The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1870-04-16
An IMPORTANT INQUIRY.

"A ;irlenu Wrlung from Nasnvhle,
Tennb enclosing an order for thirty
three copies Of THE ADVOCATE, says:
81 veg to Inform you that 1 am Secretary of
the Torkingmans Protective Association
Brarch No. 9. Of Nashville. We started this
Associa alton, Jan. IS. 1870. with eighteen mem
bers I'VE now number fOrty-two. .
If ydu would give us q little encourage menI
sdv isihg our members the way to be successful
and how to get WOrkingmen to take more in
teI est d. the laws of our country would be be-
slowing great favor on our branch, 40 the most
Of OuH members are very dif6dent, aud afraid to
speak, out their thoughts l have persuaded
them 10 introduce debating into the socie y,
that II, for one 10 write on some subject, the
rest II give their views on it, tour 6rst subject
is 10 Ne Andy JOhnsor). ia order to make the
meetings interesting. What do you think Of il
TIE question our friend asks, is one
which we have probably been asked
thousand times before. The man
whol solves it, solves the labor problem.
Thi5 we think the employers are doing
MORE effectually than the editor IF the
WoaKINGMAN's ADVOCATE, or any
other Advocate can do for them. "Ex-
perience is the best teacher" says an
old age, and if our workingmen will
keep their arms folded little longer
unta the web, which is now weaving to
enctFcle them in their meshes is com,
pleped, until they are bound hand and
foot to the car Of capital, we believe
they will stake a little more interest in
the, framing of the laws of our country"
The thumb screws will waken them to
REPENTANCE, nothing else apparently
car. The man who shows them their
dshger and warns them Of it; who at
teIhpts to convice them that their day
ofErace is fast passing away that they
arf blind to their best interests that
the opportunity they are neglecting is
one that can never be recalled, and
THAT they have now the power. if they
he We the desire to protect the interests
of labor, is ranked as q demagogue,
while the teachings of the lackey-the
mputhpiece of capital-pensioned to
mi srepresent and deceive, is accepted,
ard workingmen to their shame be il
satd, become their own oppressors, by
Ell dorsing the men, and the principles
Which create the evils Of which they
complain.
1t is long lane. however, which has
nj turn. Bye and bye, in the glorious
future in which our national domain
wall have become the exclusive pro.
p+rty of railroad and other corpora
tipns when the 4" honor and obligation
Of the country"-viz. : the national
dhbt-shall have succeeded in mort
gsging it's labor for a century
I'd come, in order to satisfy the de-
u;ands Of the shylocks; when bar
barian hordes-eheap Id6Or-will have
driven the American workman from the
market, in spite of our mutual sdmira-
tibn societies,we may look for concerted
aftion among the working Glasses.
When the iron hand of necessity CON-
pth them, they will know what to do,
and how to do it. Starvation and de-
g-adation will force them to reflection,
reflection will lead to conviction, con-
vsction to conversion, conversion to ac-
ton, action, perhaps, to rsrOiGtton.
Workingmen as an ounce of Preven-
ton is worth pound Of cure, why not
take time by the forelock; exercise the
theans which God and nature have
Placed. within your power noU, and
fhus secure to your children and your
qhildren's children, the inestimable
blessings which the founders of our
Government intended should flow from
IFS establishment.