The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1873-07-19
INDUSTRIAL CONGRESS !
Meeting al Cleveland, Ohio.

different labor organizations, met AT 1874
Superior street Tuesday morning The con
gress was called to order by MIR Foran.
President of the International Coopers
Union, who addressed the assemhlage a.
follows
GENTLEMEN In Difference to the wish
Is Of the balence Of those who signed the
call which convened this congress, but
much against my own desires, | rise for the
purpose Of formally open the Industrial
Congress of the United States And being
a citizen Of the city selected for the inaug-
uration of this great and suspicious move
meEt, 1t may be proper that | should
slightly digress from the main question
and in behalf Of the work lngmen Of Cleve-
land and vicinity welcome YOU 10 our city. Ii
is true that no gltterlng pageant smiled
welcome upon Won upon your arrival IN
our midst No heraldrlc blazonry, pre-
ceded your coming no laundering
ordnance heched deep mUuthed vel
come" upon your advent here, but, gentle
men. there are thousands vi honest,
whols-souled, bIg hearted, brawny. IRON
listed sons of toll IN the city Of Cleveland
whose hearts and souls reInice with eA-
ceeding great Joy because YOU art here To-
day; anG the genuine welcome of honest
men honestly and freely eNtenied Is Of
more worth and consequence than the use
less pomp Of the grandest pageant We
are pleased and EratIhed 20 see you here
tor more reasons than one. IL Is always a
source OF pleasure and qualification ~ meet
and commlngle with those VINO arr. tnga.-
cd with Us in the same common cause, and
whose hopes and aspirations are cressentI-
ally comcident with our own But there
Il another and a greater reason why We re-
ioIce TO see YOU here. Your presence here,
from every important manufacturing sec
ton Of the American Union. IS ar emf ,ha-
Tic indication that a great social reform Is
at hand Coming events cast their sha-
doNs before, said the great scottish nov
eiist and poet, and my friends can see
IN your presence here to-day the shadoas
Of coming event, the upheaval OF sn idea
that is destined to be Star III the East u
the workIngmen Of America look upon
this movement as the sign by which We
shall conquer. The dazzling sign which
Constantine saw clarifying the heavens as
he lounIeyed toward Italy, gave that mon
arch no greater assurance ut success yer
has enemies than is afforded as over the
enemies Of right and justice by the sue
ceSsful Inauguration of this long looked
for, long wished for industrial movement
1t Is really the shadow, cast before. Of that
millennium for which workingmen have 50
lun. and so earnestly labored and prayed
But though We look upon il as an omen Of
great hope and promise, the Star III the
East, the blazoned cross seen by Constan-
tine, It should not surprise US If others
should look upon it as dld old Belshazzar
upon whose terrible and Incomprehens ble
words which that awful finger wrote upon
the wall; and well may they 81 view II. IL
Is the handwriting upon the wal to all
those who reap where they have not sown.
who live not by their own but by the labor
Of others The Babylo king robbed
the very temple of the Lord he was
great robber, but no greater than he who
commits that sin which cries 10 heaven for
vengeance, 1afraudIng the labOrer ii he
Just fruits of his toll God Is his own good
time wrote upon the wall the doom OF the
Syrian robber God IN his own good time,
and | firmly believe that time IL Al hand.
viii write upon the vail the doom az the
social robber. tod moves IN n myster-
Gus way. The Egyptian magicians saw
the finger Of God hen Aaron serpent de-
voured theirs aud can see the finger of
God III the organization We are about 10
form, inasmuch III 1t will he merged and
swallowed up all the essential elements OF
strength ami success found in the various
trade organizations If America T,s
anita torfior United strength j. the
stronger. Upon the principle that nifty
men acting together are fifty fold
stronger than one The organization will
be as many fold stronger than any of those
now existing, there are organizations
composing 1t, and because your presence
here indicates this much. We are reloiced
that you are here, but though ''gratula-
tons flow III streams unbounded. ! trust
We will not Ge mmindful Of the character
of hosts, but that We will make your stay
III our city as pleasant and As agreeable as
1t is possible for us to do
1t would be work Of supererogation for
me to enter into detailed statement of ali
that is proposed by this movement. The
call and the circular subsequently sent YOU
have made you familiar with the designs
and aims of this association II would be
useless waste Of time and words to again
specifically refer to the various causes
which have eliminated in our presence
mere Nor shall |, in advance, enunciate
any particular object which We NAV have
in view OF the means by which we propose
to attain it | will say this much, how
ever, We do not propose to form political
party at this time, and We certainly do not
propose to append ourselves to the tail of
any party kite. We are here as the repre-
sentatives Of an idea and that idea is o.
posed to Capitalization and monopoly, it /,
opposed to consolidated corporations hav-
ing for their object the ensltvement Of the
people; IL Is opposed to that monstrous in
equality in our social system by which the
rich are being continually made richer and
the poor poorer; by which wealth and pro-
duction are unevenly distributed: by which
powerful aggregatIons of capital are form
ed, leaving hollow vacuum of poverty.
misery and restitution in which the great
er portion Of mankind drag out misera-
bic and execrable existence.
This idea means Giffusion-the lust and
equitable diffusion Of production, the lust
and equitable diffusion of intellectualism.
the Just and equitable diffusion Of every
thing God has created for mans use and
benefit, both material and intellectual. |
admit that this idea is yet but a mere fig
ment OF the mind and If we can transform
it into tangible, subsisting reality, with
out going into the disreputable pool Of
politics, we will gladly do so, but should
we fail we may be compelled to redress our
wrongs at the ballot box either through
some of the parties now existing, or
through great peoples party to be form
ed IN the future and composed Of both
physical and mental toilers. In saying
this much, however, desire to also say
that, IN my opinion, this body should
never become political organization or
the nucl. Us Of poliical organization. It
should ever remain a congress Of industrial
i1tareafa