The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1873-02-08
CORRESPONDENTS.
i've do not hold our.elvss rs n.ibs for any opinions
iprsased BY our Correspondents
A National Trade Congress.
CINCINNATI, February 9th, 1873

To the Editor Of the WoRkISonAN's ADVOCATE.
The thousand or more Trade Unions in
the United States demonstrate conclusively
one o. two things either the members
thereof have in the past found it necessary
to combine for mutual protection, OF they
have been awakened to the fact that in the
near future such combination would be
to them a necessity. Either Of these con
illusions will serve as a text from which to
preach for more thorough combination
among Trade Unions. The present organ
ization Of workingmen must appear to the
careful observer as having a tendency to-
wards ''clan-ism." To some extent this is
necessary; but there is no necessity for
the various clans, under their various
leaders, to be 80 severely independent
The several National organizations
Coopers, Molders, Machinists, Printers,
etc.-have all the same object in view, the
mental, moral, and financial elevation Of
their respective memberships and it
would be natural e suppose that, having
a common object, they would act AZ a unit
for the common good but instead of this
We find each Of them apparently anxious
only to establish the title to pre-eminence
for their own organization OF clan. Unlike
the clans Of history, they do not, either
for honor or plumber, wage war upon each
other or seek each others downfall, but
the result ~ the clan system among Trade
Unions will not be far different from the
result II the clan system ot old, for " a
house divided against itself must fall"
Let us imagine for moment what would
have been the result Of the Revolutionary
war IN 1876. # each 81 the colonies had
struck cut for itself and attempted to fight
old England On its own account What
rare fun il would have been for ~. 900
British troops to have whipped them III
detail. How long would the late rebellion
have lasted If each State had confined its
own troops within lts own borders Sew.
ards =" ninety days would have overshot
the mark. This is the position Of the
Trade mons of the mted States day
They seliiShly confne their efforts to their
own Immediate trade, and the railroads
and bankers. the true oppressors Of labor,
look on, and snll, at our puny efforts IL
throttle AN elephant with SPIDERS thread
The present condition Of the fifteen
National aud International trade organiza.
tions might be Illustrated as follows
| There L. a thriving village ID whose midst
are a number NJ citizens with considerable
| idle capital About fifteen miles from the
village Is a coal mountain and if a railroad
was land To- the mountain 1t would add i'm
mensely to the Importance of the village
and IN time allow It to put on the dignity
Of = city. Each Of the citizens with surplu,
| capital cnnctIves the idea Of building tn,
railroad. They each proceed to buy iron
secure labor, and lay track, until then
means are exhausted, and when this Il
done they tnd twenty or thirty miles d
track laid, but none of It reaches TIA,
mountain, as there are a dozen different
tracks, all looking the one way, but non,
reaching beyond a couple Of miles and 5,
| IA they are concerned the mountain
| will remain undIsturbcd. We would al
laugh at such railroad builders, and We car
imagine the laugh 81 the central zed power
We have for years been endeavorlng I,
reach, at our score # tracks pointing t. IL
which. hike the railroad If land cOntinu
o.isly would hc sure h reach, but as they
run parallel We are as far from the point
We desire "a reach as We we're when va
commenced building. Fifteen years AZ,
there were a fuw scattered mons Uf labor
al the country. without a particle Of co.
| operation between them, ignorant Of each
| Others existence, aud with about as much
power as a man IA mId-ocean with plank
| for support. The uriginaturs of these
| mons recognized a necessity that their
more prosperous SUCCESSORS seem to have
| furgutten-the necessity for a thorough
organization ~ labor. without reference III
| particular trades. and the result was the
formation Of Trades Assemblies in nearly
| every city IN the country. These assem-
bhes have become nearly extinct The
formation Of National Trade organization.
| proved their death blow and these Ma.
tlOnal organizations are as far apart As were
the few local Trade MONS OF ten years
age. while the local | mons III to-day fail
70 see the necessity ~ any combination
with other Unions IN their own cities OF
towns, becauss their only idea of Union is
support they expect to receive from their
National organizations They do not
appreciate the fact, that strikes are but All
eruption On the body polite, which a little
furvthnught, little wisdom. may say a
little common sense, would render 81 im-
probable as ia time To be considered i'm
possible.
The great principles that underlie the
| Labor movement can never be properly
understood Whil, We thus stand alUuf from
each Their. cur hopes for IaJOrs hnaI
emancipation from It, serfdum To capita
will never ~ realized, but Will remain u
us as a dream ~ what might have been,
unless there Is concentration Of effort on
the part Of every Trade organization in the
| country for the common good.
1t is sand Of the French Bourbons that.
while they never forget, they never learn.
Shall tins ~ the cpItaph of the Labor
movement years hence
II. j. WALLS.
0All1