The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-09-18
PHILADELPHIA, SEPT. Is, 1869.
G. BEN j., RsPoRYER

y
G. BEN j., REPORRWR
Tux CoxGREss-Irs PRoBABLE EFvEcr-OPI-
IHIoSs or THE PREss-Among our trades people
khe week of the session Of the Labor Congress
has been one Of confusion. By reason Of that
general laxity Of interest displayed by them with
reference TO the labor movement the assemb-
Ping Of the Convention was a matter Of extreme
lis believed TO hare been the Krst infii6nns f Iid
that movement to emancipate labor was in
progress One individual vho had been, We
presume, in a state of mental somnOlc ncy during
THE past severn! years, calculated in our pre-
sence, with an expression of the most profound
twOnderment mantling his unctious countenance,
t"Well, be hanged, why there's right onto
hundred and fifty on EN-. Dogged II there ain's
something in it." That expression vas elected
|bY cursory view Of the gathering on the Sc
Scond day of the session and echoes the senti-
Sment of at least one half our people Some of
them were possessed of an indistinct notion that
something Of the kind was in view, but that il
mad taken shape, or that one hundred and afty
|Or two hundred delegates, representing almost
every section Of the country, would assemble Al
its bidding, was an idea altogether too prepos-
ferrous for entertainment We are inclined 70
the belief, although some express themselves
disappointed at the result Of the Conventions
labOrs, that il will have the effect Of de-torfor-
izing our Rip Van Wrinkles, and awakening
them to an appreciAtive sense Of their extreme
littleness. Perhaps il is our wish that gives
birth to that belief. Time alone can demon
strate whether that be true or not.
By the press the convention received vary
|'ne but for the most part exceeding ungraeious
reception. The general verdict Of the newspa-
per fraternity is not In the excessive compg-
mentary. The more rabid papers call it 'farci-
zeal, windy frOthy,' demagogic' One pc
per headed its reports That CODgresa' Some
speak Of, or rather to it, very much after the
manner Of an indignant though indulgent pater
70 wayWorn son. Organs Of he asseuifed
applaud those measures which they eoastrue rs
|incliniOg towards she Democratic way Of think
ling, while radical quill-drivers look le0iently
Ionly on the admission Of the cclOred delegates.
One paper, Of most rabid predictions, went 80
far al to say that the only sensible remarks
made during the sittings were those Of q dusky
delegate from Maryland. All unite in deaouoc
(lng the body for having, rs they say, wasted
20 much valuable time in the consideration of
Miss Anthony's case. Miss Anthony certainly
proved = source of much trouble to the Con-
ventiOn. At the earliest dawn of the conflict
it became apparent that the opposition to her
admission was relentless one, and she would
have reflected much greater credit upon herself
hid she then have Withdrawn her name Her
persistence instead Of creating destroyed the
create. part Of the sympathy which il was man
ifest was at first felt for her. What our per-
sOnal opinion Of Miss Anthony's claims to recog-
milton by the Congress were, it matters not a.
public journalists, il is our duty to reflect the
|disapprobation that her stubborn opposition to
the protest made against her admission ELECTED
II, however, during the first three days Of the
session, but little was accomplished the morn
ing Of the fourth day found every delegate de-
termined that something. practical should be
done, and during tie last three days, but litsle
factiOusness was exhibited. The business was
transacted with something approaching the pre-
cIsion Of clock york. With perhaps many
glazing innovations upon parliamentary teuesa,
but meu fresh from the anvil or the spade can
In the main VIC are pleased with what the Con-
vention has done, and when malcontenIs dis
posed to cSvil ask Us TO point to any practical
results Of its labors, We tell them that such bO-
dies only convene 10 agitate and to lay plans
Cor future guidance and further agitation. That
much was done, and well done, too.
The opposition Of the press mas its inception
in what it requires no savOn to discern. The
movement is a purely political one out of which
it is expected will come a new party which
shall commend itself to the support Of all work.
ingmen irrespective Of their previous party pre-
objections, because it will hold the interests of
labor paramount to all other interests. Il will
not, as has been the practice of parties in the
past in an incidental way commead the toilers'
interests to the gracious consideration Of Law
makers, but it will exact Of every public servant
such pledge as will render it impossible for
those interests to be neglected. In that view
it is surely not difficult to see Why old party
presses, like old party hacks tremble ct the
handwriting on the WALL Their quite natural
fear Of the ultimate success Uf the movement
begets that opposition which vents itself in III
digested Iridicule and sarcasm. The priDcI-
Piles upon which the movement Is based are Inn
pregnAOle to such puny shafts It is certainly
well that they are, else, under the persistent
firing to which they have, the past week or two,
been subjected, they had been riddled like unto
selves.
We cannot close this article without paying
our respects to one which appeared in q late is-
! sue Of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the same high
toned sheet which discOursed % learaedly o few