght
Ing fer their lives This danger IS past. Th
employer has at last found his place in tn
association for production. Four years AZ
Mr.. Henry Briggs-iirst Of all the large em
plovers Of labor 10 England-took The Teal
IN the dark, as ( Wcs sup9o sed TO be at IN
time the leap into the light, as it has sine
proved and resolved, and persuaded III
partners to agree to take their men int
partnership. The success which has attend
ca that step is now matter Of history, an
i probably as well known to every man il
this room as to myself. 1t has more thar
verified all the most sanguine hopes Of thos,
4 (lor many years looked upon as Utopian the
Z orists) who urged on employers that they
would be the greatest gamers by entering in.
to association with their men. Mr.. Brigg.
/ Is here, and will be able to tell US hogr peao,
relgns now IN collieries which usel to ~
worked under III" protection Of the police
\ now confidence, thrift, sObricty, haze taker
the place Of distIust, ,wastefulness, and lrunk
I enness. We bave already proof that hu ana
\ his brother have faith, for other business
than their own, IN system With which their
names are 50 h0uoIably conn ectef. In the
outlines Of scheme for the application W
the industrial partnership principle 70 anv
class OF undertaking wherein capital ana IN.
Dor are associated" !" which they have lately
circulated. Every co-operat0r must wish
them God-spted IN their pr0selyiysing ef-
ioTts; for they have solved the problem OF
unitua the interests not only Of capital aud
labor, but Of the present generation Of en-
ployers and woTknen. How sharply defined
and widely severed those two classes are in
our time-hOw dangerous their antagonist
has become 20 the commonwealth, il unfOr-
tuna ely TOO well known 10 Us all. II may
well be said that We have seen the worst of
~ and that councils Of conc liauOn ana H.
dostnal partnerships viii put an end to the
civil war which, since the amalgamation oi
the great trades societies, has every uox and
then plralysed great branches Of our produc-
tive lni BStrY, by some strike az lock loud af
fecting whole districts.
Meantime, however, the great fact re-
malns-oi trades societies numbering iu
their ranks the actual majority Go put il at
the lowest fgure) Of the skilled workmen AZ
the United Kingdom and al co-operators
have 20 consider how far these orgaHiza-
uons can be used ~ forwarding ;ha great
cause expressed in our grand motto Of "self.
help by fellowship III work" AT first sight,
it would seem that trades soc. sties should
be the most efficient helpers in the the work.
We all know that tho sading trades union
lists have for wears bee favorable t. CO CO.
Grafton The chief secretaries 0f three nj
the most powerful uuiCRs are members of
the committee Of this Congress. The unions
have at their command all The requisites f0r
founding associations capital. a choice Of
the best w0rkmen, and means Of keeping
them to their agreements by the pressure Of
the public opinion 0f their m trades. As
early a. 1851, | myself, 10 concert with NIL
Ludlow, and other members of the Society
Tor promoting N0rkiugmen's Associations.
urged on the council Of TIE Amaigamaled
Engineers the policy Of establishing assOcia-
items Of their own 70 employ their surplus
hands. The subject has been before them
ever since; and there has been no want Ut
inclination on the part Of the governing
bodies to try the experim ment. If only thev
could see their way ID II. This, however,
they have never vet been able 70 DO and
am not prepare4 ~ say that they have not
been in The right il jecliniuE the .crprise
Their organic ati0ns is essentially tnat Of
the standing army uf labor; and the ener-
sies Of their best men must be given TO
Other matters thAn peaceful production.
know that the Trades Congress which met
at Manchester 10 June Of last year, passed
resolution ITO utilize the Organization Z.
the Trades Unions Tor co-operatiVe purpo-
ses !" and that many friends whose iudg-
ment is worth far more than NINE upon this
question, have come to the conclusion that
the time has arrived whea this may be ae-
compllshed. II it be so, DO one viii be more
reJoiced than | but | must own | do not
myself see how the difficulties which have
hitherto stood in toe way, are TO be over
come The consideration 0f those difficulties
will form an important place Of the work Of
this Congress ; and we have men here who
are, perhaps, The most competent III the
Kingdom 10 advise as upon them Mean
time, whether the unions eau take direct
part in our work, by the formation Of asso-
Citations for production ID their respective
trades, or not, It IL obvioGs that they NAV,
and ought 20 be, amongst the most efficient
promoters OF labor banks. They nav be-
come at once the largest depositars by en-
trusting their surplus funds 20 these insti-
t1tlons and may assist, BY the machinery
Of their admirably organized branches, in
carrying such institutions at once into every
town Of the United Kingdom.
Ore more topic occurs to me, upon which
] think few words should be said mean
the land question. | remember, in our meet
ings ~ years ago, We never could separate
without some CHEEKY kind Of speculation
about home colonies, which many Of us |
amongst the nnmbcr) used firmly TO believe
were just going to blossom ~ throughout
the country, as great homes Of peace and
industry for all, however weak and poor,
who would cast in their lot With ", and DO
their best for the common veal. Some here
will recOlect bow we used to be invited
periodically TO old Mr.. Minten Morgan'-
house, to look at this model church Of Eng-
land self-supporting village, which occupied
the end of bis dining room Ia Stratton street
Well, it waI nothing but a great picture
which used to be illuminated from behind
and then the old gentleman used to stand
as Snowman, and point ont to US the great
central hall and church Ia the middle Of the
square, and the great common kitchens, and
iaundries. and gardens, and | know not
what other charming arrangements,-ail Of
which he spoke Of if they we're actually
going, and could tell YOU the exact sum for
which each family lived, aud the exact saw
ings Of the whole community. Old Mr.
Morgan has been dead these Is years, an1
the model village transparency has, pa
doubt, long tinee been rolled up, ara found
Its way TO some Old maTine stores shop. We
too, have all got older, and let US hope,
wiser and can synpathize With the greal
Yankee poet, when be writes
Not as L n one much expec'
Ailien mum by express to-morrow
They i0ll miscarry recoilec'
Too many on 'em-to my sorrqw.
At the same time, we co-operators bav,
seen so N uch come 90 pass which was ther
only dresmt about, and haye( hope) 81
thoroughly realized the power Of wisely d
reeted and loyal fellowship ic work 70 dC
anything that il sets IT'S hand to, that VT
can never consent to give UP the hope q
seeing English associations settling in clus
ters on English soil Of their own. a.
glad to find, therefore,, that our friend Nj
/ Greenwood, and others OF the leading co
operators from the north, are turning their