The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1870-04-02

men will fully recognize 1t, they will be
better prepared to fight the battle. Bal
timore is not the only place that rail-
making is carried on. The business
must be an extensive one, and carried
on in many other places. Is it not pos
sible for the men employed in this de-
partment OF industry to organize a ma
tional body, and give character and
potency to their actions? It is worth
trial Another lodge OF
THE KNIGHTS OF ST. CRIsPIN
Has been organised, making three
lodges OF that order in this city. The
one recently organized is composed Of
what is known as bench hands, makers
and filters on mems work. At recent
meeting the following gentlemen were
elected as officers:
Prendent-Robert Kenear.
Vice President Christian Weichart.
Recording Secrstasy-B. J. Murphy.
Corresponding Sscretcsy-P. Murray.
Fin. SecretGsy-Alex. Kenear.
Treassrer-James Gordon.
Doorkeeper-Peter McShane.
These officers are to be installed by
the grand deputy Of the x. 0. 8. c.,
Of this State, on next Monday night.
THE LABOR MOVEMENT AND THE NEGRO
VOTE.
The political cauldron is once more
commencing to bubble. This time the
struggle appears to be for the negro
vote" The question of right is waived
in presence Of the fact that they are
going to vote !; this is an accomplished
fact. 1t is condition Of things which
has been forced upon the citizens Of
this State. The right or the wrong
of it is not a question of to-day. The
future historian, in giving an impartial
history of this epoch, will seal the YER
dict, which will be handed down to
posterity. The fact is the negro il
going to vote in this State probably at
the next election. The Legislature.
which by the by is all Democratic in
view of this fact, has stricken out the
word "white" where it occurs in the
Registry Law, thus providing for their
regis aring next fall, so that the
Leaders of the Democratic party are
preparing to whip in the rank and file
of the Democratic masses of the State.
But then, though yesterday, it was not
Democracy to allow the negro to vote
yet to-day it is cardinal point in the
Democratic doctrine. 1t may be inter-
esting to know the strength of this new
element about to be introduced into
political life. 1t would be safe to esti-
mate the present negro population OF
the State at 18O, 900, out of which we
might sly there would be from 10000
to IL, 900 votes, allowing all who are
entitled to vote that privilege. But the
whole strength of the vote will not be
brought out at any one time. In fact
| it is not fair to presume that all will re-
gister, so that If there be 5000 colored
votes cast in the entire State it will not
materially affect the result. One hall
of that vote will, in all probability, be
cast in Baltimore city, and the question
with the workingmen is simply whether
they will pursue an independent
course, or enter the struggle for the
negro vote. The negro vote as may
be seen from the figures above is NOT
after all, such a great bone to contend
for. The whole vote might DO cast in
favor Of the Republican Party, and
then leave them largely in the minority
So far as we are concerned we might
leave the two parties to fight for the
bone, and they might end as did thu
great battle of the I" Kilkenny cats"-
be nothing left but their tails.
Now, the question for tha w0rking
man to settle is whether he has part
to belong to. Heretofore he has up
held the Democratic Partv, becarse i
opposed negro suffrage. But now the
leaders Of the party say to their follow
ers, oh F! we must make the negroes
vote available to ourselves, and as we
do the thinking and managing part Of
the business, all you have to do is to &C
it blind, like good and faithful Demo
crat, and so they do. 4 As for the Re
publican Party and its leaders, they
boot at the idea that the negro viii
vote for any party but itself. They say
they can afford to purchase all the
negroes in the State, and some white,
too, and thus the matter stands be
tween the two factions.
Let the workingmen organize anG
effect State organization. Let them
stand on the platform and principle,
Of the National Labor Union put forth
men in keeping with those principles
and they may step in between the two
factions. VERrTAs.