The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1872-09-28
Inconsistency Of Non Unionism.

The Coopers' Monthly Journal for Sep
tember In before US From its many in
teresting articles we give place to tn,
following.
In . nOn-uniOn man 10 centered ali tn,
grossest inconaisteneies in mans nature
faR THAR In an inbesemA mdtribues I'm mfsSr VI
combine together for self-prOtectiOn. anC
this attribute must be dead or dormant il
non-union man. IL this attribute b,
dead, it follows that the principle of self
protection Ii IN great measure dead, AnC
As consequence he must be a coward a
heart, but with an outward appearance t.
play the brAggart.
1t is likewise inherent in mans natur,
to be socially combined, az from it spring.
a great proportion Of the happiness enjoy
ed by man, and hence it Ii such q curse tC
be pariah, that it seems 30 revolving q,
to be almost impossible to voluntarily
degrade our nature to such q condition
Yet . non-union man il very generally
guilty of this degradation.
Is 1t from a spirit of bravery and wis.
dom, that a non-union man defies the
majority of his fellow-workmen 1t can
not be, for take them either collectively ol
individually, it will be found that ninety
nine -hundredths of them can neither
read nor write. So that it is not from q
spirit Of wisdom that they thus defy their
fellow-workmen.
A truly brave man when he enunciates
a truth will defy world death would be
a secondary thought to the maintenance OF
his principle.
Can it be that it is this sublime princi.
pie that actuAtes the non union man
| very much regret that such bravery
does actuate them, for if compelled to OBJ
tain work with union men, they will not
die before abandoning their principle, but
will do it very readily for very little self.
interest
II it is in a spirit of wisdom that he
shuns the society of his fellow -workmen,
he must surely pity their great ignorance
then Why in spirit Of Christian charity
does he not Join them, and enunciate his
great truths, and tear away the cobwebs
from before their eyes, and enlighten the
minds of those whom he must pity
If in a spirit of bravery, why not boldly
declare, that under no circumstances, Of
in what position 50 placed, will he re.
nounce the principle of nOI.-unionism,
under no circumstances obtain work where
he would be even tempted to renOunce
those principles
Again, truly brave man will not incul
the risk of Drawing the scorn Of any mum
ber of his fellow-men, except it be from
some very worthy cause, such as will tend
TO the spiritual or temporal benefit OF
those whom he thus braves
Ia II from a motive IN snnduca aithov
spiritually or temporarily that a non-union
man braves the scorn Of the majority Of
his fellow-workmen
Take them either collectively OF indi
vidually and examine them. Do they
lead good Christian li1esl Are they mod
els to study in regard to morality Dc
they strive by their example and theil
zeal to be the guide and council of theil
fellow workmen No On the contrary
they are men who very generally do not
see the inside of a church for years, SC
that it must not be from motive to spir
itually benefit his fellow wOrkmen that ht
thus braves their scorn
Nor is it from a motive to benefit then
temporarily that he leaves them Take
them either collectively or individually
and are they the persons who first request
Of their employers to advance their wages
Are they the leaders to denounce any
wrong an employer may try to force on
them Are they the leaders whose great
foresight and sagacity are the levers thai
are advancing the civilization Of this l9tf
century, No A poor man, poor il
mind and body, wholly demOralized BY
over-working his system, instead of being
. leader in q movement for the further pro
gress Of civilization, is but blot ON the
fair face Of nature and disgrace on man
hood, and of the age One who will very
generally cover before the eye of an EN-
ployer and will also accept whatever
pittance may be thrown to him for hi
labor.
So that it cannot be from motive !,
benefit them temporarily that he thu
braves their scorn
Then what motive is it that gives hin
sufficient energy to Withstand their SCOTT
and contempt A sordid, selfish instinct
for it can not be called reason, to take ad
vantage of their fellOw-wOrkmen by from
four to six hours per day, thinking thereby
that they will gain from %. 90 TO AO0 pc
week more than union men. Take this a
their line Of reasoning, and we will SCI
what sublime ressoners they must be. d,
they really make from 800 to "a. 100 NOR
than union men ] would venture IN,
life, as | am an eye witness to it weel
after week, that the reverse is lust tn
truth, or that union men very general,
average throughout the year from $500 4
81. 10 per week more than non-union men
and to confirm this, any union man o
good steady habits will tell you that h
averages more work under the ten hou
system, throughout the year, than he di,
before the Int. Union was organized. o
when he worked long hours.
Now, were q piece of machinery invent
ed and warranted to last seventy years b.
only using it ten hours per day, at such
rate Of horsepower, and that any devi1
ton from those rules would shorten tn
period Of its duration from forty to fft
years, and yet could do the same wor
J per day, would not the proprietor Of sue
! machine be most careful TO never allo-
the steam pressure to exceed the limit
! and he would not work it more than te
hours per day, but would be more exact I
work in one-hAh hour less per day than I
exceed the time by five minutesl
This Ia eAIctly what is warranted Of
: human machine, for a man is the mol
; perfect piece Of machinery, and any dew
alton from these rules will certainly shol
/ ten the period of existence from twenty I
, thirty years and it would be well il tn
! machinery remained in good working d
: der for forty or fifty years. But alaa
> such is not generally the case, as the GER
Of decay is surely planted prematurely
: the frame by overwork II may not /
PercePtible in strong, vigorous constitl
tion for the first ten years, but after thu
a there will be no day without its pains an
. aches. Suffering both from dyspepsia aH
4 deseasA liver, their lives torment AZ
: misery, instead Of being blessing TO
4 enjoyed, and also the fact, that no matt,
: how long they may work, they can b.
4 consummAte little more than half the
Z work, and all this misery and degradatic