The Portland daily press., 1871-09-18
IsAILY PRESS.
MD.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER is, 1871.


ram EOr w
The real workngmen OF Maine took no
part the in fictitious "Yorkingmen's move
10 mt" the in late campaign. They are 100
in eleeent to be drawn into scheme for re-
storing obsolete politicians to pu0llc hoVioo
Tiey know without entire certainty tnaC IL
tie sol diSGRt laborngman's candidates hau
been elected the condition of the toiilhg mas
ses in Maine would have been unimproved.
All the remedies proposed were quack rene
dies, none of them touching the genuine re-
form involved in giving to labor the fruits of
L. bor The only reform of value to working
men would necesstate change in the CON
dition OF the gentleman who assumed TO he
their leading candidate in the late canvass
which he is very far from contemplating in
any movement he voluntarily engages in.
There is vast difference between "worll
ingmen's movement" for the benefit of work
lngmen and one for the benefit of capitalists
Ike that which has just come to such a lame
nd.lmpotent Conclusion in this State.
But we hope to see growing out of the. late
dishonest scheme a genuine, earnest, radical
movement. Let our Maine workngmen take
hold of this enterprise in a more intelligent
spirit than their brethren in other States who
have been leo away by demagogues, like Gen.
Butler, who never hesitate to give them
stone for the bread they ask. Let them
adopt as the postulates OF their faith these
two infalbe truths:
First, that, other things being equal, the
laboring man is best situated in that country
that has the most democratic institutions.
Second, the great lever which the laboring
man must use in order 10 secure his rights is
the The education Of the masses.
The first practical thing to be done in pur-
suance of general purpose to elevate the
workngman is, therefore, to strive through
the agency of that political party which is
most democratic to secure uniuersdI educa-
ton. 1t is only by such means that men who
toll can gain that power of combination which
will enable them to become their own en-
ployers. It is only By such means that they
caa make the laboring and the capitalist
classes identical by making naked capital I'M
productive. orworking men who have not
that power of cooperation and mutual sup.
port JndI COMES OF general lnlelllSeuce capl-
tai will always prove more than match.
Thorough and universal corporation can be
the outgrowth of general intelligence alone,
and until that comes rutile reliance must be
had on "eight-hour laws" repeal of the tariff,
st. Crispn societies and other trades unions,
and the whole melancholy. list of worthless
quack nostrums.
Workingmen have hitherto always been
used by political parties. We would now like
to see them turn the tables, and use political
parties for their own purposes. The wisest
thing they can do in Maine is to begin an
agitation for educational reform through that
party, whichever it may be, that is naturally
predisposed in its power. The plan should be
to give the people of the State of Maine the
highest average intelligence ever attained in
the history of the world. Compulsory at
tendance and the enlargement of the sphere
of common schools so as to embrace the
training OF illiterate adults, would soon leave
within the limits of the state no class that
could be made to toll for small part of the
results of their efforts. We sincerely believe
that this is the only workingman's movement
that promises practical results, and this can
be only partially successful until the move
ment becomes national instead of local