The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1874-02-07
COLoRED LABOR.

/
and especially the part he is to take in ad-
vancing the cause Of labor have as yet
received from those most deeply interested
but little consideration 1t is in this last
respect exclusively that the question has a
vital interest for the friends Of labor re-
form an interest Of suth Importance that.
delicate as the question may be, aud not
outstanding the impossibility Of express
ing an opinion in reference to it, which
would meet with the ,t,irerStI approval Of
"orkinsmen in general, the principle in
volved and its growing importance demand
that the truth should be fearlessly ex-
] pressed, no matter at what cost
The primary object to be accomplished
before we can hope for any great results is
/ the thorough organization IF all the depart
ments Of labor This work, though its
| beginning IS Of comparatively recent date,
has progressed with amazing rapidity
/ Leagues, labor unions, oranges. and trades
I ASSOCIATION exist in all our large towns and
\ cities, and IN thousands of villages and
county districts. There are central organ
| izations in many of the States. and a
I National Industrial Congress, the result of
| whose deliberations on the future welfare
Of the county can scarcely be overesti-
mated In this connection we cannot
overlook the important position now as
signed to the co.tred race in this contest.
\ Unpalatable as the truth may be to many,
\ 1t is needless to disguise the fact that they
are destined to occupy different position
in the future to what they have IN the
| past that they must necessarily become,
aye, have become in their new relationship
an element Of strength Or an element Of
weakness, and it is for the workingmen Of
America to decide whether that position
\ shall he that Of an enemy or that Of an ally
I The systematic organization and consol-
! idatiun III labor must hereafter be the
Y watchword of the true reformer. To ac-
! conn lish this the cooperation Of the Afri-
can race iii America must be secured. If
I those most deeply Interested fail TO per
/ form their duties, others will avail them
! selves Of it to their injury What is wanted,
I then. is for every union to inculcate the
grand, ennobling idea that the interests Of
/ labor are one /; that there should be no
| distinction Of race or nationality no
/ classification Of jew or Gentle, Christian
or lntdel that there is but one dividing
/ line that which separates mankind into
| two great classes the class that labors and
the class that live by others labor. This,
I in our opinion, is the true course for work
ingmen to pursue. The interests Of all on
one side Of the line Is the same, and should
they be So far misled by prejudice or pas
sion as to refuse to aid the spread of union
principles among any of their fellow-toilers,
they must prove untrue to themselves and
the great cause which they profess to have
at heart.
But aside from all this the workingmen
VI the United States have special interest
in seeking their cooperation This race
is being rapidly educated, and has already
been admitted to all the privileges and
franchises Of citizenship. That it will
neither die out nor be exterminated, is
now recognized as a settled fact. They
are here to live amongst us, and the ques-
I tion to he decided is, shall they make them
their friends " shall capital be allowed to
I turn them AS an engine against them
7 They number FOUR MILLION strong, and a
greater proportion VI them labor with their
[ hands than can be counted from among
I the same number of any other people on
] earth Their moral influences and their
strength at the ballot'b box would be of in
] calculabIe value To the cause of labor. Can
\ they afford t. reject their proposed CO.
operation and make them enemies ; BY
committing such an act Of folly they would
/ lnfict greater injury upon the cause Of
I Labor Reform than the combined efforts
4 Of labor could accomplish. Their cherished
| idea Of an antagonism between capital and
4 labor would be realized, and as Austrian
4 despotism makes use of the hostility be-
I tween the different races, which compose
/ the empire, to maintain her existence and
balance. SO capitalists, North and South,
would foment discord between the white
and colored race. and hurl the one against
/ the other, as interest OF occasion may re-
uuire, to maintain their ascendency, and
continue the reign Of oppression. Lament
able spectacle Labor waring against
labor, and capital smiling and reaping the
! fruits Of the mad contest.
Taking this view Of the question we are
Of the opinion that the interests Of labor
demand that all workingmen should be in
cluded within its ranks, without regard to
race or nationality and that the interests
Of the worklngmen Of America especially
requires that the formation Of trades
unions and other labor organizations
should be encouraged among the colored
race that they be instructed in the true
principles Of Labor Reform, and that they
be invited to cooperate with their white
co-laLorers in the general labor undertak-
/ ing. The time when such cooperation
should take effect has already arrived, and
we believe a recognition Of this fact by our
representative organizations will rebound
to the best and most lasting interests of all
concerned.