The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1871-05-13
FROM HEW YORK.

NEW YORK CTrY, MAJ Sd, 1871.
To shs EdItss q Ne wsaEuOHAHs ADvOoArs.
/ have noticed in your paper that you
and some Of our Ohio friends are under
the impression that the resolutions con-
eerning the admission of cooperative
associations in the workingmen's union
was adopted by that organization,
which was mot the case. The journey
men printers cooperative association
elected delegates 70 the workingmen's
union last January, and were admitted.
Afterwards it was questioned by some
if the union had q right to admit coop
eratlve associations, M it was mot clear
ly expressed in the constitution. The
subject was referred to committee and
the conmihse reported adversely AZ
you have published but the report
was not adopted. At the time the re-
port was made there did appear TO be
q majority in favor Of adopting the re-
port, and it would have been adopted
bad not the friends Of CO operation en-
gagged the time until the hour of ad-
journment arrived, and then it went
over TO come up M unfinished business.
/ deem it just TO say that l think the
delegates to the workingmen's union
have given the question more careful
consideration. since the report was
made, and hope to see il defeated and
the printers delegates hold their seats.
The opposition Seems TO argue from the
same stand point that our Ohio friends
do, namely: that no trade should be al
lowed more than its apportionment in
the representation, but this is too mar
row u view Of the question. If we
have no more confidence in each other
than to suppose that The object Of send
ing delegates from q cooperative asso.
citation ID for purely selfish purposes,
then we do not understand that com
mon interest which should bll.sas W TO-
gether.
1t 10 wrong TO say it is n double del.
egation, and that such q trade is trying
to monopolixe the influence of the union
Typographical union sends her thret
delegates to represent the wages por
tiOn-to represent their interest, and
the 90 operative association sends its
delegates TO represent the principle OF
co operation. For the last ten years
no meeting of workIngmen, of any con
/ ~.Ia-.hl. nu~.ha- H. rnoA - -h;rh - =
question Of corporation has not been
mentioned and strongly recommended
resolutions have been adopted in its
favor. The regularly organized bodies,
such rs the State Workingmen's AS
sembly and Workingmen's Union Of this
city, the Monroe County Assembly, and
other representative organizations have
promised to aid, encourage and protect
oil cooperative enterprises, and here we
End one applying for admission, willing
to comply with all the provisions Of the
constitution, aud an attempt is made to
give it the cold shoulder, and on the
plea that the trade will have q double
delegation. What In Gods name does
il matter If they had q hundred dele
gates? That ia the point | want an
swered. Are we to suppose they are
going TO run everything into eo-opera-
ten? If 50 the sooner we have the
hundred delegates the better.
five, ON the other.. hand, fear there
will be double dealing and trickery and
sill that, then it 10 about lime the or
gsnization was dissolved, for such SEN
timent do not speak well for the morale
of the delegates. If al were honest
there would be no such thoughts, and
no such motives attributed. / am in
favor Of cooperation, and / want the
principle to be represented in the work
ingmen's union-especially when the
association seeking representation has
been successful. 40 we can learn some
thing useful and advantageous. The
journeymen printers organized their
association in 1854, believe, at q time
when the trade was on q strike. The
employer said that he could not pay
the scale demanded, and twenty-five
journeymen asserted that they knew bet.
ter, and they then started their coop
erative principle, they paid the full
scale which the employer refused 70 do
and they have not only continued to pay
the scale ever since, but are paying tire,
and four dollars per week more than
the scale, besides increasing the stool
and capital from year to year, which il
. credit to them and q standing proc
that the employer could have paid in
1854 the scale demanded. IL is splen
dad success, and /, bricklayer, feel
proud Of it, and everywhere Trades
Unionists should feel the same way, fol
il 10 an honor in which We may all strive
il we are not TOO selfish and jealous
Then again, considerable Is said about
il being chartered and joint stock and all
that, but that In the weakest argument
against it Of al. There 10 no class OF
human beings that have less faith or
will use less than workingmen, and l
can hardly blams them for they are a
prey to every one. Before q working
man win invest he must FIRST be assur-
ed that he will not sustain any loss and
that all parties handling the money are
honest and bound BY good securities
If there 10 no organisation, he viii want
until there IN ONE, and after 1t is organ
ised he win ascertain its length and
depth, and al its power &C.. and when
hs finds that 10 IN Incorporated can be
sued and szs, that officers can be bound
and ths securities sued, then no 10 in
spired with more sOn6dsnce and regards
it i'm difEerant light IL must be in
corporatsd. There must bs limit 10
the ssock!s limit to capital. and rules
and regulations for the protection o.
1 och mamher. md it il ahsnrd 70 aAE 60