The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1873-08-09
THE ADVOCATE AND THE INTER
NATIONALS.

eral Republicans, and in this position are fire.
qusntly attacked (Abused) BY the Interna-
tionals. Be good enough to send me some
editorials, In which are contained your Prin-
ciples, your fight against the Internationals.
the strength of your party, and that of your
AdverSAriss, and finally the papers Of both par.
ties
Now we assure our friend, be he whom
he may, that we do not claim and never have
claimed to be leader either in the Lib
sral Republican, or in any other political
party While We believe in the ballot box
a. the great remedial agency for the wrongs
against which the laboring classes are strug-
Cling. we have no faith that the reforms
desired will be accomplished by the Dem
ocratic, Republican or Liberal Republican
factions, the very agencies which have ere
sted and defended these wrongs. 'Simi-
which has been tested too often and failed
too frequently to possess any charms for
the writer of this article. When the Penn
sylvaniA or Illinois Central railroad com
panies, which in a great measure have con-
trolled and nodded the legislation Of their
respective States, are willing to select their
representatives from their workshops, We
shall have some faith in the millennium, and
be willing to trust the interests of the pro
ducing classes in the hands Of Tom Scott,
or Simon Cameron. Till that time arrives,
however, we prefer entrustlng the interests
of labor to her bona ride representatives,
basing our action on the ground that in 50
doing we are not fostering, as has been
falsely claimed, class legislation. but enter
ing a protest against its continuance.
So much for the leadership.
In regard to the second statement that
we ARE frequently attacked, (abused) BY
the Internationalists, w can only say that
we care as much for their abuse as We do
for their praise, and that is-nothing at all.
We edit an American paper, devoted to
the interests of American mechanics, and
while we welcomsto our shores the eml-
grant from every elime-the exIled and OPP
pressed from every land we cannot admit
that impaling an officer or making a
bonfire Of magistrate in the discharge Of
| his duty is the legitimate offspring Of the
labor movsment. In other words, We do
not propo1e to give our enemies the power
10 subsAntiate their reckless charges
against the honest demands Of American
citizeJs, by endorsing atrocities which his
sataTic majesty cannot rival. We are
unaterably opposed to the assumed juris-
dution of the lnternationals on American
soil, because We believe their principles
are sntagonistic to the spirit and genius of
( Republican institutions, and in this po-
sition we know we are sustained by every
intelligent workman-be he foreign or be
he native born.
We are not now discussing the question
of sympathy Desperate cases often re-
quire desperate remedies. Doubtless in
countries where the bsyonet or the guillo-
tine furnish the only response to the de-
mands of the oppressed, revolution, or the
srbltrament of the sword, can, with justi6-
cation, be resorted to,-and it is needless
to add, that in such a contest ten thousand
''God speeds" would be waited to the op-
pressed-but happily, in our own country
no such means need be resorted TO. The
ballot, instead of the bullet, is the American
safety valve, and if the producing classes
have failed to avail themselves of its priv
ileges-they have themselves to blame for
the results.
We are opposed to the authority assumed
by the Internstionals, on the same ground
that we are opposed to the assumption Of
authority by the Amalzsnsted Engineers
or Carpenters, because they are foreign Or
CARNATIONS, and a. such should have no ju-
risdiction on American soil We believe
that the Presidents Of our National I'm
ions are better qualified to supervise, in
struct and guide our local unions, than a
junto sitting in London or Birmingham,
which knows comparatively little Of the mer-
It's of the case or the exigencies of the occa-
sion. If our home unions are defective,
let our foreign born mechanics join them,
give them the benefit of their experience,
and help make them what they should be,
instead of being stumbling block to their
progress.
But we are opposed TO the influence and
authority of the Internationals in the Uni.
ted States for another reason. With few
exceptions, they have proven themselves
professional mdrpIots, who delight in PULLING
dotcn rath than in lereling up men who ran
make "a hell Of heaven" but who ca
neper make heaven Of earth. We prefer.
therefore, to hold on to something tangible
advocate the redress Of grievances in q
practical, legitimate mannsr-rather than
to follow q will O the wisp, which leads to
anarchy and revolution
Though the game is hardly worth the
name, we wish to refer to an incident thai
occurred at the Labor Reform Convention,
at Columbus, Ohio, which nominated Judge
David Davis, from which our readers car
draw their own conclusions When the
Committee on Platform met, delegate,
who claimed to be the English Correspond.
ing Secretary Of the American branch Of
the Internationals, insisted on being pres.
ent and presenting his views for their con.
sideratiOn. After patiently listening t.
his hArsague the committee respectfully
declined to endorse, accept or incorporate
his visionary programme in the resolutions
In the Convention, after the report had
been presented, they were again brought
up, and laid on the table by an almost
unanimous vote, which action 90 excited