The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1870-12-17

Nature glits 70 man, ne mentions thu
melancholy fact that . during last year, fo
four months, not less than 300, 900 mer
walked the streets Of our cities and large
towns without employment and now, IN
midsummer, hundreds Of thousands are ask
ing for work and cannot obtain it." FL,
nquires-" What does this want Of employ
ment mean? 1t means that the nation losel
two dollars for every day each man is IN
employed. 1t means that want and misery
have entered the homes Of those who ough
to be happy. 1t means that it is driving
tens of thousands Of children as beggais up
on the streets, to press the cold SHOWS o.
winter with naked feet 1t means that wanI
AMI hunger are driving the wife and daugh.
ter Of the honest toiler to prostitution, and
making thieves Of the children Of honest
men, thus training thousands yearly for the
Penetentiary and the gallows." This suffer
ing and misery, be shows, do not come be-
cause there IS not enough to satisfy the
wants Of all. For while the heart broken
widow" he states, "fans into life the dying
embers Of the hearth, ten thousand tons Of
cool crop out from the banks Of the streams
untouched" While the suffering poor ask
vainly for bread, the rich valley and bill
side, with the far-stretcting prairie, are ever
ready to reward labor witt smiling fields of
corn" The halfnaked and shivering ask
in agony for clothing to protect them
from the winter storm, ana an answer is
borne from the cotton fields Of the South
and the plains where ten thousand AOcks
are pastured, Here is enough for all 7 Il"
He then asks, what has past legislation
done to avert these evils ? Has it re-
duced taxation "a has it saved Gods gift
the broad earth-for the humble settler
has it built up ruined commerce has it
abolished the tariff on tea, coffee, and other
necessaries of life? | think you will bear
me witness that, in these vital duties, our
Legislators have been found wanting" He
then proceeds to show what is the feeling in
the minds Of the workingmen throughout
the country. In all bis travels from State
to State, wherever he has mixed with the
great family of workingmen," he has
found I" the same 6rmness Of principle and
fixed determination 10 hereafter adhere to
and support the principles Of reform. 1t
would be an idle task" he says, to at
tempt to estimate the thousands Of converts
that have been made, while hundreds of
thousands are murmuring against the in
fanny Of the party in power and the imbe
cility aud cowardice Of the minority in Con-
gress, who differ with them in name, but not
on the great questions which concern the
intel ests and prosperity of the working men
and women OF our land. If | mistake not
the feelings of the masses, there have been
sown the seeds of a political rebellion
against the tyranny Of a moneyed power,
that will ere long sweep from the halls Of
legislation, both State and National, those
recreant and corrupt men who seem to be
ready and willing at all times to do the bid
ding of INSCRIPTIONS mOnOpolists and land
sharks, and who are at all times ready to
sacrifice the interest Of the laboring class for
place and power"
The campaign in Massachusetts last
year, where 1000 votes were cast Er the
workingmen's ticket, and which the North
Adams Chinese experiment will largely in
crease this year, and the vote in New
Hampshire, where a proper canvass could
not he made for want Of speakers snd neces-
sary fluids to pay the expenses Of travel,
point out to the President the necessity Of
devlslng some plan which will place more
means at the command of the National Labor
Union, and increase the number of actual
workers in carrying out the reform which
they propose to inaugurate. And this be
believes can be done in no such efficient
manner as to organize a distinct political
party, to be known and styled as "Tbe La
Dor Reform Party"
The address of the President was refer
red to a committee of six, five of whom ap-
proved Of the recommendation of organiz-
ing distinct political party, and referred it
to special committee Of one from every
State and Territory represented in the Con
gress, to be appointed BY the President.
In the deliberations of the Congress,
which lasted through SIX days, the powers
Of the shrewdest minds were persistentlv
taxed, to get resolutions before the meeting
which should provide adequate remedies
for our present class legislation. One reso-
luton was unanimously adopted, appointing
permanent committee of 6ve,t be select
ed by the Congress, who should constitute
for the ensuing year an international bu-
reau Of labor and immigration, in accord
ance with the recommendation Of the Inter
national Workingmen's Congress, held at
Basle, in Switzerland, last year And to
extend the usefulness Of this committee and
confirm their functions with the seal of ex-
ecutive authority, resolution was adopted,
declaring that ''as labor is the foundation
and cause of national prosperity, it is both
the duty and interest of the Government 10
foster and protect it J" and that sits i'm
Portance demands the creation Of an exec
utive department Of the Government at
Washington, to be denominsted the Depart
ment Of Labor, which shall aid in protect
ing it above all other interests"
"The anomalous condition of those Great
ing the wealth of the country, in being more
poorly clothed, domiciled, and fed, than the
class Of non-producers, was discussed. In
series of resolutions, wealth was declared
"the sole result Of productive industry, and
not in any sense a consequence of commer-
clal enterprise; and to prevent its undue
accumulation in the hands of non-produc-
ers, demand was made upon Congress for
the repeal Of all land grants made to rail-
road companies by former legislation, and
a universal limitation to eighty acres Of in.
dividual property in land. State legisla-
ton was also recommended, that will cause,
at the death Of each landholder, bis landed
estate to be divided in quantities, to each
heir say eighty acres, and the remainder "a
be sold to landless persons, and the proceeds
Of the sale to be given to the heirs"
The subject Of Land Re form was disposed
Of in the eighth resolution Of the platform,
which declared that ''the public lands Of
the Uunited States belong to the people, and