The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1870-12-31
Cooperation and the international.


gSal.
Cooperation and the International.
Bro. OssoAsH wABD.
The movement known as the Inter
national Association of Worfingmen is
cooperation of many societies, each
having a specific object based on La
Dor Reform, and that which makes it
international is its readiness to admit
all such associations without regard TO
races. The wants and interests ofwork-
ingmen are identical. In all parts of
the world men want an equivalent for
their labor, namely good living. Hith-
erto they have made known those wants
only through such mouth-pieces as
philosophers, without systems Of prac-
tical application. Within a few years
labor societies have grown up OH the
purely practical basis, and already the
wheel of social revolution begins to
turn on this axis. Theories Of philoso-
piers who aggrandize none but them
selves by them, are frauds operating on
the credulity Of uneducated majorities,
and they seem TO have sootheG down
the starvation riots Of all ages by their
fiattering lullaby Of selfevident things.
Any intelligent man can see aphIOsohy
but if he sees it as an individual simply,
it will still remain an UtoPin,-unreal-
lied. If be sees it as an organized army
ne may force it's realization.
Had workingmen a thousand years
ago gone to work right they would have
long since solved the social problem,
for they bad as many PHILOSOPHERS then
as now. What signalizes this century
is its practality. The elements IF tyran.
ny are as thuggish as ever. No anchor
alton. Mankillers, slaveocrats and
trucking sophists with all their con-
comitanis of mis- allotment and blood
shed, are still at large, but the indivtd-
uGl, so powerless in the presence of all
these beautiful theories, while in his
state Of isolation has fixed his heart on
cooperation. 1t is this cooperation of
the genius and effort Of individualities
that makes this century significant. Z
is this that has created just that thing
when the world 0. all things most needs;
an International Association Of Work.
ingmen.
What is this International? 1t is a
reunion Of practical workingmen's socie-
ties. Its rules and preamble may be
read in SIX minutes. They are like all
other productions coming from the
chosen points Of deliberation Of many
-anti-dogmatic. They are as broad al
Misunderstanding TO harmonic and group
man in society, as nature groups stars
and atoms by GRANTEES and afinities.
The rules Of the International are so
broad that its career is not nor cannot
be die ated by them. Its conrse is only
Determined by the projects or plans
adopted at its annual Congress, and
these plans arc suggested by delegates
from societies affiliated with it. It has
in fact, never adopted any plan except
that of cooperation. At its last Con-
gress, it ia true, it passed a few resclu-
tons on land monopolies prssaging a
cleverness and resigbt of reason on
political revolution, but acknowledged
its inability at so early period of its
career, to do more on these grave sub
jects than TO pass opinions.
l. is, therefore, only upon the great
idea Of co operation that the In,erna-
tional can be considered as historical.
On prospective points it is but sugges-
tive, perhaps profoundly so, but on CO.
operation it has already entered itself
upon record. Now It's two great OBJ
jects in this are potOsr and economy.
These practical attributes are what
should recommend it as the most use
ful and unlimited society in the world,
1t repudiates both scarcity and exclu-
olNChCbc9 anu CAAtc III mtbbAOA8I1Cb "
establish it in all parts of the world
There are thousands Of societies toiling
for the interest of the poor and down
trodden, but they are separated from
and unknown to each other. In this
detached state they only struggle to
accomplish nething and become ulti-
mately the inevitable prey of sharks.
The International invites them ire
spective of trade. race, sex or language, |
10 enregister themselves as co-operatingi
sections to its great embodiment in Or
der 70 receive and give reciprocal forces.
In this way it is. in many places, as in |
New York, realizing the moral and |
practical benefits that accure TO COOP
Grafton. The natural tendency of this |
society is to augment by aggsomsrafi0n
rather than growth. Its constituents
do not need to augment Their char
acter oftentimes as.exponents of speci-
&c objects win not admit of it, but the |