The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1870-08-13

A Little BEIEF AUTHORITY, &C-It is won
derful how radically changed are the opinion Of
most men, when circumstances combine TO ele
Vate them a tliAe shove their fellows in point Of
authority. Once workingman and a believer
in equitable wages for honest Joil-now a petit
capitalist, and a supporter If the doctrine thu b
laborer, in any department Of industry, hCud
be content TO work for his lodging and hi Ere
"A mans OpiHions il is said, emAnste fro, lis
heart and il is equally true that his heart IS he
voice of his sel6shness. It, promptings are the
creatures eff his cupidty, or such other of IT,
baser passions as are generated BY his instincts
and his associations. 1t il not even necessary
that MN sholld become capitalist, to for
ever deadsn his sympathiss for those Who like
himself, are dependent for their d,ily bread up
on their hands or their heads lie need lnly be
vested with little brief authority, and given q
brief kingdom TO dominate over, mtde an under
boss or a foreman. 1t is question whether il
be good policy to permit forcmen 20 continue
been elevated ~ to such position. Certainly
very few who rave had experience in such mat
tiers approve Of enlistiDg then into protective
organic atoms, of which they have not been mem
bers prior to their promotion. foreman or
petty "boss," il a sort Of middle man. between
the workman and his employer, generally e1-
pected by the latter 10 be vehicle Of cores
pondence between the two, to be a spy upon the
men, and tale bearer TO the "chief." There
are Put few Industrial institutions in which q
workman may be made a foreman, with
out endangering his manhood, which being so,
il is in no wise surprising that the ms ,rty OF
those willing tie accept trusts Of snch question
able honor, early learn to sympsthise with the
oppressor and to tyranize over the oppressed
We have IN this city an individual who, from
having been an ordinary workman, has been
made nine spotter in foundry, at quite lib
era salary. His opinion is thsta .molder is doing
we'll who makes nine dollars a week, while a la
borer whose earnings aggregate 81, so per week,
be thinks. has no reason to complain. 1t il a
question whether these sentiments accord with
those he entertained when he worked in the
sand hesp Hut he is out Of the "smut" now.
He is rung above tina: occupied
by the common workingmAn, and the raise has
aliensted bis prejudces, and transferred them
to new and higher allegiance. We have
supreme contempt for all such, yet are wo
compelled to confessitha. the change Of sphere
referred to so affects nearly ALL and not alone
a majority. Why it is so is easy 70 conceive.
That system which compels the consumer to
forego all but tn mere necessaries Of existence
and per consequence, keeps a vast number Of
would be industrious ones continually idle makes
it obligatory upon the wOrkingman, if he would
live, and furnish bis half starved FIRMLY with
the means Of existence, to underbid his fellow
in the disposal of his labor. A hungry man is
a foe TO console nce-and Just as long as We in
blind allegiance to a sordid, selfish policy,
which works profit to the few, and ruin 70 the
many, 50 long will there be hungry stomacbs,
their owners be on the alert for opportunities to
fill them, though in the transaction It is neces-
essary that they do violence to ;aeir sense of
right, and injustice to their fellows These
being anxious, let US instead Of longer await
ing for those who have the power to concede
justice where they now deny it, employ all our
energies 10 behalf Of the only plan that will
make honesty profitable. That suggested by
our yet feeble, but soon to be powerful organ
iIaton, the National Labor Union. Then we
can make honest men through the agency of
their consciences, and their stom9chs will be
fortified against the appeals Of the enemy.