The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1872-08-31

covering monuments OF h0r Rr0Axne8B were
reduced to ashes, and her people, once o
proud and naughty race, to serfdom and
degradation
The almost invinGble armies of Napo-
leon, the Conqueror, marched triumphant
ly over more than thirty bloody fields OF
carnage, and yielded not until met by q
superior organisatiOng under the leadership
Of Sir Arthur Wellesly, Duke of yelling
ton, upon the field OF Waterloo, on the
18th of June, A. d. 1875, France soon
commenced the work of Reorganization,
and finally recovered from the severe blow
received on Belgiums battle-ground.
Flfty-hve years elapsed, when France once
more reached the zenith Of her glory and
prosperity. But she was doomed to anoth-
or humiliation and downfall. The lesson
learned at Waterloo was forgotten. Di-
vision and dissension had once more com
menced gnswing at her vitals The sui
| cldal work of Reorganization was rapidly
progressing IN France, while the work Of
Organisation and fertilization was being
| RAPIDLY pushed in Germany The time
approached two armies Of equal strength
and courage found themselves arrayed
against each other. Four months had
hardly come and gone when the powerful
army If the French was conquered, the
people subJugated, large portion of their
territory taken from them, the Emperor
driven from his throne, the Empire chang
ed to Republic, (D and President inau-
gurated over forty millions of people, while
the blood of thousands Of Frenchmen was
gushing in torrents through the streets Of
Paris, and to-day Prussia is receiving her
1 Vt.tllt.na &c Al
France. All this is attributable solely to
the superior organization Of the Prussian
army 1t is self-evident truth that or
ganZation always has and always will
triumph over disorganization and what
is true Of armies and nations, is equally
true Of classes Recently, the building
trades Of New York city made move
Inent for reduction in the hours Of labor
from ten to eight per day, and being arm
ed with the formidable weapon Of organi-
zation were entirely successful As a
reward for their unity, they are now
receiving from four to five dollars per
day Of eight hours while the men be-
longing to the unorganized trades are
working for an average of less than one
half the amount paid to the members OF
the organized building trades. The iron
and metal workers Of New York, seeing
the success achieved by the building trades,
called mass meeting, at which it was
agreed to made a demand for reduction
in the hours of labor to eight per day.
Active preparations were at once com
menced. The leaders of the movement
felt sanguine of success, yet little did
they dream that instead of an organiza-
ton fully armed and equipped, they were
but a multitude gathered together upon
the impulse Of the moment, with but
little training and no stability, to engage in
q gigantic struggle in which even the most
thorough and perfect organization should
have hesitated to embark But, as could
have been expected, the contest had hard
ly begun when things commenced going
heller skelter, the raw recruits began to
waver, and finally desertion became the
order Of the day. Victory was within their
grasp, when the men surrendered to an IL
nOmIniOus defeat. Seventy nine shops
had conceded to the demands Of the work
men, but are now going back on the old
system, and all for the want or lack Of or
ganization. Any one who will take the
pains to compile summary Of the eight
hour struggle in New York city will find
the following to be the result
Brick-layers and stone-cutters thorough
ly organized, engaged In a contest for re
duction in the hours Of labor to eight per
day came out victorious with the following
result Eight hours per day, $500. The
machinists and blacksmiths, unorganized,
engage in a contest for reduction in the
hours o. labor to eight per day came cut
Of the fight branded with an ignominous
| laSanA E,I IT.
hours per day, $3.50.
| REHABILITATION.
/ Brick lsyers and stone-cutters . 5 hours 6 90
MAchinsts and blacksmith. 10 hours. ..-.-. = 80
The difference. ............. h0uu, o. so
We now ask the machinists and black
smiths Of New York city, how much
longer will they stand aloof from our or
ganlzation How much longer will they
continue to labor for starvation prices
How much longer will they close their ewes
to the indisputable fact that through or
ganlzatlon alone can they hope to better
their condition. How much Io-c-r will
the machinists and blscksmiths Of Ameri-
cs-men who should occupy position in
the 'front.' rank of the worlds mechanics-
continue 10 grovel in the dust and pick up
the crumbs that fall from the tables Of men
whose wealth they produce How much
longer will they allow the spirit Of indiffer-
ence to prevail while their trades are sink
ing fast beneath the common day laborer
and operative How much longer will they
permit the spirit Of contention and jealousy
to pervade their ranks
Fellow craftsmen, we beg Of you to throw
aside these accused things, and unite with
US under one flag and for common pur-
pose-the amoliOratiOn Of our craft Let
us discard all personal chickering's, bury the
differences Of the past in oblivion, 90 forth
hand in hand, onward and upward. until
We reach the goal 50 long sought for BY the
brave band of men who have battled for
your rights, without your Cooperation,
for fifteen years. We no longer call upon
youto support an insignificant and poverty
stricken institution, but an organization
that stands foremost among the labor or
carnations OF the New World, one that
extends influence and blessings to one hum
dred and thirty cities upon the Moth
American continent Let il be remembered
through that organization alone can We hope
to better our condition and secure to our
selves and families the rights and privileges
enjoyed by our fellow laborers Of other
trades. Let US obey the lessons of the
Creator set forth in the workings of nature
In short, let us organize, that we may be
better enabled to improve our mental.
moral, and physical condition Then, but
not until then, may we hope to attain the
position to which our labor and usefulness
entities us.
Remarkable Adventure.