The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1873-04-05

Midnight III great city the metropolis
] " busy and thriving state over the
\ tiles the haunting pity of the moon CHM
mtrs sadly and increasingly in the streets
1 the masses surge homewards, this summer /,
4 Saturday night, recling from low dance
I hall and gorgeous n-palace. gorgeous t.
I them, IN its glare and tawdry trimmings
7 home wards to starving families. to broken
\ hearted wives and mothers, IL pruury.
Y misery. and the fuetid. UNIV holes llur Al
mosphere Of cellar and garrett abode
/ Here some Wild, young citizen renders
night hldeous With his maudhn uratOry,
and there the moonlight nestles close to
/ the form of a drunkard, lying prustrate
| sleeping uf his dehauch, while everywhere
III tins, the lowest portion II a great city
! turks misery, pestl.encr, and degradation.
while the legluns ot rum and death clasp
hands, and sweep through the sgualhd
/ th0ruughfare, in dvmJniac glee
AmId such scenes as these as the bells
t1u slowly the midnight hour. with brisk
I -ut, walks young man upon whose face
| -hc Houuneams play ever and anon as he
/ picks his steps along the street. and finally
uer-es ph into q street leading 10 quiet
er and more orderly portion II the Olty
]
| lures marked strongly Will the indIcrs uf
character ana mental force, and his eve
although bright with the fire and euthusi-
asm Of youth. indicates study. methodical
precision and fearless honesty. His dress
Is neat yet simple IN the extreme, and hIs
whole bearing Is that II one uf nature
genuine nob.emen, = son of toll, whose
mind, imbued With precepts Of honor ana
wisdom ana whose manner augments the
irst impression which ms appearance would
he likely tp convey that he is "A man Of
keen WurAmaulIke capacity, and unusual
Intelligence
As he l.assed down the street his steps
ied him into a district Devoted almost en-
tIrely tu mechanical Interest, Al eNtru-
sIyr foundry hdnks a pros ..eruus factory.
which IL m turn the centre ui a half dozen
wagon shops and buildings devoted to the
manufacture ~ various agricultural Imple-
ments. Near unr ~ these Is a row of
small, neat cottages, y hose white painted
! fronts CLEANED ike marble III the pale
moonlight Into one " these the young
man turned. hrst knocking at the door
/ which was opened by motherly, old lady
Of perhaps nifty, who welcomed him with
an exclamation Uf surprise
HI You are late, Reuben. she said. in a
sweet, low tone. We were sitting up for
! you, but your father has fallen asleep r
and "a the young man sank ito seat hy
the table, an old man lying upon the
lounge. awuke with a start. and confusedly
muttered something about his being home
yet.
Yes, | am home, father" replied Reu
U ka,. q ( 81 I
| up late. | only intended to 60 as far
a. James Forester's, but he persuaded me
| to 70 down to Granite Hall
Ola Mr. Dalton shook his head menac-
ngly
nj No good will come Of il, my boy, he
said, slowly. II suppose there was mass
meeting there
% Yes, father, replied the young man,
| helping himself to some food which his
mother had set before him
And the same old story, | suppose,
about strikes and trades unions and equal
| lty f' persisted the old man.
- Aye, father, the same old story, as
! You say. God grant il may soon be some
! thing more than story Z" he added, so
| fervently that his mother started with an
| exclamation Of surprise
II You re getting like all the rest, said
Mr. Dalton. You expect to rule your EN-
/ ployers and be y gentleman mechanic, in
stead Of common laborer | tell you,
my lad, when ! was ali apprentice | learned
that the two classes, laborer and master,
and with very WIDE distinctions too, must
exist, III order To preserve the unl lversal
rule Of life"
" And, tel you. father. hotly replied
Reuben, that times have changed since
! you we're boy, and that the laborer, be
ing the one who actually produces, should
at least be entitled to an expression of
what he thinks Why does Mr. CRANKY,
who owns the shops, oppose this trades
union why does he advise us to remain
away from these meetings, which he afiirms
all only lead us to trouble Because he
knows that unity is strength, and that al
| though one man cannot resent an insult, or
| demand higher wages, that many can de-
mand such, and that he would have to &C
cede. There are wiser heads than ours at
work only mechanics, but diplomats
and statesmen, and we have the proof that
a union of the members Of any industrial
branch has been benefit instead Of det-
riment to both the workmen's and the en-
| ployer's interests,
"The employers don't see it in that
! light, interpolated Mr. Dalton
f" No, and why They are jealous Of their
power and do not see it in the right way.
They fear any encroachment upon what
they deem their rights. They work their
cattle from seven till six-:hey wish to do
the same with us. imagining us servants
instead Of equals, equals not only as men,
but socially and intellectually, except
where money throws a false glamour over
their positions"
Equality The world has never ceased
to prate Of it, replied the old man. a
moneyed man will always command more
respect than the most honorable laborer,
although the former is the deepest dyed
villain
You labor under an error, father.
replied the youg man. THE world is be-
coming wiser and more sensible every day.