The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1870-02-05

hStCNCc 11OOh Dub u unOuiCue az WV "'S
tory of the late war, and let the facts It pre-
sents serve as an answer,-black, dark and
dananing in the extreme. When strong |
arms and brave hearts were needed, to maln-
tain, the nations honor and integrity, they
cante by thousands and by thousands-aye,
by hundred thousands the workshop
andthe farm and the mine. The mechanic
thrdswing down his tools, and the farmer
leaving his pillow, accepted all the dangers,
andiexposures, and hardships Of the field, !
and Itherewith the small pittance of thirteen
dollars per month. But money as well as
men was called for. Money is said to be
the Sinews Of war What was me response
thaGi capitalist returned Give us, as securi-
ty, she pledge Of a great nations property,
ands the pledge Of proud peoples honor;
givs US terms of repayment, interest and
exemptions, such as. were never before ask
ed sof nation terms which, to-day, are
griading the laboring classes from the face
Of Gle earth, and causing their blood, like
THAI of Abeps, to cry alond for vengeance to
heaven. In the hour Of our national dis
treSs and anguish, capital plunged in the
KNIFE, and, Shylock-like, cut the pound of
f1esh from the nations heart On the one
ha& I'D was exempliHed the patriotism Of the
wSking-classes, patriotism unallowed
wi III sel6shness; on the other hand was ex-
hisited the sOrdid, unsatisfying greed of the
capitalist. am no socialist in my opinions,
MOI. would favor, for one moment, the sug-
gg,tion of Reputation. Not for the benefit
of the capitalist, but for the honor of the
ccnntry, the contract, hard, cruel, heartless
az it is, must be faithfully kept.
! would not, by any word or deed Of
mine, array one class of society against
aAother. TO him who can outstrip bis COM
pstitor IN the honorable race Of life, belongs
all the donors and all the advantages he has
n3w. Neither would | forget that in the
ranks of capital has been found a Peabody,
whose muni6cent dispositions Of his wealth
u the laborlng classes Of both hemisphres,
constituted him the philanthropist Of modern
times; nor am l ignorant Of the fact that
tSere are today in the ranks Of capital many
Tho, in the full development of the true at
pibutes of manhood, differ from the ma jOrity
If their class.
Capital has its just claims, its privileges
And its inalienable rights. They will be
ebly presented for the consideration Of this
gOdy; they will be earnestly supported, and
shey will receive, as they should receive, a
sull recognition at the hands of this COnven-
Jon. But labor also has its claims, for it
has its wants and its privileges and its rights
snd that class Of society which has the great
sst wants should, on the broad principles Of
humanity, have the greatest care. | have
10 much respect for the gentlemen who con-
stitute this body, irrespective Of party dis
$inctions, to suppose that, directly OF indi-
sectly, there will be exhibited any desire to
ignore or to deny to the labOring classes,
That recognition which they have the right to
aemand and to expect at our hands The
greatest good of the greatest number should
be the object Of all legislation. The miners
form link, and most important one, in the
chain of the industrial forces of the country.
Dne member Of the body cannot suffer, IN
less all other members Of the body suffer
with it, What objection can be raised that
1t is an innovation, a change, a new idea en-
grated on the constitution Canning once
remarked, in language almost prophetic,
hhat the government which resisted improve
3ment on the ground of innovation, would one
DAY yield to innovation when it was no
fonger improvement These words may be
considered as food for thought on both sides
bf this chamber The boon, ! will recall
The expression, for right is not to be re-
garded as such-the consideration which we
Snay extend to the miner will be felt and ap-
= = - -
rHbreclateG OF the wnoie Grdtn6fnood d WORK
3ingmen in illinois and throughout the Union.
aThey are bound together by the strongest
cites of human sympathy and suffering The
Iday may not be far distant when they may
sbe found banded together by the ties Of 20
Slitical organization. They have waited long
and patiently for the action Of others. They
have hoped that the day would come when
l the Republican party would construc its
4 platform of equal rights to embrace the white
man as well as the negro. They have hoped
! that the Democratic party, long regarded as
1 not only the party Of stubborn principles,
J but of forward movement, would cease to act,
as in the estimation Of many il has, the
| mental part Of po.-ical brakeman. So far
l they have waited in vain, and at last they
have resolved, that if existing parties will
not cut loo from the dead issues Of the
! past, and take up and carry forward those
vital questions which are pressing them
! selves upon us with force which no party
can resist, and speed no combination Of
party can retard, that they will themselves,
disregarding all former ties, throw out the
banner Of progress, and enrolling themselves
under it, east, west, north and south, carry
it forward to victory.
The country is Just emerging from long
and bitter strife upon the question Of the
rights Of the colored race. Let it not be
said that Illinois, the great empire State Of
the west, has expended all its philanthrophy
in that struggle, that it has given it all to
the black man Of other States, and it has
nothing left for the white man in its own.
Such philanthropy can be regarded only
as a spurious philanthropy, bearing upon its
own face the evidence Of its own falsity.
The propriety Of asking the recognition
sought for by the miners, at the hands Of this
Convention, and in the organic law Of the
State, cannot he called in III estion. The
Constitution of the STAT, which throws
around the property Of the rich protection
which no legislative nor executive nor judi
ciary, can disregard, would be incomplete if
it failed to afford to the operative miner pro-
lection in bis life, in bis limbs, and as far as
practicable, in bis health. It is false as
sumption to assert that one class of society
must be provided for in the Constitution,
and that class a very small one and that
another and more numerous class be left to
the tender mercies of Legislature. Ifclsss
distinctions are to exist in the organic law.