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

WASHINGTON, Nov. 6, 1872.
r, The Editor ~ tn, WoRStxax,N'~ Ap,ocrE
| have been very sad over the adverse
ties of the labor movement Of the year
ultimo. and have had little or 10 heart to
indite thought, fearful that in 80 doing,
| nigh; Gampen the ardor or lessen the
huoyancy If spirits not similarly sensitive,
OF So easily affected as those Of your cores
Iondcnt. | am not professional writer,
cannot simulate enthusiasm, nor bcget apas-
sion do not feel Consequently, while the
Presidential contest was on hand, | have
ahstained from rushing into tic papers.
That event has transpired, and Grant
has again been forced upon the country,
by the free choice of the American people.
rs tie papers say, but | say by the great
power Of money. welded by denagogues,
combined with otlice-h holding machinery.
The stolid, self-opinioned shyster Of
party, may curl the lip or swear at this
charge, and scout the idea that free-born
Americans can ever become the tools az
designing politicians; but you, Mr.. Editor,
and |, know that never in the history Of
the Republic, was the danger Of liberty,
as We understand it, greater than at this
moment, and that i'll past crises Of popular
confidence, have the seeds of Empire
been planted in governments, and
personal liberty been subyertcd. The
reelection Of Gen. Grant does not
give birth to these thoughts these gloomy
forebodings. The preferment Of A. or b.
is not the gravanen Of the matter 1t il
that the whole machinery of the Federal
Government, in the person of its Office
holders-from the Cabinet minister down
to the smallest messenger or Waterman
is not only expected, nay commanded to
exert his personal influence to his master
in place, but his muniticient or paltry in
come, as the case may be, is taxed to in
sure the desired result How forcibly
comes home the language Of the report Of
the committee Of the Rhode Island Lecis-
lature, when it was proposed to supersede
the articles of the Confederation with a
constitution enlarging the powers of the
central government If you surrender
to the central authority the power to col
lect its own revenues, through officers Of
its own appointment, You pave the way to
sap the freedom of the country and the
liberty Of the citizen" 1t is vet not too
late to arrest the evil. will it be done
At no time heretofore have railroads,
banks, and Otice-holders combined ~ con-
trol the free public voice. For the three
past months the doubling and skeptical
have been convinced. The labor speakers
and writers have pointed to this inevitable
result, but the voice has not been heard
even in their own ranks. Ephrnim is
joined to his idols but, oh, shall we let
him alone The besotting orgies of
Presidential election having passed, let IN
grit ourselves and renew the fight-coun-
selling, entreating, warning 1t may be
that few Will heed MS even in our own
ranks.
l have not now to learn how Just are
your structures on the apathy and stolidity
Of wOrkingmen, and how tepder-footed
they are about mixing politics in trade
meetings. Even the printers, whose intell-
igence should have taught better, have
placed upon record condemnation Of this
blending, regardless of the fact that tariffs
directly and positively affect their interests,
through politics. knowing this, was
filled with ineffable disgust when delegate
from the Printers International Union,
over year ago, reported to that body that
the National Labor Union was no place
for the craft. How limited the political, so
cial, and economic ken Of such men. Their
noses measure their diseernment and pene-
tration.