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


briefly to review it's proceedings, for the
purpose Of determining what are to be the !
necessary results of the convocation, so far /
as they affect the great social interests Of the
country, and what bearing they will have
(if any 10 shaping future legislation, State
and National. To any one who has watched |
the deliberations of this congress of arti- |
zans and woikiDgmen, one peculiar fact
stands out in bold relief, viz, that the
barriers of class and cast have been broken
down, so far as the lsboring classes of the
country are concerned, il we are to take the
solemnly avOwed sentiments Of this body as
indicative Of the feelings that exist among
the constituencies therein represented. For
the fret time ID the history Of this nation a
Convention has been held 10 which working
men and WorkiDgwOmen, white and black,
luyalists and ex.Tebels, have met together
upon terms Of perfect equality, for the pur
Csc OF taking deliberative action on vital
questions affecting equally the interests Of
al. In this respect the Convention was a
novelty, and is deserving of more than q
mere passing notice. When colored men,
from not only the Northern but the South
ern States, are welcomed to take part in the
proceedings Of a national assembly, the ma
jOTity of whose members are OF that political
organization which, according to all past
history, may properly be regarded as in
dorsiDg or condemning the principles enun-
ciated in that platform, bot allude to it
rather for the purpose OF showing how bene-
fcient is the influence of free American in
sututiOns over every class and section Of
our people. The presence of such an assem-
blage as has Just closed its proceedings in
Philadelphia, composed of men whose daily
toll is with the plane, the trowel, or some
Cthpr imDlpmapt IF rnoob nisu IL irnnOs-
slbility in England, France, Belgium, or any
other nation, not excepting Prussia, which
boasts the most appropriate scheme in opera
lion for the general diffusion of education.
IL be Convention served no other purpose
than to show TO the world the vast intellec-
tual superiority Of our working classes over
those TO be found elsewhere, it has done a
noble work, and should be honored accord
iugly. As TO what will be the effect of the
platform enunciated in influencing the course
of the Two great political parties of the
-o,taIy, it is not proper for me to say but
il is worthy Of mention that the masses Of
WOTkIDgmen throughout the nation havefully
placed lhsms,lv or record as being utterly
opposed 10 the policy Of repudlatiDg the ma
tional debt, hobby which sumo party
Leaders are dtsrous of riding, in the hope Of
gaining power ard place thereby. II these
are not blind to the signs of the times, they
must he convinced that the labOnDg classes,
whom they .tbought to csjole by putting
forth this scheme as a remedy for high tax
alton, and rom bom they expect their po-
liucal support, will have none of it. This
decentralization of tn principles OF honesty
in National as we'll as individual transact
tions, is another point which ought to be
credited TO the Labor Congress. As to the
declaration regarding the payment Of bonds
in gold when the express stipulation is to
that feet, and 10 greenbacks in all other
cases, il may be remarked, that il indexes
the Democratic tendencies of the majority OF
the Convention but il Is offset, so far as
partisan views are to be considered, by the
welcome gwen to the colored delegates and
BY the Placing of wOrkingmen Of all classes
Oh a plane OF perfect equaIity-a principle
which cannot fail to satisfy the most ardent
radical 10 truth, there seems TO have bean,
ia the late Congress, an earnest effort to
harmonic antagonistc political tendencies,
and to adopt a compromise policy which
snail be satisfactory to the advocates Of both
extremes. How far the Convention has been
successful in this particular, must be left for
others TO determine.
The Convention may not have exer cised
The wirest policy in.grappling with great
nrcstions OF social science aud Of political
-Inomy that have exercised the minds of
profound Legislators for many years, mot
2! in this country but in Europe. 1t might
have been better for the cause of labor in
general bad il confined itself to matters
more nearly affecting the direct interests Of
labor. Too much time have been spent in
discussing the question OF finance, and too
little in Calculating the subject of co opera
votf Int FL 70 hsnwL
political parties to have placed within their
reach, as this Congress has done, the views
of The vast mass Of the working classes.
Future political conventions, as well as Fe-
deral and State legislators, will, Of course,
draw their own deductions from the proceed
lngs Of this assembly but whatever may
be The results flowing from it, there can be
no doubt Of the earnestness of the bodv,
which has 1ndeaVored to effect great labor
reform. There was an indication at first
that matters Of an extTaneous nature would
occupy the time Of the Convention, but the
good sense Of the assembly gave them a quie-
tus. The presence Of a delegate from a po-
htical organization in New York, which has
its platform summarized in one word, the
Millennium" and the presence of Mrs.
Major DR.. WalEer-the officeless, pants and
all-were induces Of the elements that would
INC W tubeI lukO Tue CONVENTION ii LDey
were permitted so TO do. The millennium
delegate was allowed to take his seat, be.
cause be held credentials from an crganiZa-
ton Of macbinsts, and was regularly accre-
oited therefrom, the political association
which desired to represent being given the
go-by. Mrs. DR.. Walker, very soon dis
covered that she couldn't get hearing be-
fore the body, much as she might have de-
sired to promulgste her views as to what
she terms thorough dress reform" Sc
veral hair Drained reformers were hanging
on the skirts Of the Convention during the
nrst day but they we're prompt to notice
that this was not the place for them, and
they lncontinently vamoosed.
Another point which distinguished the
Convention was the desire Of the deleOates
TO see the full restoration Of civil and nolii. |
cal rights TO the citizens Of the south
matter which met with the hearty endorse
ment Of all present. In fact the whole Dro.
Ceedings were characterised by an era q,
good feeling" and ought to result, even II
they do not, in great benefit to the masses
Of the sons VI toll.
From the platform unanimously adopted
by the Convention, il is easy to perceive
Il at their was in the Congress an amount
and character OflegislatiVe talent which can
not be found among the wOTkiDgmen Of any