The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1871-02-18
WHAT rs THE NATIONAL LABOR
UNION

Tie recent action Of number Of
our National organizations in declining
TO send delegates to the next session of
the Labor Congress, must have been a
painful surprise 10 the officers and
members Of that body, as well as 10 it,
friends throughout the country, anG
while ID il neither our desire nor de,
sign TO impugn the motives of the del.
egates heretofore sent, in making thel3
reports, which have generally been q
a disparaging character, honor and
duty alike compel us 10 take exception,
to their action. To cheertHlly cOnced9
to others the same right that We clairs
for Ourselyes-the right Of private judg
meut-ls neither magnanimous nos
meritorlous, but to remain passive Will.
these charges and counter charges are
INDUCED il, would be cowardly in TIE
last degree.
It is easy for a class of refOrmcrs tc
pooh, pooh the actions Of these bodies
in severing their connection with tbt
unions; their werical Importance, tie
character Of the delegates so reporting
and orr respec, Tor them, precludes x
from endorsing or adopting such a
course. Aud disagreeable as the tasl
may be, We can only refer to the obiee.
lions presented, examine their merits,
and as far as possible show their ground
LsSness and a6s1Tdity.
The National Labor Union is essea-
italy a political organization, estab-
lished for the purpose Ut securing IL
the people that recognition of their
rights winch the class legislation Of tie
past ha, persistently denied their.
This cardinal principle was eCognized
at the initiative assembly held in Ba1-
timore in 1866, and was subsequently
re-afhrmed at Chicago, New York Phil
adelphia and Cincinnati; yet strange
as it may seem, we find those from whom
better should he expected, 0bjectlDg 10
association with il on those very
grounds.
1--WE have been led into these re.
marks by the action of the BricklaY-
ers'and Cigar Makers International Tn.
ions, and also Of the New York Work
Ingmen's Assembly,in laying a molten
to be represented at the next Congress
on the table. We clip from the pro-
ceedings. The following is the report
Of committee on officers reports sub
mitted at the Cigar Makers Convt.n-
tlsn, held in Syracuse, New York, last
September:
Second, That your committee thinks it'ln-
eXpedlen hereafter to have guy more connGc
ton with the Labor Congress, for the reaton
OF It being an entirely political institution end
no benefits deriving therefrom.
Your committee would therefore recommend
That We, the CigarmakerS' International UBian.
do not send any more representatives To Che
National Labor Congress, ard that the action
taken by the international Union Al is regular
session providing for represents tion in the Ma
tional Labor Congress for the term Of Two
years, be hereby resciDded
In the Bricklsyers' Convention the
following action was taken:
motion vss made that delegate be so-
pointed 10 represent the National Union of
iV he Tah.
which was TO assemble in the city Of St. Low.
After much discussion this matter was lgid
on the table
While in the proceedings Of the New
York Workingmen's Assembly, this
report appears /
Mr. Graham, Of Rochester. sssu,osd H.
char temporarily, while tbs President Nj
JessuP, gave au interesting, and at inns
mighty amusi-g, tcc INT or his experienca -
the National Labor Congress, held at Cinci1-
natl last summer From his observa,iop NJ
thoughtit Was political dodge to win yo,.s
ana did not meet his appreciation
In looking over the proceedings Of
the previous conventions, we find these
bodies to have been represented re-
spectively by Messrs. O'Keeife, Laviae
and Jessup. The first named delegate
was also pr esident Of his national y,r-
gonlzation, though we believe he did
not attend the Congress; Mr. LsviQe
was and is ViCe-President of the Ca
gar Makers International Union, ard
Mr.. JessuP has just been reelected FIR
the third time to the responsible pos
ton ot President of the New York
Worklngmen's Assembly. We repeat
therefore, that the detection Of the D -
CARNATIONS thus referred to. is too seri-
ous a matter to be slightly passed oyeS.
and it behoOves every We'll wisber If
the cause TO examine the reason ,harl
fer. They were represented bv int.I-
ligent gentlemen, who doubtless had
the welfare Of their constituents I,
heart as much as those who differed
and still differ from them. Their d.
vOJon to the cause Of labor, precludts
the idea chat disappointed anbitlon,ih-
huenoed then statements, and If it had
the intelligence of their constituents.