The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1871-01-28

; 2 JourneVu en-. IL was my opinion
men, as It Is now. that if their case went
before the different unions, ID would be
voted down, and in great measure tend n
Or'og eee RutiOwal VniUu iuto disresnact
amongst the subordinate unions. Thor..
lore, thought it my best and only coursa
to not submit their grievances 10 tbe d;fF.r.
ent unions
Towards tie middle Of June the emDlov-
ers In CiDcinnatl tried the second tima n
reduce the wages, but after short strugri0
OF nine days, again were compelled 70 desist
10 their design to reduce the wages. Tbera
was a prospect Of trouble in Pittsfeld.
Mass, No. 4, growing out OF the trouble
j caused by non-anion man refuuinp ii ~.
1ome member OF Iha union. The men
quitting work on account Of guch refusal,
the employers threatened 10 prosecute under
the conspiracy Law. ! was notified Of the
trouble, but when the notification arrived I
was absent organizing union in Lancsv-
ter, Ohio. On my return home I immedi-
ately wrote for all particulars, but fortu-
nately the thing was never after mentioned
In their correspondence.
Before 4 finish under this head, allow
me TO thank the officers Of Union No. 6.
Of New York (Albany) for the very eea.
tlemanly manner with which correspondence
with me was carried on during their trouble,
and even after had concludt not To call
toe aid 10 their case, the same Reutlemanly
feeling existed to the end, and no one felt
more pleased at their final triumph than L.
Strikes should be avoided as much 40
possible, as experience has taught many OF
us that an unsuccessful strike in n good
many instances has had the effect Of partial
demoraliEation or total extinction Of the
union. We are living in An age Of prog
ress, and the working people OF this coun-
try are becoming more educated every
year, and the more we feel the influence Of
such education. the less our almost annual
CONCEPTIONS With our employers. / Am
sorry to say that oftentimes strikes are in
sugursted through hasty Legislation on the
part Of the union striking, and even il the
strike be s1ccessiul, there are always some
regrets on the part Of nemberu, who, hav-
ing taken prominent part i'm the Strike by
their official position or otherwise, are sacri-
hO~A W tIC OtAtCtuCr5-OA LUG CDpiUVtfH WUOn
feeling sore under defeat, take this method
Of revenge.
l would. therefore, advise that some
steps be taken to compel unions under our
Jurisdiction to notify employers, ut the first
meeting in J=nuaTy Of their respective uni
Ons, to establish the wages for the ensuing
year, and notify the employers Of such 40
ton, thereby enabling them to contract for
work to suit the wages Of jOurneymsD, and
ut the same time take from The employer
his great arm of defense IN the spring,
rauaely, that be was not notified before tax
ing his contracts
You must not infer from these remarks
Of mine, that am opposed to strikes as
,RerIyal thing far from v, MS there nre
eases occur lOhs6aG7 sReEsI sINds2 7f 2 !,
resist the constantly encfOschise influence '
Of money and capital, OF degrade them
selves to the level of slavery Every man
has free right 70 make the most he can cut
Of his labor, and no man or class OF men
have the right to dictate to the be est son of
toll ~ 10 bow mach he shall receive as an
equivalent for bis daily labor
II will be remembered that the appeal
for AID issued by President Gaul, for the
assistance of Unions No. 10, Of New York
and No. /, Of New Jersey, and ratified BY
the last convention. was but very beebly re-
sponded to at the time, and as the financial
condition OF both those unions were in
bad condition, owing 10 the heavy draws
made on their respective turasmViee, TO
maintain themselves under their dVfHiculties,
4 caused an address to be issued immedi-
ately after the adjournment of the cOnven-
ton, calling for voluntary aid for those uni
ons. For the resuk of the call Rnancirilv.
| refer you to the treasnrer's report
also called on those unions which had
not, up TO the time of our last convention,
to the call Of President Gaul Of
the SPECIAL tax Of eight cents for relief Of
No. 3, Of New jersey, and Of which Spe-
cial mention was made in the late Presi.
dents report am sorry to inform you
that there are unions still in arrears ON that
call / would, therefore, most respectfully
urge on this convention the necessity Of nc
once seeing 20 the matter and compelliDg
those unions, who mp to the present time
have NOT paid their quota ON that cal, to do
SO Immediately, thereby enabling the New
York union 10 square up its accounts with
Union No, 8, Of New Jersey.
| would urge 90 you the necessity Of
extending the time between our sessions.
As at present constituted we cannot have q
full representation, owing to the expenses
annually incurred by local unions i'm send
ing representatives, to conventions bsid oft.
en- far away from their locality. There 10
another reason why our sessions should be
extended the fact Of our annual expenses
being such that we must always keep on
heavy tar to meet the demands On the treas
ury. There is no doubt in my mind that
If the sessions were extended to every two
years, in place Of yearly, an at present, w.
would BE- able to curtail our expenses one
half, thereby reducing our present heavy
tax Of FIFTY cents TO mt least fifteen or mot
more than twenty cents on each msmber.
The saving TO the local unions would be 90
great that the difference In taxation during
the interim would enable sll unions 70 rep
resent themselves at every session Of The
convention. / know TO my own knowledge
Of unions which, under the system Of yearly
conventions have 10 tax themselves heavily
to enable them to represent themselves
yearly. This IL matter Of great import
anoe to our future good government, and As
the matter has been ably brqnRht before
the convention Of last year by my preds-
oessor in Office, | will not enlarge at pres
art an the subject. but leave the matter 10
the assembled wisdom Of the present ses-
sion to act on as in their judgment they
NAV see fit for the future welfare Of our or
ganization.
There has been, since the establishment
Of our organization n feeling in some local
tiles against our exclusiveness. as q purely
bricklayers' organiaatisn. especially in those
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