The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1872-05-11
FROM CALIFORNIA.
SAx FRANcIsco, April "a, 1879.

To ne Editor ~ the woRKINoMSN's ADVOCATE.
The Labor Union No. met week ago
last "Wednesday night, according to notice,
for the election Of the officers. The hall
was prepared and the lights lit. After can
wasting the members present it was under
stood that the ring did not have majority
and the lights were extinguished and the
officers left.
This concern may be said to be run by
political jobbers, ard the proof will be to
come that this organization in California
will be arrayed on the side Of General
Grant for President, in opposition to the
Labor Reformers. There are many unions
scattered over the city, said to amount in
numbers to twenty-one, but it is strongly
suspected that these are mere paper organ
izations, manipulated by the same parties
that have hitherto killed the Labor Move
ment in this city and StateIA This maker
the working classes suspect all other or
CARNATIONS protesting their interest.
The Internationals do not make much
progress, but so far as they g they are
bona fde They hold their meetings at
Dashaway Hall, which seems destined To-
become the cradle Of Reform in this city
The French and American sections meet
on alternate "Wednesday evenings, ana
many ladies are members Of each section.
Mrs. Hanks read very interesting paper
at the last meeting Of the English section,
describing in eloquent language her devo-
49,. Ia v.rtruau.1.u g ~ / ~ A
which were dearcr To her than any religion
she ever professed.
The proceedings we're both interesting
and instructive. Capt. Smith read a paper
on the true principles Of money and the
effects ~ our present money system upon
the condition Of the working classes. II
was commended by the reporter Of the
Call, who failed, however. to make many
notes II the drift II the argument, and ~
| know of no other channel by which it
may reach the puDlic than your paper, |
here give a synopsis Of its contents.
The paper began with lnculcating frater-
nifty Of feeling towards all reformers, who
with the l. W. A. seek to ameliorate the
condition Of suffering humanity It insist
ed that woman's right to vote was guaran-
teed by the amendment to the Constitution
which restricted States from abridging that
liberty to citizens, and to prove that women
we're in the eve of the lawcit!zens. thefact was
no.ed that foreign born females had IT, ~
naturaiized iii this country to enjoy the
same privileges as native born women and
that women, too, were entitled to the bal
lot to secure 10 them the rights which they
in common with men enjoyed, life, liberty
and happiness
A limited community was cited e. prove
that the adoption Of a gold currency would
Be unwise. because it would divert Tor-
ton If their labor to produce it, and hence
compel them 70 augment the hours Of daily
toll a. provide the same comfort To each
Its injustice was also proved BY showing
that the owners Of the gold would bc thy
masters Of the owners Of all other com
modities, because these would be compelled
to take them to exchange for that which
by law al persons IN the community were
Obliged to receive IN payment Of all cues
and demands. and in exchange for any
thing they disposed of and also that this
was the father Of speculation. because II
could compel the producer ID sell, and then
hold his cbmn.o iItIes for rise in price
and that TINS Nas the cause why the pro-
duccr IND 70 toll early and late. and ~
hungry and naked. when ii not shorn NJ
his dues. he could live in comfort and hap
plncss without half s5 much +oil.
The gold bass currency wa described
as y s5essiny the same evils magnitiod. ard
having only To recommend il, that il per
mItted greater industrial development,
and that the adoption ~ the goll basis fall
lacy was a desire t. continue the Cyactl0n
Of interest, which was plainly unjust when
demanl-d for paper. whose usefulness de-
pended u.on the consent NJ the people,
and which had no Other basis than their
cpuiidencv. and that tho rlan for the issue
Of bank PAPER had been violated, and in
stead 81 loaning the paper thus made cur
rent e. encourage legitimate enterprises
the banks were more ready " loan 10 stock
gamblers and SPECTATORS. thus bringing
about cur periodical panics by first inhat-
ing prices 20 enable their proteges to real
lie and step out u let the fabric which
they had reared fall with a crush upon the
uns lspecting victim. paralyze every indus
try, and bring suffering upon the poor who
were thrONn ont " work While capital
was gobbhng every thing at low prices, the
papers in their interest we're de.udlng the
people with baldcrdash about over
trading.
The neRt subject was OR foreign indebt-
edness, and he quoted the New ork Her
AID t. show that this was increasing from
year to year, and that the vast sums Of
gold and silver, the produce stocks &c,
sent abroad only served to pay the interest
on our foreign debt, while the principal
was constantly accumulating. This was
imputed to our persistence IN our present
perncicus system Of currency which was
continued at the risk Of bankruptcy To tho
nation, to enable our own Shylocks To par
ticipate tn the money lords of Europe IN
the plumber OF the people.
The fraud Of our public Indebtedness
was exemplifed in these words suppose
the United States had bought two Thousand
million bushels Of wheat, and at the end ~
few years had been compelled To return
four million Of bushels, having Ia tile mean
time paid III annual instalmcnLs more than
the value Of the wheat. would this be
Just Yet this Is the exact parallel of our
statesmanlke transaction IN borrowing
money.
The right to burthen th9 industries ui
the nation with interest was denied in toto.
If the principle was right, then the money
lenders were right i'll claiming that inter
est was worth to the borrower inst what he
could afford I'd lay for It. But to meet
this eXaction It was shown that the work
lngmans wages must suffer by the same
account, and also that the articles BE con-
sumed we're augmented in F...g from thr