The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1873-05-03
MUST THE ISSUE COME 2

nations, are now busily engaged in devi-
sing means by which war may be avoided
by nations, and the late Geneva conference
was one Of the grand results growing out
of the previous negotiations on that sub
iect The two commercial nations Of the
world, England and America, foresoelng
that rupture between them would he
\ likely to spread commercial disaster and
/ ruin throughout the civilized world, agreed
\ to settle their little differences BY Board Of
Y Arbitration The first preliminarIes set
| tied the work of selecting the Arbltrators
\ presented but little difficulty. Persons
\ who we're known to be disinterested. and
whose honor and integrity was above sus-
\ picion, were selected, and the result was
an amlcable settlement of a question which
at one time threatened 10 disturb the peace
Of the civilized world 1t has been found
that arbitration il a means Of adjusting the
claims Of nations, one with another; why,
then, should it not be established as
means Of settling disputes between EN-
ployees and employer. The latter admit
the principle and are anxious for its adop-
ton. while the former fight against it a.
though II was a power capable Of destroy
my them. Thus the responsibility Of all
trouble arising between capital and labor,
not only rests with the employing comnu-
nifty, but they lay themselves liable - the
charge Of provoking the very trouble which
they profess TO desire to avoid. In the
many instances that have occurred IN this
country, and IN which, if the employers
were DESTROYS of doing justice to their
men. there have been ample opportunities
afforded t. the employers to adopt the ar
bitration principle, but 1t has not been
done in any single instance that We can
call to mind
But what disposition is manifested even
at this advanced age III dealing With diff
culties arising between capital and labor
Look at the different sections Of the coun-
try. where at this writing. there j. a ms
understanding between the worklngman
and his employer, and what Is the state of
things to-day Here the worklngman i
confronted by a posse Of police then he
is chased by a force OF militia, and every
where. when it is possible, his place i
filled with Chinaman. Is there right
or Justice in such a course Are our me
chanics s. utterly debased Or void Of moral
rectitude, that they are not to be trusted
OF is II that the agents OF capital the en-
ployers through their recent conventions
have resolved to reduce the white mechan-
les Of the American continent To a condi-
tIou If vassalage assimilated only BY that
If the Baroniai times Of England, or still
worse, do they mean to supplant him with
the plant tools If AsIATIo SLAVERY
These are questions which call for answers
The action Of our employers can lead but
to one result, ana that is the impoverlsh-
ing and final enslavement Of the working
classes How such a calamity Is t. be
averted, becomes the question of the hour.
The solution Of the problem carries with
it the dark forboding Of REVOLUTION. If
the agents Of capital are conniving at the
overthrow Of white labor, or if they arr
determined to use the Chinese to rob the
white workingman Of his independence,
we warn them in time that 1t will not be
done without BLOODY STRUGGLE. And
if the issue must come IN that shape, be
fore the American workman, he Will not
be found slow 70 accept it. The rattle Of
the musketry, and the belching Of the
cannon, has hardly died away from the
ear-the scenes of carnage and bloodshed
are still fresh in the visions Of those who
survived the battle hed-and when it
comes to choice Of eaths-by slowly
starving to death, Ut meeting it in the face
of the cannons mouth-the American
workman will not be slow to accept the
issue
The workingmen of the republic have
done their duty, and done it nobly, too
they have placed capital where it is to-day;
in return they only ask fair and honor
able remuneration for their labor They
hold that they have rights which capital is
bound to respect; they hold, and justly too,
that they have right to fix the price Of
their labor, and the hours they shall be
compelled to work at it, They, as well as
the capitalist, have lives to preserve, and
family enjoyments to share. They, too,
require the means and time to do it in, and
when they are deprived Of this, what is
left to them to live for
We are in hopes, however, that this
issue will be met and fought without re-
sorting to revolution. Ii must be remem
bered that the characteristics of the Amer
lean workman are made up from the vari-
Gus nations of the earth, (Asiatic races ex-
cepted). A people of such a composition
cannot long remain the subjects Of money
OF oppression. We would again warn the
agents of capital no to trihe with the
workingmen Of America. Let them adopt
reason and fair means, and they will meet
with happier results than if they resort to
tyranny and oppression.
GENERALIZATION