The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1870-06-18
FROM PENNSYLVANIA.
LOST CREEK. June 4, 1870

TIE GREAT LABOR CHAMPION X. +. TREVELLICk
IN THE Coal REGION, OF SCHUYLKnL COUNTY,
PENNSYLVANIA.
It is with pleasure ! take the re-
sponsibility Of informing you that the
world renowned r. F. Trevellick, Pre-
sident Of the National Labor Union,
paid as visit last week in this County.
He spoke here on Thursday night June
End, to a large concourse of people
who had gathered for some miles
around. After the meeting was called
to order by Mr.. Donaldson, our County
President, Mr.. Jno. Siney, spoke very
eloquently amid great cheers.
Mr.. Trevellick was then introduced
to us. He said:
Mr.. CHAIRMAN AND FELLow-W DIRK
INGMEN: 1t does not become me to
enter into details of the strike in
SchuylkiM Co., as Mr.. Siney under
stands the position of affairs better
than / do, and / believe has explained
them to your satisfaction. l shall
speak for short time upon labor .
rights, and Labor's sOrongs.
It is not every one who tolls in hard
physical labor that is the only producer
there are men i'm offices who toll, others
who study the principles Of steam &c.
all these are laborers, the street cleaner,
the hod carrier, and the man riding
aloft in the ship yards are all equal
What is labor ? Is it curse or is it q
blessing? / say labor is like food il
used wisely it is blessing, and Vscs
versa. The earth in its swift motion il
always working. the whole creation
proclaims intelligence and work
Therefore work is right, honest, and
necessary. What has work done
Look at the locomotive putting through
the valleys and over the rnountain-tops
look at that large belt of iron bind
ing the Pacific golden sands to the
Atlantic billows-thIs proclaims the
march of intelligence.
When the capitalists talk Of our as
sociations, they say we have not the In
telligence amongst us, and | say they
are fools. The trades unions of old
Spain and France handed it over to
us. 1t was through the combined
power Of the hardy sons of toll that
Washington made that glorious strike
that shattered the letters Of nation.
The laws to-day are PROSTATE to the
bulls and bears of Wall street. Sup
pose the half Of your number that
stands before me should meet in New
York, or Philadelphia, to stand on the
street and obstruct the pathway, what
would be the consequence ? The
policeman would quickly give you a
tap ON the head with the black jack,
and tell you to keep moving. Since
have come amongst you l am greatly
surprised at the way you conduct your.
selves through this great struggle-in
morality and as law-abiding citizens
you are equal to any class of men in
the country. When we are told that
labor has no right to dictate to capital,
and when capital resorts to all manner
and means 70 rob labor Of that which
rightly belongs to it, the only way
is to strike, though it is the last
means that / wish workingmen to resort
to. l will say now as have ever said
before, never enter into strike il you
possibly can do without it
Why do you 60 before your respec-
tive churches and there bow before the
living God? 1t is because you are in
duty bound to serve him, and because
he is your Creator. Therefore, as labor
is the creator of capital, say labor
should not bow to capital / do not
mean TO say that capital has no rights,
but let us follow the Golden Rule,
"Do unto others as you would they
should do unto you"
Why is it that the majority OF the
men that toll live in poverty, while.
them that does nothing lives in
affluence and ride fast horses? Why
is it that some Of our public women
who have once been as pure and spOtless
as the wife would die to defend, have
become so degraded as to eli the houses
of ill-fame in and around our large
cities Il Is simply because capital
robbed labor of its ust demands.
Miners, as other classes of industry
work from early morn till late at eve,
until you are tired aud weary, your
hearts beating and throbbing, and
wearing away your very existence, and
all of this to support the tens Of
thousands of loafers.
We long to see humanity and more
especially the working people Of the
nineteenth century on higher level,
and to mingle in society Of which they
should be the ornaments thereof 1t is
said by some if the hours Of labor
should be shortened the men would be
more addicted to drink, but when the
hours were shortened at Du Quoin, ILL.,,
there was not as much whiskey sold in
month as there was in three days
previous to then.
A tired body cannot think with pro-
lit to himself, and since labor has been
shortened there has been more inven
tons made in the last fourteen years
than in one thousand years heretofore.
Mans time ought TO be divided equally
for work, sleep, and recreation. After
having travelled four times round the
globe, have found less drunkenness
and immortality in Schulykill Co., IN
spite Of all the tales that it was infested
with Molly Maguires, Buckshots, &c,
than any other place, considering the
disadvantages under which you are
laboring. ! hope you will be repre-
scented in the next Labor Congress in
Cincinnati, and that the w. b. \. will
join hands with other mechanics &c,
to march onward to victory. Maintain
morality as you have done heretofore !;
do not commit an act Of which your
association will be ashamed of. With
he weapon of truth unitedly 60 on
ward as The forerunner Of peace to all
Al 1o-lr0nOO IS