The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1870-03-26
CHICAGO AND PHILADELPHIA
SATURDAY. March 2s 1870.
THE POLITICAL" BUGBEAR
' Convince q man against his will,
He 10 u the same opiAlon still"

llduIlC cAOIbS u many " SAO PoAN
lackeys of the Republican and Demo
cratic parties, to prove that the Labor
Reform party must leave politics out
ofthe Observation-Disclosures that means
II it expects to secure the sympathy
Or support Of the American people.
Of course, there are none SO blind as
those who won't see, and the working
man who is beguiled by such rubbish,
has no right to claim afiliation with a
party, which demands, as prerequisite
70 success, the annihiliation Of the two
factions, which have brought the coun-
try to the verge of ruin, and disposed
Of what little principle they ever
possessed to the money changers Of
Wall street. We know it has been
popular ever since the labor movement
assumed its present formidable d.
mansions, and its objects have been
clearly defined, with certain class of
harpies, to throw a "halo Of mystic
ism " around the all-engrossing topic
Of finance-to assure the working
classes that the consideration of such
questions are beyond their finite COM
prehension that the minds of our
ablest" statesmen having been unable
to grasp and solve the problem, they
had better conine their efforts to the
question of Labor alone-that is, sup
ply and demand, wages, strikes, and
inevitable defeat. Insist on receiving
10 or 20 cents per day increase in
wages, and shutting their eyes to the
legislative thieves who rob them of a
dollar.
We remember during the session of
the New York National Convention,
an indignant delegate, protesting
against the adoption of what he was
pleased to style a political platform.
" What" said lie, "has politics to do
with a redress of grievances We
are fighting for the repeal OF the
conspiracy lat1s, which makes every
trades unionist liable to indictment.
Tell me, sir, if you can, how the intro
duction Of politics can remove the
evil ?" Well, friend" we answered,
"what do you propose to do p
That's pretty question" he replied,
propose to do; we propose to secure
their repeal" Very good" we con-
tinued, "but by what means" "By
means Of the ballot Dor, to be sure,'
was the indignant response. lex.
actly SO, and how are you going to
secure their repeal, without resorting
10 the very means, to which you have
just taken exception-pOhttcal action.
You seem to be willing to discriminate
between political and party effort, and
this is where you make the great mis-
take" And reader this is but fair
sample Of the arguments advanced by
nine out Of every ten Of the opponents
of the National Labor Union. Here
was a man, representative trades
unionist, SO blinded by party infu-
ence, that in his zeal, he exposed the
weakness of his position as effectually
as any admirer could have desired.
Again, at the Baltimore Convent
ton, during an exciting and earnest
discussion on the adoption of the plat,
form. two representatives hailing FROM
the gOodly city Of Philadelphia, strenu,
Ously protested against such a pre-,
posterous and suicidal move as the at.
tempted formation Of an Independent
party. "Think, for a moment, how
ridiculous such an attempt would
be," shouted til Sc worthy reformers
Why, Mr.. President, the man wh4
advocates it, is fit for a madhousd
Where is our money to come FRONT
and then, to think that workingmert
Nneducated mechanics, can successfully
compete with parties who for years
have manipulated our caucuses, am
who can spend fifty millions
Of dollars, if need be, is as
Surd in the extreme" was their
crushing apostrophe. Fortunately,
their unanswerable arguments failed
10 have the desired effect, and tie
declarations, which have since been ell
dorsed by each successive convention,
were given TO the world. Returning
TO Philadelphia, few days afterwards,
and narrating the above circumstances
to near and dear friend, Ae
replied, e can throw a litAe
light on this transaction. Mr.. =
IL fishing for a nomination in the Re
publican party, and Mr.. - for.a
nomination on the Democratic ticket
and h's IS the milk in tie cocoa NUT
If those who take exception to ti,e
action Of the National Union will giee
US their objections at length, with tie
definition of the term-pOliticd actiSn
we shall feel under many Obligations.
Politics is the science Of government,
and the workman, who would, under
the behests of party, refuse to exercise
the ballot, for the protection and I'D
vancement of the laboring classes is
either a knave or a mailman. The