The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1872-05-18
ARBITRATION.

The resolutions unanimously adopted by
the Workingmen of this city, at their dem
onstration On Wednesday Last, a full &C
count of which will be found elsewhere
we think is worthy of especial attention
for more reasons than one. The PROPOSE
ton was made. We have every reason To
believe, in good faith, and if accepted and
carried out i 4 the same spirit by those
equally Interested with themselves in its
adoption, thu 18th Of May, 1872, will be
in future re-arled as a day to be com
memorAted alike by employers and en-
ploycs, in whl,h Was inaugurated system
which will substitute reason for passion, Sc
cure Justice - both classes, and cause
strikes to he r, -sarded as 4 relic of the past
Not only have our Trade Unionists avow-
ell their willln hess to arbitrate. but they
have taken the initiative, by asking the en-
dOrsement and cooperation of their EN-
ployers t. the proposition, and if they de
cline to avail themselves Of the opportunity
offered, upon their own heads rests the re-
sponsibility. But while we are proud of
the spirit manifested while we would not
do an act or pen line which would throw
cold water on the proposition, candor com
pels the admission that we have little faith
i'll its acceptance or success.
Arbitration means, as far as human fore
sight and circumstance will allow, the good
services and judgment Of a disinterested
party. In Great Britain, which may
properly be stl he'd its home, little Of any
difficulty is found in securing such me
dunn. Anomalous as such an assertion
may seem, the complexion of her govern
ment and her aggregated wealth furnishes
class Of men, whose independence from
prejudices cannot be duplicated on Ameri-
can soil. Her Hughes and Mundellas
among her literary and manufacturing rep
resentatives philanthropic nondescripts
though they behave no counterparts in
our republic. The gulf which there di-
vides the mechanic from the tradesman and
the tradesman from the professional grad
uate, and still more the professional
from the-ariStocracy is such that gives to
the opinion oi the latter the same weight
on trade questions as is awarded to the
wearers of the ermine on Judicial questions
on the principle, that their position places
them entirely outside the atmosphere Of
selfish interest or bias
In the United States an entirely differ.
ent state Of affairs exists Here the race for
and the loveof richesse to be the all per.
vading aim, and whose possession bridges
the widest gull in the characters of Their
possessors, and it is this ''haste to be rich, =
this inordinate love Of wealth this rest.
less spirit IF ambition ; the next to impos-
sibihty to find a man, rich or poor, who is
not interested as an active or silent partner
in some commercial or manufacturing en-.
terprise-that furnishes the greatest bar
rier to the success Of American arbitration.
Our literati, with few exceptions, are men
Of moderate means, while their indifference
to, and ignorance Of political transactions
in our own country have always been q
matter of surprise.
On the other hand, our o-called million
aires are but the representatives Of capital
directly engaged in enterprises which deny
to the working classes their legitimate de
mands-no matter whether those represen-
tatives are found in public or private life.
But while these objections present them
selves on the surface, we believe, if an
honest and earnest desire exists amongst
employers and employees to avoid future
strikes and lock-outs-and we believe it
-discussion-open and above board
is the surest method to accomplish the re-
suit, and we know Of no better field of ope-
ratiOns than Chicago to test the feasibility
of this system. In the meantime, let our
employers show their interests in the
scheme BY meeting their workmen half
way let the papers which have advocated
such a course second their endeavors and
it is certainly within the range Of possibil-
tiles that our city, first in every good word
and work-may solve the problem which
threatens at present TO engulf our social
fabric.
Prom The nsehini... and R.ch.m,,h., Io,,,..i