The New York herald., 1871-11-25
The Now Party OF Lnbor Reformers-A
National ConveutIOu Called.

The Now Party Of Lnbor Referners-A
National Conveutlon Called.
From the manifestoes on the subject which
we publish from Washington to-day 1t ap-
pears that there are in this country general
organization Of worxingmen Of the Trade
Unions, known as the National Labor Union,
and another organization known as the Labor
Reform party; that the first named orsaniza-
ton has for its object the protection Of its
members in their various branches of labor,
without regard to party politics, aud that the
other is political party. We infer from the
National Labor Union manifesto that the labor
reformers. in issuing call for general labor
convention at Washington on the 5th of Decem-
Der, not only did so without authority Of the
Labor Union League, but for the purpose Of
drawing 1t into the party politics of the day;
and we infer from the manifesto of the labor
reformers that while they abandon their con-
vention, which they had called to meet in De-
cember. they intend to be present at the Labor
Union Convention Of February, at Columbus,
Ohio. in order to see If they cannot make 1t
face the music Of an independent Presidential
movement.
Thus speak the executive officers In behalf
of the labor reformers: They advise their
friends to give up their proposed December
Convention and ''to defer action in the prem
ises until the third Wednesday in February,
1872, and to meet then in Columbus, Ohio, and
organize and cooperate with the aforesaid
0fficnra and nauhara Of Tho National T.ah0r
Union, if found practicable, in constructing
platform Of principles suitable to the important
occasion, and in selecting standard bearers for
the next Presidential campaign, and to take
such further action as circumstances may
seem to require to sustain our cause" &C..
Thus the National Labor Union will be put
to the test at Columbus whether it shall or
shall not assume the new role of political
party. The Trade Unions Of the Uaited States
represent some three hundred thousand men,
nearly oil voters. If they could move together
as new political party they could undoubt-
edly WELD the balance of power in the elec-
ton. But they cannot move together, for half
of them politically believe in the democratic
party, aud the other half are stanch republ-
cans. The labor reformers, on the other hand,
are already a political organization. Last
spring, as an independent party, by taking
away from the republicans in New Hampshire
two or three thousand votes, they gave the,
State to the democrats; but in the late cleo
ton in Massachusetts,, where it was supposed
they might do something, they only polled for
their candidate for Governor some six thou
sand votes out of two hGndred thousand in
the State; and this, too, with oil the aid given
them by Wendell Phillips, General Butler and
the women's rights women.
Outside Of New England this labor reform
party has shown no signs of existence, aud
we do not suppose that without the aid
OF the Trade Unions these peddling labor
reform politicians will attempt anything in
the Presidential contest west or south
of Massachusetts. Their great object is
to rope in the trade unions and to use
them in the buying and selling of polti-
cal ofices but in this enterprise, for the
reasons we have suggested, we predict the
complete failure Of these so-called labor re-
formers. The first thing they demanded after
they had turned over New Hampshire to the
democrats, on account of radical dissatisfac-
tions on the Sumner aud st. Domin 90 questions,
was the lions share Of the paltry offices Sc
cured, and failing to get them, we suspect
that the disgusted labor reformers concerned
will 60 back to the republicans next spring.
Such faction of petty hucksters for Prcsi-
dental purposes is Of no account. But let US
wait and see.