The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1873-12-06
REORGANIZATION.


When amy great enterprise partially fails
in its accomplishment, it is not abandoned
by its projectors. Investigation follows
investigation, until the true cause Of the
partial failure is ascertained; then the in
stitution is recognized ON tirmer basis
than before, its constitution or charter is
strengthened where it is weak, modified
it to carry ON the great work which it has
undertaken. This may occur once, twice
OF thrice. or as often as the faith and earn
estness Of the parties may deem it ex-
pedient, to carry out the work in hand.
Does an army, becoming routed or de-
feated, give MP the cause No. The
General in command calls his staff around
him, and, after consultation, the army is
reorganized, and marches on 10 victory.
80 it is in our banking, commercial, mer-
camille, and manufacturing establishments
When they are overtaken by general de-
preston, instead Of yielding, they put
their houses in order, and once more enter
the contest for an existence. Even our
political parties, when they become de-
moralized, reorganize. Why do not our
trade organizations, and working people
generally. avail themselves Of the same
system, aud reap the benefits Of thor
oughly organized system Of labor We
admit the panic has lessened the faith Of
the weakened in our trades unions, be-
cause they did not accomplish impossible
ties. In some instances they have yielded
to employers because the latter had
Justice or right on their side-but, in the
absence Of labor being organized as it
should be, and the present financial diff
culties rendering labor very uncertain, it
was deemed expedient to yield to their
uajoN demands rather than involve thou
sands Of their fellow workingmen in
strikes, at season Of the year when. above
all others, strikes should be avoided
These concessions have been made to EN-
ployers on their assurances that money
could net he obtained to carry on business,
etc But AS the money with which the
business of the country has been conduct
ed for the last fifteen years s.. =, green
backs and national bank notes is still in
the country; and as the great bulk Of it is
not entitled t. draw interest, il is there
fore useless IN the Golfers If those who are
boarding II up, and must IN short time
seek investment in the regular channels ot
agriculture, trade and commerce Then,
what has been granted As a concession, will
be demanded as right, and upon the
same principle, the wages of the laborer
will be still further reduced When the
time for unemployment comes. the EN-
ployer Of labor will hire at the lowest pos
sibe figure, and the laborer, i'll his isolated
and disorganized condition. will be com
PEELED to accept
Justice is not Ia he expected from the
capitalist for, as he is but the agent or
distributor Of capital, like Shylock. he
must have his pound Of flesh, in the
shape Of interest, and that interest has to
come out Of the nottingham.
Now, under these circumstances, We do
not see why our workingmen, who are
members of trades unions, and those who
/ are not members Of those unions, ought 10
take lessons from those who profess 10 be
4 their rulers. CD Let them, too, organize
and reorganize Under the late pressure,
some Of our weaker and more imperfect
unions have gone under, but the revival
| of the times and Of trade will afford them
All opportunity to reorganlze, and they
ought TO lose no time in doing So.
The present also affords an excellent OPP
portunity for our working people to organ
| ize cooperative associations, whereby they
can, in a measure, do away with great
amount Of useless and unproductive labor
Our farmers are now ready and willing to
cooperate with our mechanics and work
ing people, and if beneficial cooperative
association could be organized arrange
ments could be made with the farmers of
the country whereby provisions could be
obtained at lower rates than they can now
be procured.
We throw out these suggestions for the
consideration of our readers, and on a flu
ture occasion will refer to them at greater
length