The Portland daily press., 1871-08-21

Mistakes of the Labor Reformer..
OF PARIS.

Mistakes Of the Labor kefOrmers.
There has been no progress made in this
State so far by the Labor Reform party. This
is probably because in Maine large majority
OF the working people are engaged in agricuL
ture, and belong as much to the capitalist as
to the laboring class. But with the increase
OF manufactures and of operatives there will
no doubt be an extension of this now powerful
organization into this State, and we, too sha
have third paaty made up of Labor Reform
ers. 1t becomes, therefore, interesting and
important to take notice of what thew are
doing in other States
The most obvious consideration is the great
mistake Labor Reformers have made in some
OF the States in accepting Democratic al
nance. After the current political questions
are settled, and the time for that long antici-
ipated but not yet realized reorganization of
parties has fully come, nothing would be more
natural than for the reorganization to take
place on the English plan, and for the two re-
suitant parties to be, like the English Wings
and Tories, the one liberal and progressive
and the other conservative and reactionary
whatever the subject of controversy may be
at any particular time. 1t is only the acciden-
TAI circumstance that so tremendous an evil as
slavery existed in this country that caused
parties in these later years to be founded on
single special difference of opinion, instead
@of on the more general controversy which di-
vided the old Federal and Republican parties.
After all the questions growing out of slavery
and the war are settled, we shall unquestion-
ably have the old universal types restored,
and in that event the Republican party will
naturally furnish the basis for the liberal
and progressive party. Its attitude being
such as it is toward the special question
now engrosslng its attention, it must have
liberal tendencies generally. Now the signif-
canoe OF such conjectures to the Labor Re
formers is this: In America, as in England,
the reforms sought by the progressive party
are nearly always those that have for their
primary purpose the amelioration of the con.
dition OF the working people and the abridg-
ment of the powers Of monopolies and privi-
lodged classes; on the other hand, it is the
conservative party that upholds class privi-
AN5Sot "hU iOoAobo Oil uOtClAcuLS 10 remove
the limitation Of the poor m.ln's rights. BY
allying themselves with the party of reaction.
either directly or by diverting votes from its
opponents, the Labor Reformers are paving
the way for the continued futility of their et-
forts. We will not stop to consider with how
much sincerity they suppose themselves well
coined to fellowship with party that was for
years based on the idea of the ownership of
laboring men by capital and that still main
tains precarious existence as the means by
which it is hoped TO save the fragments of the
old man-owning oligarchy. We will not stop
to point out the obvious fact that the unnat
ural league is sought by Democrats merely as
one method of breaking down hostile polit-
cal organization. But Labor Reformers are
strangely blinded to the fact that such affili-
atoms are doing them incalculable harm by
indoctrinatipg them with Democratic theo-
ries, which are absolutely antaeonistic to
those that must prevail before the laboring
mans day can come. There is but one spe-
ciflc for the ills of which workingmen COM
PLAINTIFF education of the masses. This be-
ing given, all other things needful will SURELY
be added. But Democracy disapproves of the
education Of the masses. Even in Maine we
find our Democratic papers resisting all kinds
of educational reforms, Democratic caucuses
unanimously resolving against them
and State Conventions brought almost
to the same point. In New York
still more deadly blow is struck at educa-
ton by giving the public funds into the hands
of religious denominations that hold secular
instruction to be an unmixed evil and teach
laboring men only an unreasoning obedience
to the clergy and the criminality of indepen-
dent thought. ln!the South the Democracy
have not yet given up their hostility to even
the establishment of schools. Such being the |
attitude of the Democracy, we find in no La
Dor Reform platform, speech, newspaper arti-
Gle or resolutions, any importance attached
to this one specific remedy. In its stead we
find such quack prescriptions such mere
snares and decisions as their perfidious Dem
ocratic allies have prepared for them. A paper
reputation of a part of the nation
al debt by paying it in legal tenders, few gen.
eralllles about monopolies- these, and an in
cldental VOID about cooperation, the only |
practical device of any importance vet pro-
posed for the more equitable distribution of
the fruits of toll, are the propositions with
which Labor Relormers come before the peo-
Pile for their first national campaign. In
stead of placing themselves in harmony with
hose honorable and progressive principles ]
which will underie the great Radical psr.
he future, in the triumph of who 10y u
My hope of lettering their - 10 .non
re unbann;,v ftti,c, condition, they
ools and slaves themselves to be the
will sucn- . of our American Tories who
ICED the democracy.