The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1873-03-08
Trades Unions from a National Point
of View.

Tie following psper was read by MIR.
George Potter at the Leeds England
Congress-
In submitting short paper On Trades
mons from a National Point Of View, be
fore 20 large representation Of the bod
les IF our busy and ingenious country,
shall not waste time in unnecessary pref
are Much may now lie taken for granted
Of The lawfulness of our unions there is no
longer any doubt and We have in our
own minds the strong and deep conviction
Of their absolute necessity and essential
usefulness We never should have been
where We now are, without unions and
unless We persist in them, we might As
well have never had resource to them at
all for. in continuing 70 stand shoulder
to shoulder lies our only hope Of making
further Roadway against the powerful re
sistAnce wluch still Cypress us.
Great Britain Is so universally and com
pletelv commercial in its character that
everything which relates to the mutual de-
tendency of Labor and Capital is in itself
matter Of national moment Every man
IN the land IL in some sense and t. some
extent either laborer or a capitalist.
With respect however to every commo-
dIty resulting from the combination Of the
two work and mOney-there is a third
party, the Consumer. We may, therefore,
divide ourselves, as nation of men, into
three classes, Laborers. Capitalists and
Consumers
Now, with regard To the former two, la
borers>ind capitalists, We must come to a
good understanding, and, having arrived
At 1t, maintain it, as well as We can. For
my own part. ] never despaired Of il when
the hope was faintest and am not going
to give it up for bad Job now. when 80
many of the most important trades, occu-
Pying vast portion Of the industrial oper
atoms IL the kingdom are now united in
one settled point that their interests are
identical The feeling thus evoked upon
both sides is ruled. and safely guided by
the spirit If moderation and mutual for
bearance in their relation one towards the
other Not ~ what each conceives to be
the abstract rights and Just CLAIMS Of their
own side. but Of comprehensive survey
and impartial consideration ii all the cir
cumstances affecting both, "A falr hearing
uf the arguments that one side addresses
t. the other and All equitable arrange
ment Of any apparent IncumpatlbIhty be-
tween the two.
1t IS incident, however, To- the progress
i've stages between the first right assertion
Of the claims OF labor and their frank ami
general concession on the Fart Of capital.
that cons .HipfiUH. UT consumers. should
take and express their views as class Of
what may appear to them war between
the two sections If producers. and war.
too, which they may conceive, and even
sometimes really feel to BE- prejudicial tn
their interests or convenience. The CON
sumer in fact, in 80 high A civilization. 50
arrogant righteousness, and 50 Impatient
an eNl ectancy, as characterizes him i'll our
land and age, is ever ready to take the
alarm, and to pour out the vial Of his
wrath upon those whom he merely sus-
poets Of taking a course which may keep
feather ont Of his bed, spice out of his
dish, or a coal out Of his fire And unfnr-
tunately for the chance ~ fairness, the
weight Of his anger seldom falls upon the
capitalist but is most certain to come
crashing down upon the lowiy labOrer.
VIII" has dared ~ stand upon his own right
and independence, and even u persist up
to a point n which, III consequence. there
may possibly be little delay Or tempo
rary deficiency IN the supply Of one or
more Of those many elements that form
the perfect compound of comfort in dining
room or drawing room elegance
In some highly staple trades, the even
tenor II things may be interrupted foe a
long time without exciting these alarms
and calling down these tempests, although
the effect Of such stoppages, if they we're
not timely removed, would be sensibly felt
BY every customer Of the splendid supply,
we're the demand for many days or to a
palpable extent, unsatlshed The consul
mer, however, is often crea ture who does
TO BE CONTINUED.