The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1873-08-23
TO ClGARMAKERS.


movement has been started, and an effort
made to establish State or district Unions
which has been partially successful in the
State Of New York, where it originated
but since the organization OF said state
Unions, some If the Unions in that organi-
cation have withdrawn from it, deeming it
inexpedient to establish State or Dist let
Unions under the jurisdiction Of the In
ternstional Union. At my suggestion my
Union appointed Committee, Of which |
was member, for the purpose OF CORES
ponding with the leaders of this movement,
to ascertain if anything beneficial to the
trade could be derived from it, but after n
ceiying their journal of proceedings, ant
the Constitution adopted by the Syracuse
Convention, which was composed Of pOr-
tions Of the Unions Of the State OF New
York, we examined them thoroughly, and
not finding any advantage to be derived
from such organizations but, on the CON
trary, deeming them detrimental to the
interest Of the International and local
Unions, we 80 reported, and the report
was unanimously accepted. | can see only
ali additional expense Of twenty-five cents
per capitation tax, and making matters
more complicated in times of trouble. All
their Constitution claims to guarantee to
local Unions is now guaranteed to them BY
the International Constitution in Art. l,
Sec 2, and Art IA, Sec. l.
Their Constitution contains nothing new,
nothing advantageous to the journeymen
cigarmakers- nothing with which they can
come before the trade and claim SUI sri-
ority oven the present inadequate Inter
national Constitution. All the privileges
which they, in their printed circular,
claim for local Unions can, and should
be granted to local Unions by the Interna-
tional Union. But in case the international
Union should not be far sighted enough at
the coming Session, and not grant such
privileges, OF in other words modify their
laws to the satisfaction Of all, then the
State Unions must either fall, or the
Unions connected with it must seceed from
the International Union, and the State
Union set itself up as All independent or
ganiMtion II they desire to continue their
allegiance to the International Union, as
they claim, then their Conventions and
adoption Of their Constitution was an act
of folly. | was very much surprised after
reading the document put forth by them,
and seeing the names of such eminent men
in our trade attached thereto. When l
first heard the flourish Of trumpets, and
read their circular issued in advance of the
Convention, had great expectation, and
thought the great problem Of success OF
trades organization WAS about to be solved,
but | was sadly disappointed ! found
nothing that We did not already possess.
Gentlemen, | beseech you, as friends OF
the past. to desist from your present course
in this State movement, for IT will only
end in ruin and anarchy IN our organlZa-
ton. The State yon represent ~ far from
being a unit in this movement Out OF
twenty-on Unions IN the State Of New
York, only eleven were represented IN the
Syracuse Convention, and If ! am correctly
informed, two Of those eleven have since
withdrawn from the State Union. What
can you expect To accomplish If you have
not unity among yourselves
Let us turn our attention tO the
remodeling Of that organization to
which we pledged ourselves nearly ten
years ago. Ii success is ever to crown our
efforts, it can only he accomplished
under the head Of the International
Union but there must be something done
to nfuse new life into the International
body, and give it vitality. The past has
taught us that our laws and our mode of
| - G. IL NJ 81 k...k
for which we intended them, viz, the or
gAnization Of all the cigarmakers Of North
America. Such, | believe, can be accom-
pllshed to nearly it's full extent; but to a.
complish that much we must construct a
new and broader platform platform
upon which all can stand. | am satisfied
that experience has made wise heads
enough in our trade to be the architects
Of platform. We must have plain Con
stitutin a Constitution that will suit ali
parties, and all sections a permanent Con
stitutiOn one that will not require chang
ing every year, for local Unions have be
come pretty well tired Of voting upon a
new constitution every year. Officers and
members cannot keep themselves informed
upon the laws where they are continually
changing, and 1t is owing to that ignorance
Of the laws that SO many complicated cases
come before the Executive Board Of the
International Union. Our laws at present
are too numerous and complicated We
want reduction and changes IN the first
place. The time Of the meeting of the In
ternational Union should be every three
years T; that will save MS thousands Of dol
lars, and you will find the Conventions
then well attended We want consldera-
bic change in Article Seven, relating to
strikes ] have q plan which | intend to
submit to the Detroit Convention, which l
think will make strikes less numerous, and
nearly all the smaller ones self sustaining
In strikes is the great problem to be
solved for the success of trades Unions
This is a subject that should be we'll
studied by every workingman in the land
in the manner that they have been con
Quoted They have brought a great deal
Of misery and suffering to the working
class. Look back the past is strewn with
wrecks of Trades Societies. Go among
the ruins and seek the cause Of such de-
struction. You will find Strike written
upon every fragment | do not believe
that all OF our strikes have been entered
into with the best intentions. many Of
them rather too hearty. The time is past
for men to jump up from their tables with
out q moments notice or consultation and
strike.
Such strikes have been the curse Of all
trades societies that have ever existed.
Then we want considerable reduction in
Article Ten say from seven to sixteen,
both included That law was well intend
ed by the trainers, but has been greatly
abused, and emptied the treasures of the
most Of our local Unions, without the trade
deriving any benefit therefrom. Ii is not
necessary to dwell upon this any length Of
time, for ell know by heart Art. III, Sec.
l., wants limited time to be enforced.
| After neNl IannarN-saY after the first II