The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-10-09

An Amsricsa correspondent Of the Lon
don Tms dating from Philadelphia treats
the readers Of that journal to long account
Of the "Nationai Labor Congress, held BY
your American Trades Unions in that city.
need not describe the tone and spirit of
such communication, ~ would on such .
subjecs, suit the columns of the Times
Nor 10 ID ~ aii necessary to suppose that
an assemblage Of Trades Unionists, any
more than any other human gathering, was
free altogether from such scenes and Incl
dents az are calculated to furnish amusement
or food for reprehensive remark, Of On un.
friendly and critical turn of mind. Men
here, however, who have made such qses-
tons as came under discussion at your Phil
adelphia Congress matters Of careful
thought see even in the letters Of the Times
correspondent much to congratulate them
selves upon in the tone aud attitude Of
your honest, outspoken working men
It IS observable, however, that the Times
correspondent whilst ridiculing the proceed
ings of the Congress, and seeking, By
kind Of vague surprise nc their absurdity, to
bring discrdit on them, does not anywhere
attempt to show in what, or how far, the
action Of the assembly was self.contradic-
tory, unwise, or in any way inconsistent
with the public welfare. In my view Of the
matter, and I now only speak Of those
points with which my mind has been some
what familiarixed, the members of the Con.
gress traated the questions that came before
them admirably, and altogether with q clear
ness of insight and breadth Of view seldom
10 be found In assemblies of higher position
and Of immeasursbly higher pretensions
than the working men brought together at
Philadelphia would think of laying claim 10.
The matters TO be considered and decided
on were Of very grave importance not only
community generally. The admission Of
women into the Geld Of labor on the same
conditions % men 10 q geat concession to
justice at what at least seems to be sacri-
ice Of self-interest. The manner Of treat
ing Coolie labor too, shows that working
men can tske high and discriminating views
even on questions where their prejudlces
and interests have been called into active
operation. The poor Of China have rs good
. right TO 20 to America a. the poor of any
other country on earth, il they are moved
BY their own wills, and carried by their own
means, as the natural outflow OF . popula-
ton seeking for employment, nobody ought
to object to them. But ON the other hand,
if their transmission from China to America
De q mere money speculation, q mere trad
ing adventure on the part Of certain capital
lists who want to operate for profit in the
labor market, the whole character Of the
transaction becomes changed, and as poor
people must assume relation to the State
which may be . very lnconvenient and ul.
timstely very dangerous one, the decision
Of the Congress precisely defines the true
attitude Of the working man, namely: The
war with the individual Cinnamon, who may
in such transaction be more sinDed against
than anybody else but looking at the
higher relation, that 70 the State-to demand
that the government take action to prevent
speculations in human life aud happiness
that must be scandalous and immoral to oil
except tbose who regard the profits Of
trade ~ above all other considerations
Again the acts Of the Congress relative to
negro labor cannot but ada wonderful force
W TUG ROWGE VI buG OtabC An Out
their thorough Liberation Of the blacks, and
here again q wise act of justice was consul
mated, by which men, who, if they only
looked in the old, half blind fashion, at their
own interests, could not have taken SO noble,
so just, and in the truest sense Of the term,
SO w'se . course. l have not space, nor
would 1t be useful to your readers If went
over the several points put forward at the
Congress rs embodyiDg the policy of the
working men of America, but taking them
altogether and looking At them in connxc
ton with what the working men Of England
are dong, it is Impossible not co see in the
future q grand field for the employment of
the working mans energies, or, not to look
forward with hope to the results which
must come through the noble spirit in which
they have entered on their high work.
The Times when commenting on its cor
respondents letter, alter having made all it
could out Of the MISS Anthony episode, de
clares that nothing would be more easy
than to overwhelm the proceedings of the
Oonsress with ridicule. In pity, however,
it Tefrains, stating that if . man who
thought he knew something of the princi-
Piles Of . steam eneine from having read OF
it in book, undertook to superintend the
work Of fitting shop. An amslgamated
engineer would be moved to unbounded
contempt, and 1t Is not surprising that when
amalgamated engineers undertake to direct
the economic action Of society they fall into
and out of thousand mistakes"
Now if the Times or any other leading au-
thority will point to any class in society
whose duty It is to "direct the economic
action Of society" and that class will put
in Its grounds Of claim, by diploma from the
proper authority, either in the heavens
above or upon the earth beneath, the work
ing man will at once withdraw and leave the
field to them. II there are politicians who
have q scientific and practical education,
such rs engineers have, and if they can pro-
duce the same certain, useful, practical re-
suits by their labor it wuald be as much q
folly for the engineer to interfere with them
a. for them to interfere with the engineer.
II, however, instead of certainty and useful
ness we see, as we do see all over Europe,
enormous industrial growth, with a concur
rent growth of pauperism and misery, then
it cannot be wondered ut il working men
out Of their own experience take council TO-
gether for the purpose Of trying whether
they cannot do for themselves what "heaven
born statesmen have not yet been success
full in doing for them.
One thing however, it appears to me is
quite certain with you as with US, and that
is, the determination Of the men who live
by their labor to find out some method Of
making the conditions of their lives more
than they are.
FROM WASHINGTON.
WAsHiNerON, Sept. 81, 1869.
70 the Editor Of the woRKneMAz's Advocate.
WriAGnrite for the ADVOCATE, said Cam
eron korres nondent Mt the close OF