The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1870-03-19
CHICAGO AND PHILADELPHIA,
RAUmDAV March 10 IR70
DEMOCRACY va LABOR RKFORM

DEMOCRACY va LABOR REFORM
Our attention has been called to an.
article in PoMERoY's DEMOCRAT, Of
March I6, under the caption of " The
Labor Reform Platform Identical vith
True Dsnlocrdcy,' in which the writer
asserts, and undertakes 10 prove that
the principles embodied in the Platform
Of the National Labor Union are the
same as those which have been ad~
vOcated by the leaders of the Demo
cratic party. He says:
"There 10 not plank 10 the Labor platforms
that should not be a cardinal principle Of the
Democratic party. Indeed, when we read the
speeches Of the Workingmen Of tnis and other
States against the financial and political abuses
Of the times, II would appear 40 If Democract
had found its last refuge and home 10 the rankf
Of labor. The WOrkingmen are the representa-
tiveS Of Democracy as 1t vas" .
Well, Mr.. PomerOy, while we fully
endorse the statement that "there ie
not a plank in the labor platform which
SHOULD NOT be a cardinal principle
of the Democratic party, and Repubu
lican party too, as a tree is known by
its fruits, we hardly think that even s.
party devotee, acquainted with the hiss
tory Of either will dare assert that
such has been the case. This is s
practical age. We must deal with
matters as we find them, not as we
would have them. The fact that the
principles referred to should have been
incorporated into the Democratic faith,
while they have been repudiated and
openly denounced by its representa-.
tive members, is PrImG tGcie evidence
that, as party, it has, and has had, No
sympathy with the claims or aspira-
tons of the toiling masses. While if
IS true that many Of the rank and file,
which gave it vitality-its former pres
eminence-were 10 be found in the
army of labor-it is equally true that
the jerrymandering crew, who usea
them as their tools, and shaped it's
policy, were men, or rather apologies
for men, who had no sympathy what.
ever with the interests of those whosh
favors and votes they courted. Nay,
further-had the Democratic party, in
the days of its power, been true to iss
professions, the Labor Reform Move
ment would have yet to be insug0-
rated. It's criminality-its Perfdy-ts
the more contemplate, because of lis
pretensions. Claiming to be the
friend of labor, it proved itself to BIZ
its most insidious foe The hands were
the hands Of Jacob, but the voice was
the voice Of Esau.
Again, we assert that as many De-
mocratic as Republican votes, both 10
our State and National Legislatures,
have been cast against meagl intra-
duced during the past ten years, in the
interests Of the producing classes, and
that the record will prove such to be
the fact. The claim that the hoarS-
headed skin-Aint-the persecutOr ef
honest labor-CorneIius Vanderbilt, ar
the equally notorious money-changipg
scallawag, August Belmont, care airy
more about the interests of working
men, than the willing tools Of capitsI,
who framed the Republican platform
in this city, is too preposterous 10
merit even denial and yet these are
types Of the class Of men who are
now shaping, and who have shaped,
and who will, doubtless, continue 10
shape the destiny Of the Democratic
party.
No, no, Mr.. POmeroy, the truth msy
as well be told. The Democratic party
is dead the Republican party IS dTsg,
and God speed the day when both Will
occupy common grave. The LatIor
Reform party must and will becorae
the party Of the future. On its success
the welfare, the perpetuity Of our ineti-
tutiOns depends. Its principles, founded
on the rock Of truth, must prevail, .or
else self government must prove a fail
ure. ''The cOwardly and halfhearted
policy makers, who continue to trail
The party in the leashes Of bondho ldsrs
and cOrruptionists, whose very exist
ence depends upon the degradation Of
labor" are, unfortunately, the very
men whose policy is regarded as The
policy Of the Democratic party, and
whose action is accepted and defended
by the organs Of democracy and it is
questionable to-day which party-she
Democratic or the Republication
boast of the largest number of dough
faces in its ranks.
In the contest upon which we have
entered we recognize but two parties t.
the robbers and the robbed, those who
labor and those who live off the pro-
ceeds Of others labor. The man who
belongs TO the former class-whether q
Democratic or Republican robber4-is
the enemy of the labor reform move
ment' In the language of the address
just issued
: On me one side are arrayed the bspk ~
usOrets, tPec1latOrs, those who live by pretspr
upon ,ne producing classes through subtitle fipcsI
dOmain On the other side are the an,a.I pgS'c
wealth producing classes, in all departmen,s df
useful labor, calling or profession-in t. 80
all who earn n LIVING nv houo.. ;.A.- "SruS