The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1872-11-16
Fa0M MICHIGAN.
P0NTIAc, Nov. IL. 1872.


The smoke Of the Presidential conflict
having cleared away, lcavirg us just az "
were, We have four years to prepare for a
battle that shall be one in reality, lJr tbs
right u labor 1t is folly for workingmen
to ignore politics in their unions and com
binations. Tn the contrary, combined
political action is Of primary Importance.
What We shoall az is 4, Ignore eur divls-
ion into Republicans and Democrats We
should know only the party of labor, aud
all unite on common basis, depending
exclusively upon ours4ive, am our uan
materials. Whatever their professions, il
Is impossible for outside parties t. feel any
sympathy for Us, for they consider our
Gains AS their losses. They have il view
only spoils for politicians am p-t interests.
while we lo6k 10 the welfare and advance
Ilrnt of the toiliug millions. Our posi-
tiuu is heset with difficulties IT We
continue the present system Of strikes and
trade struggles, We gain little pecuniarily,
and excite i'll feeling between employers
and employed. If We boldly proclaim
that the present social divisions into en-
pluyers and employed, capitalists and
workers. are unnecessary, generate much
injustice are bars to true fraternity.
christianity, and progress ii We maintain
that capital and labor should lac combined
into one unitary interest, and division of
profits made on equitable principles, We
are termed lawless and dsorganizers, and
array against rs all the exclusive interests
Of society. Still, the ruling idea Of the
present aye tends to combination and CO.
operation; capital with capital, as wit
messed in railroads, mines. and general
manufactures and labor with labor az
displayed by trades unions. The next-and
highest step must be a union of capital
and labor, working for IA common end, in-
stead Of exclusively for the benefit Of
capital.
Regencrated Chicago Shows what can he
done by capital and labor, even under inn
perfect conditions. 4 destroyed city is
rebuilt in year. its warehouses filled
With goods and it, workshops with tools
and artizans A more remarkable exam
ple of the power of combined capital and
labor cannot be found. The same results
| could have been effected in any other place,
there was needed but 50 many head and
hand workers, and SO huch money. to
recreate all that had been destroyed.
4 like amount Of money and labor
would build another city, or an equivalent
in other forms of labor II would create
certain number Of manufactures, build
Just So many vessels, clear up so many
thousand acres of Land construct and
! stock so many miles Of railroad or ac-
complish amy other desired end. There
was the labor to work the money t. set
it in motion, and the food to support it.
| There were all the conditions to effect any
result desired. The same with our armies
in the late struggle There were On both
| sides labor and food, and money enough
to revOlutlonize the continent, and make
the States garden of Eden, and at the
same time establish productive agencies
sufficient u shower competence upon every
one. But this labor material was all vast
| ed becauce the working men On neither
side had power to prevent it, and were
unable to realize the vast benefits which
would have flowed from a wise use
az this money and labor. Fifty
+ Chicasos might have been built il
necessary. 1t is time for work ingmen to
look at all those things in politico econ
omical light, and determine to remedy i'll
the future the errors Of the past.
Capital and labor have rebuilt Chicago.
They were equally necessary to accomplish
the work. But To whom does Chicago, re
created by these combined energies now
belong To the capital and labor that
Jointly and equally effected the result Not
at all. Labor owns nothing of the vast
piles it has assisted to create. All is held
by capital Labor now submissively asks
to use the very tools il fashioned, in the
buildings it erected. II had its wages, "
which represented board and clothing.
These were used up in the work, but there
is an oyerplus that was not used up. This
is represented by rebuilt Chicago. This
belongs exclusively to capital, and 80 Of
every city, manufactory, railroad, or other
joint product Of capital and labor. They
all belong to capital.
Labor has hitherto been blind, and is
blind to-day. 1t seeks to remedy the evils
Of its position by combinations and strikes,
all, perhaps, good enough in their place,
but totally inadequate to permanently
assist labor. They cannot materially in
crease its share Of the joint products The
division is governed by laws and usAgcs
which the laborer has nothing to do with.
This is the Gordian knot which the labor
Of the nineteenth century is trying to un-
tie through trades unions and strikes, and
almost giving up in dispair. But the sol
ution is easy enough. If q certain number
of men, having labor, and certain mum
Der Of other men. having money, re-creat-
ed Chicago, it is clear that the same result
could have been accomplished, had the
labor and the money been united in the
same individuals All that was necessary
was labor and capital, and not distinct
laborers and capitalists.
The moneyed man, without the worker,
is helpless as an infant. With all his
''greenbacks" he cannot create one laborer.
But the laborer can make greenbacka, can,
through their fundamentally set himself
to work, and create unlimited wealiI for
himself Could the men, that by heir
labor rebuilt and restOcked Chicago, I've
borrowed the money actually expended, as
other men borrowed it, Chicago would have
belonged 10 them as it now belongs to
others. The man who owns and controls
money, owns and controls everything else.
Not meddle with politics. Why pOliti-
cal action il just what is needed. The
control OF state and federal governments
by those who labor with head or hand car
ries with it the power to control money to