The native Virginian. [volume] (Orange Court House, Va.) 1867-187?, 1869-08-27
OUR WORKING MEN.

They have had National Labor
Congress in Philadelphia. Many dele
gates from many States were present,
and vast body of men were repre-
scented.
Mr.. Sylvis's views in regard to this
Congress and the questions which will
come before 1t for consideration are
given in the following extracts from
paper written by him short time be-
fore his death:
We want Labor Department at
Washington, for the benefit OF the in
dustry of the country.
We want good apprentice and me-
chanics' lien law in every State.
We want a good, practical eight hour
law in every State.
We WANT the abolition of the present
system ofprison labor, and the adoption
of one that will do Justice to honest men
and convicts,
We want the repeal OF the 'conspira-
CIV laws" making it an offence for men
to belong to "trades" unions.'l
This will be the most important
meeting of workingmeE ever assembled
in this country. In our definition of
workingmen we embrace all who are
engaged in productive Industry. 4
Questions of the very highest national
Importance will come before this body
for consideration. Our ideas are
not utopian; our attentions are not ag-
rarian.
- We do not seek to pull down, but
to build up.
We want sound national currency,
issued by the government directly to
the people, at low rate of interest, so
that all who desire to use it for .legiti-
mate purposes can do so without being
swindled by money-shavers and gold
gamblers.
We want the public lands given mot
sold) in small quantities to actual set
tlers-and none others.
We want a plain, practical law in
every State, recognizing trades-unions
as legally authorized bodies, qualified
to do business, hold property, &C., and
subject to the laws of the land as other
legal bodies.
We want economy in the administra'
ton of all our attairs-national, State,
and municipal.
We want virtue, not vice; honesty
not rascality; craftsmanship, not par
.isaa demagogism; brains, not money,
to rule in the councils of the nation.
Mr.. Sylyis WAS the President of this
Congress, and it must be owned that he
had cut out ''pretty spot of work" for
il to do, 1t is a noteworthy fact that
women were ruled out at first; Miss
susan b. Anthony being ejicted rather
summarily. Afterwards they let her
in. A dozen negro delegates present
ed themselves, and were admitted.
Several speeches wereemade the first
day, and from one ofthem we make the
following extract,
.sOur liberties are In danger, and on
the success of the principles advanced
by us in the name of the producers OF
America, depends the salvation of the
Republic, Either the people must rule
or moneyed and landed aristocracy
will. This is becoming evident to all.
We have, even now, paper published
in the interests of the moneyed power,
demanding imperialism. And they
will have it, with all its curses, if the
toilers do not assert their manhood at
the ballot-box, thus proving themselves
equal to the emergency"
The seed sown by Brick Pomeroy is
sp-inging up rapidly, and, if the bond
holders do not yield at the proper time,
there will be strife, serious strife. Some
years must pass before the hostile par
ties come face to face.
The same speaker was very severe on
the proposed introduction of Coolie Ia
Dor into this country. Unfortunately
or fortunately the asperities of men,
whose special field of work is threaten
ed with invasion, will not suffice to a.
vert that invasion. Be the result what
it may, the Chinese will come; yet not
in such numbers and with such rapldity
as TO justify the fears of the laboring
whites. North and South, we are all
kicking before we are spurred over this
Chinese matter.
Here in Virginia little is said, written
or so much as thought about our work.
ing men. But their day of power is
coming. And as that day approaches
we shall see the now careless politicians
become more and more anxious to know
what the working men think about
things, how they feel. what they hope
for and how they intend to get 1t
Lucky the man who will take time by
the forelock and show his interest be-
fore the showing of it becomes suspl-
cicus. We doubt not that working
men will want to be represented by
working men. AS if the making of laws
was not trade and by no means an
easy one to learn-tha. is, If you want
TO turn out a good job and make no
botches.