The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1872-06-15
THE SITUATION.

Movement, inquiringw definite action has
not been taken by the Executive Committee
to inaugurate the campaign and what is
the probability OF j; substituting candidates
in place of Davis and Parker, should the
former withdraw As these are pertinent
questions, We propose to answer them To
the best Of our knowledge, and Just as
frankly As they have been asked Of course
We do not affect t. be the mouth piece of
the Committee, 20 dictate to, or in any
manner control their action but we feel
satisfied after full and free interchange Of
opinion, that a large majority of them be-
lieved, and now believe in the honesty
and sincerity Of Mossrs Davis and Parker.
and also that the ticks presented
at Columbus Was the strongest which
could have been selected. We feel
satisfied they vii oppose any PROPOSE
ton to substitute the nominees of either
the Republican or Democratic factions for
the standard bearers Of the Labor Reform
Party neither d. We understand how such
a course can consistently be urged Let any
unprejudiced individual compare the sew
eral platforms mark the declarations and
principles embodied in each, and then ask
himself the question, what Labor Re
formers have to gam by supporting the can
didates of either What interest can they
have in helping to perPetuate the reign of
the present administration, or to resusci-
tate the almost defunct Democracy" And
this is Just what a desertion Of their can
didates implies
Again, no matter what the intentions of
those who favor such course-the inev-
table result would be the Acknowledgement
Of the Labor Party. 1t would give its enc
mics handle, which they would not fail
to use, and prove to the satisfaction Of
thousands that the long predicted bargain
and sale had at length been consummated.
1t would give the didn't tell you SOS"
a much-coveted opportunity to reiterate
their charges, and above all it toouM prove
that the spoils of office, more than the sue
cess Of principle, controlled or seemed to
control the action Of the Committee. 1t
would add another to the long, long LIST of
failures Of Labor Reform, made in times
gone by, and which have furnished the
stock in trade Of its opponents ever
since. 1t would, IN short, destroy all CON
fdence in the future, undo the work Of the
past, and prove the utter incompetency or
treschery of those who had attempted to
engineer tne movement.
Under these circumstances, we believe
the path Of duty points but in one direc-
tion-mdintain intact the organisation at all
hazards There is too much at stake to al
low it to be swamped by selfish or short
sighted counsels The men who organized
the National Labor Union, and the masses
who sustained them in the effort, were ter
ribly in earnest. Theirs was no lip service
They meant what they said, and il they
are true to their charge, they can yet carry
it to successful fruition.
But if future events should prove that
we have been mistaken in the integrity and
good faith Of our nominees there is
nothing to warrant this opinion so far /;
should they withdraw from the field,
we insist even then no of iciaI recognition
should be given either to Greeley or Grant,
by the Executive Committee such. We
must sustain our moral position, by simply
allowing every member Of the party to act
independently before stated, the plat
forms of neither party being fit for Labor
Reformers to supports such.
In penning the foregoing, we have not
designed to make reflections on any party
We cheerfully concede to every one the
same right that we claim for ourselves, the
right Of private judgment but it is high
time the silence, too long maintained, was
broken by some one. There has been too
much dilly-dallying already too much
ground sowed with suspicion, and be the
consequences Whist they may, the ADvO-
CATE cannot consent to see the day Of grace
and action pass by, without uttering its pro-
test.
IT il a somewhat curious fact, from which
the mechanics Of America should derive