The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1872-09-07
PREPARING FOR THE CONTEST

From every city and every mAnufActur-
ing district in the country comes the note
Of preparation upon the part of employees
and manufacturers, and 1t is very evident
that a conflict between the classes en-
ployer and employees imminent, and
may at any time break out. The power Of
the trades unions is becoming too strong,
and it must be broken and to this end
Is directed private enterprise, capital and
legislation. What are our workingmen
doing are they too preparing for the con
test : or will they suffer themselves to be
caught mapping. Are they reorganlzing
their unions local. state and national !
Let us have thorough recognizing and
unltication Of all our unions. Let the
workmgnen i'll every section Of the Union
North. South, East and West-unite,
and where there is no union, organize one,
and march into line in the grand army Of
labor
At the next meeting Of the National
Labor Union We hope to see large gather
lng If the representative men Of the labor
unions thr ughout the country, whether
they come from field, forge OF bench.
Every union ought to send its delegate
for by the number Of delegates will the
strength Of the union movement through
out the country be Judged. And it is here
/ the work OF reorganization and unihcation
should take place.
! We see no reason why the farmers and
persons engaged in agricultural pursuits
should not unite themselves with the me-
chanics III their efforts to lift the toiler a
step higher III the scale of civilization.
! The wants and necessities Of the farmer
and mechanic are alike. They are the
INTEREST PAYING portion Of the populace,
and compose fully two-thirds Of the people.
They have all the toiling to do, while the
other third or idle class live off what we
produce as an exchange truly says
Now, the toilers toll on from youth to
age, with no prospect Of ever having any
thing gathered for old age, for sickness, or
what Is called = rainy day Their wages
when at work, merely keep them fed from
hand to mouth, and when their strength is
worked out their latter end is fringed with a
poorhouse vista So here is labor, the high
est, the most valuable element in society, F"
condemned from youth to age as a recognized
sort Of slavery, which the laws dare not med
de with, for not lawmakers composed
chiefly of the liLe faction, Labor then
has no hope Of elevation from the lawmakers
Labor must still pay all the taxes Labor
must still live in dark, unwhOlsome dens and
garrets, in back slums. and narrow, dirty
lanes Labor must still sleep three or four in
one bed, five or six in one room. Labor must
still rise with the lark, breakfast hastily
upon a slice Of BUTTERFLIES bread and q cup
OF milkless. sugarless coffee. Labor must
delve away or hammer away all the day, and
every day, and at the end Of the week find
himself about as rich as he was on Monday
morning Labor has a wife and family. Why
not; His children increase in number, in
size and in appetite. They want more food,
more clothes, more everything, they grow
on and increase The rent, the doctors
bill, the shop keepers bill, the baker and
butchers bill !" How is labor to meet all
those demands,
BY uniting and demanding revision Of
our financial and commercial laws. The
farmer, and all who surround him, feel the
crushing weight of interest He is bowed
down with taxation, and signs for relief
This relief can come only through united
action. Let all join and push forward the
unitication Of Labor.