The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1872-08-31
THE PHILADELPHIA FRAUD.

what purported to be the proceeding Of
50 called Labor Reform Convention held
in Philadelphia, the preceding day, whose
oste1lSibl, motive was to nominate independ-
ent candidates on the Labor Platform for
President and Vice President Of the United
States whose rcd object was TO play into
the hands of a corrupt, designing clique,
who used them a. the tools TO do the dir
tiest of dirty work. We suppose the read
ers of the ADVOCATE are by this time ia
miliar with the names Of those heretofore
identified with the Labor Reform move
ment, and for their especial edihcation we
publish the proceedings in full, to enable,
them to form a correct opinion Of the cal
ibre and Animus Of those who participated
in them.
We certainly do not envy the feelings Of
those who from overweening ambition or
petty jealousy engineered the movement !;
who doubtless expected 10 control it to
their own advantage, but who learned too
late, they had counted without their host,
who found their efforts over sladghed,
themselves ignored the convention
controlled by horde Of irresponsible
political miscreants men who would bar
ter what little influence they possessed
with the same sang trotd that Thug would
garrote, a gutter snipe steal, or Parsnn
Brownlow BLACKBOARD during the palmiest
days Of his career.
That the convention Was fraud Of the
most transparent character, that the major
ity Of those participating, We're paid lack
eys, who know as much about the princi-
pies of labor reform, as a cannibal knows
about redeeming grace that it represent
ed the views Of nobody except the bum
mers in attendance, land their views was
simply to express the views II their mas
ters) is 50 plain that he who reads may
run. We venture nothing in asserting that
nineteen-twentieths of those whose names
are published have not been and are not now
connected with labor organization Of any
character that they have never been
identified with the labor movement that
they are unknown outside the circle in
which they move that they were self-con-
stituted, constituencies delegates that
their motive was disorganization. and that
if they could tell ,rhdt hep k,,o,r abo't
bleeding" the disbIs,rs u The corruption
f,pd-in Pennsylvania could certainly
confederate their statements This Is no
time for mincing matters. 1t behoves the
true and tried friends # the labor move
ment to repudiate their action and author
ity-tO show them up IN their true colors
and this We propose to do as long as We
can WELD pen.
Who and what are OConnor and Sauls
bury When or where have they ever
shown their sympathy with the teiling
masses, either by word Or action : What
claims have they TO the suffraees of labor
reforrners Slaves of the Democratic
party, professional politicians from their
boyhood, cold, calculating and unscrupu-
lous in their nature, they never had and
never will have spark II genuine symPa-
thy with the masses If the people. Ask
them tomorrow if they believe in the
financial plank Of the Columbus Platform
if they will advocate the principles therein
enunciated, and sneer OF derial will be the
only reply Yet these are the men forsooth
proposed as the stAndard-bearers Of labors
interests
Again-Let our readers take the pains to
examine the declarations Of the objects of
the seceders from the Baltimore Conven
tion-the clique who propose to run the
Louisville side show-and ask themselves
what Labor Reforners have to gain by
uneal thing the exploded issues Of the past
and this is Just what they propose TO do
and allow themselves t. be used as tools
to galvanize the non-progressive, Bourbon
element What plank in their platform
expresses a sympathy with or belief in the
principles Of Labor Reform Does any
sane man believe that reformation 81 any
character can come from such an element.
composed a it undoubtedly will be Of the
very essence Of retrogresaon, How the
pensioned tools who have stolen the livery
Of heaven To serve the devil in, will enact
their role remains to be seen Suffice it
to say once and for all that if they claim
authority to speak for or in any manner
represent the views Of the producing
classes they utter q ullhd and deliberate
talsehOod. The collar is on their necks,
the brand Of infamy on their foreheads,
and their names will be remembered only
to be despised.
Since the foregoing was in type, the fol
lowing telegram from Col Acker, chair
man of the Executive Committee of Penn