The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1872-08-17
THE LESSON woRKINGMEN MUST
LEARN u No. Nv.

Among the more important lessons to be
learned by workingmen before success can
crown their efforts, is the necessity for up
holding the hands 81 those 1rho ddocats heir
interests. There is no more glarng weak
ness in their character than their proneneSs
to be little every effort put forth for their
advancement, or their suspicion Of the mo
tives which prompt them. And 1t not
mfreqUently happens that inuendo accom-
phshes more than direct accusation
would do The one can he r-futed. the
other, no matter how unfoundcd leaves a
lurking suspicion that there must he srD,'
foundation for the charge, while the party
attacked, is, by the very mcth"d adopted.
prevented from taking cngnlsance "f Il
The establishment IT confidence therefore
is Indispensable How many cooperative
enterprises. how many trades organizations
have been destroyed hy this crntrmpt,hlc
spirit oGJralousy How frequently. whrrr
uo other Argument van hc alluccd. do
We hear the c\pp'Ss,"n. -" :" and -
has an AZ a. grind. Winch Is dcrmrd suth
ciCut e. SIT the tongue ot scandal wt.g'uy.
~,w the Socd> 1T d,scrrl and thNart the
honest efforts uAdc IA their behalf Now
suppose that thcsr statements an true
An3 ia a larry mAlouty NJ caso> the, arr
clurvN srhuujlc>s that Nhilo thcN AZ,
sr,ujinA thctr cNu aNp> thcy grnd th,
axes 4 iho,r fellow Wurkmcu What d,''s
such ~ Seyy>'ttou amount tri lNtuSiur~s
uacn. "a N,rlNgS,U'nS show such hti,gnrS,
~ >psrg Aai such blindno~S g. thrir r~u
~c,isrv. SIMPLY h,~au>c the hcnrhts c'n
'crr,>i srr NN-lpDN-N
III; ~hAt j. ,uorr inconsistent. or rather
,ueNyaoAhlr. Is the fac, thar these ohlrc
yl,s,s Srv invariably uS,i Nv know nothing.
ic- nothing. chrome yr'WlerS, men why
vail neither dance nor hold the candle
Place them "a a committee ami they are
the first Ia decline ash them t. perform
a duty Of accept am utictS wherr labor ~
responsibility Is required, and nomination
ana decllnatIon follow each other and vet
these are The very men Who SOW the seeds
uf poison. whose counsels too often prevail.
and who are allowed to ruin the brightest
prospects
II workingmen, instead NJ INDUCING in
this petty malice, would uphold each 9th
ers hands; would inculcate a spirit uf Cath
ohcity; would rejoice at each others prosper
ity; would froWn down all attempts u
promote discord: wuuld exhibit the same
persistency for the right-as the marplots
do for the wrong would, n short, take
a generous manly, comprehensive view OF
the situation, how different would be the
result not only in their own immediate
ranks, but among the public at large.
How frequently do We hear the express
sion 4" Pshaw, ~ Is otiy ,rorku,gBui,
and this too from the lips # w"rkinginen
as if that fact presented a barrier which
stamped all efforts at progression As abnr-
tive and as far as can possibly he done,
setting the seal Of degradation on their
foreheads, virtually acknowledging that
nothing good can come out ~ Nazareth
and that there is more truth than poetry
in the charge that workmgmen are but the
mudsills Of society These shallow patcs
| evidently forget if they ever knew that
many of the grandest men and the greatest
minds of the 18th century have risen from
the humhlest walks Of life and graduated
! from a workshop that under a democrati,
government at least an hurest, horny hand
rather than an evidence of degradation
! To be respected therefore labor must re-
spect itself must cultivate higher stand
ard must discard that feeling that would
rather pull an angel down than help a NOR
tai up must realize that if they expect
to occupy higher grade, it must in the
main be by and through their own exer-
tons
We know that sellshness controls human
action, but We also know that 1t often over.
shoots the mark. few weeks AGO We
were conversing with an intelligent pud-
ler from Wyandotte, Michigan, on the
financial plank Of the labor platform. As
a matter Of course a protective tariff was
his lobby and furnished a panacea for all
Of labor's ills. After conversing some time
with him-on the absurdity Of his posi-
tion-and showing him that cheap money
would enable us not only to successfully
compete with, but undersell the manufac-
turers Of Europe III the markets Of the
world he replied = Well. Ill tell you
Under these circumstances would be a
free trdei,r III every thing But railroad iron
in fact feel half that way to-day"
''But why make All exception in favor Of
railroad iron, when under this system "A
tariff would he unnecessary, because We
could produce by our superior natural al
vantages the material cheaper than Eng
land VI Europe could We asked. ''Oh,
well, you see there is nothing like being
safe. and we generally look cut for No. !,
and let other folks take care of them
selves, was the response. Now it may
be hard lesson. but It must he learned
at whatever cost. that this is selfish
hort-sighted view e the case and that
no man is entitled to especial privileges at
the cost IL his fellows