The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1873-08-23
The 'Workingman's Advocate" and the
Press Of the United States.

(Fr,sn the Bookbinders' Trade Circular)
Thus newspaper, the WoRKINoMAN
ADVOCATE, of which Mr.. Jessup has sent
the writer weekly copy for more than the
last six months, Is q form Of newspaper not
at present known in England. 1t is the
official organ of the National Labor Union,
also Of the Bricklayers, Cigarmakers
Plasterers, and Carpenters National and
International Labor Unions. 1t is pub
lished in Chicago, Ill, with branch Offices
| in Michigan and Ohio. 1t sells at 5 cents
or 2td. 1t contains what the French calls
''feuilleton" every week, and is largely
used by the above organizations for trade
society purposes. The cigarmakers, for
example, in the impression OF April ., 1873,
have about hundred advertisements re-
lating exclusively to the business of their
trade society, including a rather long
financial statement Of a strike, signed by
their President
The platform, v or declaration Of prin-
ciples of the National Labor Union, which
fills two-thirds of a column with list of
corr, spending secretaries of local unions,
completes a very long column, with
a request that secretaries will please note
and send corrections" 1t is published and
edited by Mr.. A. G. Cameron. 1t advo-
Gates among other things a reform in the
monetary laws, the reduction in the rate
Of interest, change iii the paper currency,
the equalization Of taxation among all
classes, the eight hours system Of labor,
the prevention Of Chinese Immigration,
and the protection Of the labor interest by
legislative enactment ; and concludes the
list by q statement We thoroughly
believe that as all advertising medium
among the industrial classes 1t has no su-
periors. The platform of the National
Labor Union is now repeated every week
The cigarmakers' eighth annual session,
its tive days proceedings, its ''constitu-
tion" and articles, were gwen in full III Oc-
tober IL, 1872 1t will be seen, therefore,
that We have no similar weekly newspaper
in England whose make up" is so largely
composed of exclusive trade society news
for the use and benefit of it's officers and
members. This may be owing 10 the vast
continent of America, which makes this
the cheapest and most safe mode of com
munication. The result, however, is that
the press is more extensively used by
trades uuionists in the United States than
in England. Here there is the greatest
difficulty in getting a single trades union
paper supported by the working classes,
while in the "States" single trade will
have its journal, published by the trade
itself. whose sale is a source Of profit. The
COope1S' JON nal, for example, yielded a
proht in seventeen months of Ssi43 SO Il l
l2s I0d. besides the good it did the soel-
ETY. in other ways 1t was printed IN
English and German, the German Impress
ion fell behind about $50, tf3l 5s. and
vet this profit Of E7l Is lOd was realized.
But, from whatever cause. the press is
better Welded in the Sta.es than i'll this
country. Except III New York, trade
combinations appear to be unlawful, and
hence their proceedings are secret. We
learn by Mr.. W Jessup about the grips,
pass words. DC. by which this secrecy
is effected. This is, in our opinion, a dis
advantage 1t is at all times difficult to
keep anything secret that must be known
to all the members, perhaps, consisting Of
thousand Whatever it may be, the mat
ter is sure to be whispered about And II
the thing to be kept secret is known only
to a select few Of the organization, such ar
rangement is 50 inherently viclons that the
remedy is as bad as the disease. To say the
least. and to put the hest construction you
can on any system of secret oonvocation,
the result of such system is essentially
demoralizing.
The great evil Of the United States seems
in the eyes of working men to be the i'm
mense power which capital has there II
is in vain to urge that the power q the
ballot to redress the wrongs complained Of
by labor-that in a country where the law
making power is vested in the people
they, the people, should not repine if the
Legislature of the land discriminate ed
against them, for they are directly respon
sible for it." This is said TO be ''the Ian
guage of wordy reformationists, and the
reply is that the corrupting power oi
money pervades the whole social system
that it is a virus that blights and saps th'
foundation Of organic socialism. Tom Scot
or Vanderbilt are more Of q law-makinl
power in the States in which they live un
hanged than all the workingmen who liv'
there" Cooper's Journal, November,
1872, p. 669. Speech of M. A. Foran, a
St. Louis. And this appears to be the po
litical view of the WORKINGMAN' ADvo
CATE, which is edited with great ability.
We have heard much of the corruption
of the almighty dollar--of the pernlciou
and most unscrupulous craving for wealth
in the United States-the truth of whicl
are countenanced at least by the WORK
ISoMAN's ADvocATE and BY the lette
which we publish Of Mr.. Jessup- But 70
the honor Of human nature We cannot be
lieve in the shapeless cupidity which sucl
q state of things would suppose. Tha
there may be some who would be guilty o
any atrOcity for the sake Of lucre ther
NAV be no doubt, as there are everywhere, a
there always have been, but nevertheless
we believe that since the abolition Of sla
very the United States is very excel
lent country to live in, in which integrit
and acts Of kindness are The rule and sh
contrary are very much the exception.
Yet, when we think of what the lnordl
nate thirst for riches will engender In tn
way of crime, and Of the way in whic
this crime will develop itself in slavery, {
which our American brethren have 50 re
Gently experienced, We cannot wonder q
the harsh thought here expressed of cap
tai, and how it is ceaselessly employed I
the depreciation and even destruction Of tn
interests Of labor, or wonder at the sent
ments Of the WoRKINGMAN's ADvocAT
Of June z, 1879, in arguing that organizs
tions should send delegate to meet
Convention at Cleveland. Ohio, on the lot
Of July, 1873" The address concludes
these words: BE represented by a
means, for tbs true as holy writ, that labC
: alone can or will secure labor's redemI
ton" And the crimes instigated by II
, inordinAte desire for the possession
wealth, where there Is real or supposed In
punity, il the same to thus hour.