The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1873-12-20
THE MINERS NATIONAL ASSOCI
ALTON CT AMERICA.
speech or Andrew Roy. q, Church NH.

NIR President On the second Tues
day Of last October, a National Conven-
ton of the coal miners Of America assem-
bled IN the city Of Youngstown, Ohio, and
laid the groundwork Of a National Union.
The Convention, composed Of the ablest
minds Of the miners, adopted Constitu-
ton for ratification or rejection by the min
ing population Of the nation, and it is
truly gratifying "a learn that the miners Of
the East and West from tho anthracite
fields Of Pennsylvania t. the coal re-
gions Of Kansas-are rallying with great
unanimity, and arranging themselves IN
der the banner Of the national organiza-
ton, as proposed by the youngstown Con-
gress To perfect the work Of national
union, State and district unions are neces-
sary accordingly the leading miners of
this State have issued can for State
Convention, to be held in Alliance, Ohio,
on Wednesday, Dec. 18th, to organize
State Onion. The Union thus forming will
prove formidable engine Of good or evil,
in the dav of its prosperity and power, ac-
cordIng as wise, prudent, and legitimate
motives guide its course, or rash, untimely
and unjustifable means are used to accom-
phsh ends, however just Of themselves.
The declaration of principles and the
Constitution adopted by the youngstown
Convention, must command the concur
renee Of every right minded man, whether
miner, mine operator OF other person. The
national organization seeks only to secure
laudable and progressive objects, namely,
shorter working hours, that miners may
have more time for intellectual improve
ment-better and more efficient manage
ment of mines, that increased security may
be had for life, health and limb, from the
fiery and mephatic blasts of desth-that
arbitration may be adopted for the adjust
ment of wages and disputes, instead OF the
present barbarous resort of strikes. These
are noble purposes, and require the EN-
ployment Of nothing but lawful means to
accomplish them. 1t is every miners duty
to put his shoulder 70 the wheel and help
push forward the car Of progress to itsdes-
tined haven.
But, Mr.. President, success can only
come through the exercise Of wisdom, for
bearance, justice ard truth. No matter
how lofty the aims of an organization may
be,-how perfect its constitution-how le-
gitimate the means employed-we must
use intelligent forces and be governed un-
der all circumstances and conditions with q
purpose to do right, and to respect the
rights Of others. The history Of former
unions, the history of nations-teach us
valuable lessons, # we will only profit by
their teachings. Macauley tells us that
the people of Scotland live under one of
the worst, perhaps the very worst Consti-
tuition Of christian Europe, and yet tho
Scotch are not i'll governed, for the reason
that the Scotch will not suffer to be i'll
governed. We all know the history of
France, whose people have for many GEN
eratlons past been struggling to throw of
the yoke of kingly tyranny. Every up
rising of that noble people has resulted in
the establishment Of q MORE OdiOus tyran-
ny than that against which they rose to over
throw. TheGovernmento Of Robespierre was
thousand times worse government than
that Of Louis, the XVI The French have
repeatedly adopted the best Constitutions
the world ever saw, but they have never
succeeded in establishing an enduring re-
public, and have each time fallen under
despotlsms more cruel than death itself
The Scotch possess the characteristics of self
government; the French do not. That
they will ultimately succeed there is hard
ly a room for doubt. Let us hope the
present experiment, born under circum-
stances Of extraordinary peril and misfor-
tune, may be the grand browning effort.
So it has been with former unions of mi
ners. They have failed If the purposes
for which they were organized, because the
m h. -
genoe, judgment and wisdom to carry out
the aims of the association, and we will
fail again unless we learn wisdom from ex-
perience. What then have been our past
mistakes. and wherein have we gone as
tray We should make this searching
enquiry, seeking for truth and truth only,
no matter how disagresable it may seem
In organizing to protect ourselves against
the aggressions of capital, we have, on for
mer occasions, relied on mere brute forces
tor success, and have created more odious
tyranny than anything the operators have
had the will or the power to impose. We
have too frequently refused to listen to
open investigation of facts, but have
trowned down all opposition to the will Of
those who appealed to our passions rather
than our reason. Tho power which union
conferred has made us drunk, a. freedom
made the Jacobins of France. We have
meant license when we cried liberty, and
have refused 10 listen TO those truths which
would have made us free. No union can
exist and accomplish any good results
which isnot willing and ready at all times
to listen TO ell sides Of question, and sub
init it TO full, free and searching discus-
sion, accepting facts because they are facts
and governing themselves acsordingly.
Again va have attempted 10 bring miners
within the folds of the union nv fnrra nr