The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-02-13
MORAL COWARDIcR.


The most useless, contemplate and dan
gerous men in the world are the moral cow
ards. The men who cannot say No-the men
who can be led by the nose by every politi-
cal upstart-the men whose bible Is some
partisan newspaper devoted 10 the Interests
Of a LOT Of government blood-suckers, who
either have or are trying 70 get hold Of the
public teat. We say such men as these are
not it 10 be citizens Of fIee country.
Then there is another class of moral COW
ards who are still more desp icabie than those
referred to. We meas the sycophants-the
miserable apoiOgists for neB-who grow
weak 10 the knees IN the presence Of any
brainless fool with good clothes and plenty
Of money, or bow before wealth and power
az they never bow before God, or shrink
away from the presence of petty tyranny,
like dog WHIPPED for rObbing hen nests
For these moral c0wsrds-tbes miserable
specimens Of humanity. the English language
does not furnish words suitable to express
AAA bAnANAuHhs l0rh AutlE Is cflil dnDLner
class Of moral towards who block the wheels
Of progress, and are as mill-stones about the
neck of every reform movement. We refer
to hose men who grow enthusiastic over
every neg proposition, and 80 long as the
tide runs smoothly On towards success, are
ready to hurrah, ana even to give few pen
mics to help along the work. They attend
mass meetings, endorse every measure ne
cessary to success thro up their bats and
shout their throats sore over every speech
that is made; but, when the final struggle
comes, they sink into inactivity, or, what is
often The case, join the enemy, and when
defeat j. announced, they are the first to cry
out, sob, knew it would be 50; knew
this thing never could succeed | never did
believe in it; only went with It to find out
what it was, and who were in il; always
knew it was radical trick or copper
head dodge" and are a. demonstratIve in
their opposition a. they were in their sup
port.
These classes, to which we have referred,
grow and flourish in all parts of the coun-
try, and constitute q considerable portion Of
our voting population. They are only so
many physical machines-iiving pulleys-
revolving by an external pressure. They =
like monkeys in the hands Of un organ grind
er, ready TO 20 this way Or that, as passion
or prejudice, ignorance or interest, fear or
favor, may direct. They are just about as
f to vote as "shaving horse" or a steam
engine.
We are led 70 these remarks by the pre-
sent condition OF things ia Pittsburgh, Pa,
and Cincinnati, Ohio. But little over a
year ago, g workingmen Of Pittsburgh
were on "high horse" and claimed TO
have the hest labor union in the country.
They elected their mayor and several other
officers. Elated over their success they kept
up their organization, and last fall put
candidate for congress in the field. Speak
eTs were sent for from distant places, and a
most vigorous campaign was waged. Elec-
ton day came, and with il came defeat, and
so great was the reaction that tie day after
the election it wac almost impossible to find
a man who was willing 10 own he was, OF
ever had been, labor reformer but you
could find plenty Of ''croakers' moral cow
ards-such as we have named above.
The same condition of things exists in
Cincinnati. In the fall Of 1867 General
Cary was elected to congress BY he labor
reformers, whose organization showed more
vitality than any other Of the kind in the
country, and when the time came for q re-
newal of the struggle, last fall, they con-
Quoted the most spirited contest Of the whole
country. $4,000 was expended to
defeat General Cary; $4,000 Of this was
appropriated by one man, a coal dealer in
Pittsburgh, and so bitter Was the opposition
to Cary, and 50 determined were they 20 de-
feat him, that they sacrificed Eggleson in
the first district. This opposition 10 Cary
Was because. he was wOrkingman's eandi-
date, and . dangerous man in congre -.
Cary was defeated, and what was the result 2
The enthusiasm Of the men was Suddenly
turned into dependency. That splendid or