The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1874-10-24

| ,r-anlzed, and ever miner enrolled BY
au other means can the National Associa-
uon fulfil its mission. 1t is only by con-
| certed, concentrated action that the miners
! the United States can ever expect to
| cope with corporations which are fast be
coming the most powerful, exacting and
Inscriptions Oh the American continent
and II was this very Idea that orr sinated
| he Youngstown convention. Isolated ac-
! Jlon had been tried ana found wanting, AS
vas corroborated by delegates from every
mining section and after mature consid-
Grafton National Orgdai,d'ion Was deter
mined to be the want OF the hour, and
certainly it is as Necessary to-day as it was
a year ago. Ii is trre that IN the short
space us rts existence a great work has
been accomplished, but it is equally true
that il has net received that support in Ger
tam quarters where ITS influence was most
needed, and where the necessity for its ex-
lstence had been most keenly felt. What
plan the Convention may adopt to secure
his object We cannot tell. but confident V
nope that ways and means may be devised
tn carry q perfection the work So auspIci-
ously began
The lNAUGURATIoN, REGULATION and
SUPPORT OF STRIKES and LoCKoUTs. will
no doubt command the attention Of the
delegates The Importance Of arriving at a
satisfactory understanding, and the map
ping ont of plan Of action for observance
un this much veNed question, can scarcely
be oyerestimatcd. Personal preJudlces
must give way "a the general welfare Of the
organization, no matter who may feel az
grieved. Strikes. 70 be successful, should
receive the sanction and support of the
majority VI the local lodges. The system
ut striking AS soon as an organization Is
effected cannot be too severely condemned.
Z Ultimate, instead II immediate. results
should influence the tie IT any member
interested Rome wasn't built In a day
it Is nonsense T. >app that the Ma
tonal can come TO the support Of every Ill
advised strike, when ITS Treasury has been
almost depleted Let the ConventInr re-
solve that Tor six or twelve months 40
strike will he sanct toned unless under tN-
traordinary circumstances Y, tLr lodges
continue 70 pay their dues and pay them
s,rsf InN Il. la,
statement Of the financial condition VI the
Association be sent to the various districts
in short, let confidence be maintained and
fund accumulated and in less than
twelve months the Association and its Off
GERS will be in a position to defy the en-
croachments ~ any corporation in the
land. If employers are fool hardy enough
70 combine and take advantage of such ac-
ton, q suspension, ~ ,rork throughout the
entire MINING region will be very apt to
lead them to see the error If their ways.
The IMPORTATION - CHEAP LABOR is
also an important question which will en-
gross its attention, and this embraces alike
the colored laborers Of the South and the
characterless Migrants of Europe. In In
diana and Ohio the negro has been the me-
dium used during the past year to whip
the miners into the employers traces,
while in Pennsylvania and Illinois the bri-
gands Of Italy, and the scum Of Belgium
and Scandinavia have served similar
purpose and from present indications
this villainous system is likely to be pur-
sued for some time to come Moreover,
these importations have been intro
duced in a spirit Of needless Insolence and
bravado, armed, in many instances, with
the very muskets with which the evicted
secured to their oppressors their prop
erty and their homes These exhibi-
tions have, doubtless. been INDUCED in
for the purpose Of forcing conflict, and
with the hope that the Executives Of the
States would be furnished a plausible ex-
cuse for crushing, with powder and ball,
the honest demands Of honest labor But,
thanks 10 the tact, patience and good sense
of the miners and their leaders, they have
presented a record Of which any man may
feel proud, and Of which few men, placed
under similar circumstances, could boast
maintained their reputation as Law abiding
citizens. 1t is serious question, how
ever, for the Convention 10 decide, how
long this state Of affairs and passive atti-
tude shall be maintained. Magnanimity
is commendable-pusilanimity despicable.
Labor has rights which capital cannot
trainple on with IMMUNITY, and the sooner
its minions are brought to a realizing
sense Of this fact the better for all con-
cerned. The contest now waging may be
a bloodless one-if they 50 will; but if the
g stamping out policy is to remain their
brute force their arbitrer, on
their own heads rest their own RESPONSE
bility.
The QUESTION OF ARBITRATION is also |
well worthy of their attention, and one TO
which they cannot afford to turn a deaf |
ear. Public sentiment must be enlighten- |
ed before its sympathy can be awakened or
evoked IN labor's behalf, and in no way |
can TINS be more efIectually accomplished |
than by their public avowal that they are !
willing TO submit their claims to arbltra-
non, whenever practicable, and when en-
ployers are willing to meet them in a kim
dred spirit, before suspension of work is
resorted to. Even we're their propositions
rejected they have everything to gain and
nothing to lose by pursuing such a course.
In the old world, especially in the mining
districts, II has been successfully applied.
IN TACT so general has its>application be-