The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1873-02-08

formed their duty that the mere fact Of
asking them to use the birthright Of every
American citizen-the ballot-to raise them
IN the social and intellectual scale to en-
able them to secure the fruits of their own
industry, instead Of using it to forge their
| letters aud rivet their chains, As they have
done and are doing was the cause of the'r
apathy, their treachery, their criminal ne
| glect Not at all and no one is better
aware Of this fact than Mr.. Walls himself.
| Capital has enough to answer for, but cap
ital never wronged the working classes
more deeply than they have wronged them
selves. Let even the chronic grOwler eX-
anime section by section that platform III
detail, and We challenge him to point to a
single plank that does not seek t. secure
the welfare If the industrial classes.
Z The charge that tricLsters and doma-
gogues were permitted to creep into the or
/ ganization, and allowed voice in its coun-
ellis is too true but why was not the
proper remedy What vas the duty
of those whose efforts were honest and
above board To desert it IN the hour Of
need We think not Ii Is a fact that
even MIR Walls will admit, that in our
Trades Unions, the meaner the rogue the
harder he works We admire his persist
ency and cheek, if we admire nothing else;
but he il too often allowed to carry his
point, bccduy, he ~ seldom fought with his
own weapons. A temporary defeat don't
discourage him, but it too frequently does
the honast members. who lack the all
important essential bach bone, and thusal-
low matters to 20 BY default 50 in this in
stance We insist it was the imperative
duty Of the trade unionists III the organi-
zation to Gust these frauds, at whatever
cost, and from the experience Of the past,
prevent their appearance IN til fut;,-e.
Still We cannot endorse the sweeping state
mrut that the "uaig honest members in the
Labor Party were Trades nlunists We
know delegates III the several conventions
who we're MT Trades Unlrnists the intel
lectual peers ut any statesmen IN the cnun-
try whose motives were pure, and
twhusr actions we're As disnterested as those
HI any party ~h. participated ia their de-
hbyratiuus
Nav, further. We believe that before
Justice Will ~ done. the line Of demarca-
tiun must be- drawn between the robber
and the robbed, more catholic views must
prevail, and the assistance of every man
and woman, who make their labor by hon
ct tuiI, secured
and now, having briefly and somewhat
'hurrielly replied u the complaint II Mr.
Walls hi a manner. We trust, devoid of
offence. We desire To- refer Ia the proposed
assembling of National Trades Assembly.
No one regrets more sincerely than We do
the virtual failure ~ the Labor Union.
We believe in it, mission We believe in
the means ~, which ID sought, Or rather
should have sought To accomplish it We
believe IN ITS principles We believe IN
their ultimate triumph So that our position
cannot be misunderstood We believe,
however that il is useless to attempt to
force thr issue at this time that the great
mass NJ the industrial population are not
VET ripe FIR political action. we believe
further that Trades Assembly, properly
conducted. gau be made a success. and that
the officials IF our National and Interna-
tioual organizations are the proper parties
.to nsugnratc rhe movement Whatever
assistance the Anyu. Ate can render will BE-
promptly ana chryrfully gwen the in
dusyrial interests IL the country vast,
varied and increasing as they arr, will
furnish "a thousand themes for Intelligent
discussion. the mistake Of the past thould
furnish warming Signals f"r the future. and
from uur heart w. wish them God sp,.d