The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1874-04-25
VOLUME K.

/ Thomas Baxendale, s No ~ n. H., Rochester
Making total Of 40 credentials, Of which 81 ~er,
duly aud pr perry signed sRd sealed and 4 duy signed
fhro Fitzgerald, & " Curtis, Hosea P osborne
e. Cru4en aud ii Sinkley, Grand Division Conduct
| on Brotherhood
) + Brantner, NJ & b Union No of We; vrsinia
Cob Adams Stevens, Albany, kuickerbo, keT tOun
cil q soverelgnSPf Industry.
% Z Powers, Sovereigns of Industry.
W " Earle, Soyereigns uf industy
! a.. q. Akam, SoNervlgns " INDUSTRY.
! a. Warner ST John, Industrial Broth, rhooi, No.
Horace II. bay, Industrial Brotherhood. New York
! HENRY DUBN, Chairman.
W T BLAETrERMAN, Sec Com.
/ The same committee also presented the
lprotrsts of some organizations which con
sidered themselves unjustly taxed.
Un motion, committee consisting OF
I Messrs. Brantner, Of West Virginia
Smith, Of Vermont Ries, Of Tennessee
| . hara. of New York, and Cannon of Ohio.
were appointed such committee.
n Tie President then presented the follow
Hing as his annual address
n PRESIDENT SCHILLING's ADDRESS.
GENTLEMEN After lapse Of scarcely
niue months, we are again in session 10
deliberate upon the best matter Of secur-
ing the disenthrallment Of the most num-
erous class OF inhabitants of our land /;
and not only is 1t our duty to deliberate
| upon the best way Of securing the olsen
/ hrailment Of the members Of oar class
/ from unjust and oppressive discrimination
practised upon us by capitalists and legls-
laturs, but We should also deliberate upon
the best means of securing To the indus
| trial classes that education and equality Of
social position that Is So indispensable -
| the citizens of a Republic, If It's stability
anu perpetuity shall be established aud
maintained vs. should also devise means
to inform the general public concerning
the real aims and objects of our assem-
bling 1t Is a we'll known fact that many
oppose us IN our forts merely because
they do not understand or con prehynd
| the principles which We advocate. Public
opinion IS preJudiced and poisoned against
Us far more than many Ot US imagine, and
for this state Of things We must blame the
general press, which. with very fen
honorable exceptions, attacks and rloIcules,
Or worse still, entirely ignores all our
amehoratlve efforts.
Shortly after the Cleveland session
prepared and issued a circular. a cupy u
which is herewith submitted. EXPLAINING
and advocating the principles of the In
dustriai Congress. This circular / mailed
to over 800 daily and weekly papers. IN
every State and Territory, but a. far as
could learn, only one newspaper took no
tIce of the circular tins was a small Ger
man paper published IN Peoria. Ill. II
criticised the circular as not being radical
enough. Ii We contrast this with the
general publicity anC the very favorable
editorial mention given 10 n letter, written
by certain deposed officer II one ~ the
most powerful labor organizations, Nith a
view of disruptIng that order, We may well
complain Of an unjust Discrimination
against the ameliOratIve efforts Of TN. in-
dustrial classes, on the part uf the great
majority Of our public press. This being
the case, We have but one alternative au
agitation III favor OF the establishment ~
daily labor papers III all cities ia which
this has not yet been accomplished. We
should recognise in the press the great
educating medium Of the people, the
moulder of public opinion and the prinel-
pal means OF informing the masses of the
justice Of our cause and the moderation
Of our demands. For these reasons ]
would recommend the adoption Of a reso-
luton urging upon the industrial classes
the absolute necessity of establishing, by
combined effort, such papers at the earliest
possible date. This is done without a
particle Of ill-feeliDg towards the papers
now existing. They advocate what they
consider right, because their interests lie
in that direction. Ii in that ''irrepresi-
BILE conflict, the eternal and ever-varying
struggle for existence their interests,
in their opinion, differ from our own, we
have no right TO complain, or ask them to
advocate our principles but we have
other means to show to the world the JUS
tlce Of our claims, and should not hesitate
TO adopt them.
THE LABOR PRESS
has indorsed the Industrial q ongress and
its principles with commendable fsrvor.
The NoRKINGMAN's ADVOCATE of Chicago,
H., distinguished itself particularly in
this direction, but the Independent York
tHgBtdR Of Nashville, Tennessee, the Iron
UoiierS Journal, the Machinists and Black
smiths Journal and the CoOpers' NeW
Monthly, also deserve especial mention for
the able manner in which they aided and
advocated the movement. The only pub
lication claiming to be published III the
interest of labor which did not indorse he
Industrial Congress, Is puerile and in
significant sheet published at Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania. Immediately after the ad
JOurnment, 1t deprecated the actions of
the Congress. Although one of its editors
vas delegate, he did not make single
suggestion during the entire session. Not
satisfied with inslnuating that the actions
Of the Congress were unsatisfactory, al
though failing TO state in what respect
they were wanting this sheet subsequent
ly attacked your chief executive, and
when called upon to retract the malicious
SANDER, entirely ignored the request.
Not desiring to engage in 9 newspaper
controversy, | dropped the matter, and
only mention 1T here to show the tactics
resorteA to by our enemies, as | firmly
believe the paper mentioned is controlled
by capitalists and monopolists, and desires
nothing more than to SOW dissensions in
the ranks of labor | understand it has
since declared itself opposed to the min
ers' and laborers' benevolent ASSOCIATION
Cf Pennsylvania, and favors division of
the miners Of that State-proof positive,
that unity Of action among the toilers ia
not one of its tenets.
! In the call for this session, / spoke Of
the Suitability Of forming an organiza-
| tion similar in its interests and purposes
to the Patrons of Husbandry. 1t is true
we have at present n multitude of such
organizations but this, instead of lead
ing to . unIhcation and consequent re-
demption of labor, will only divide and
distract our strength. A prominent West
ern paper, and one no. at al friendly to
our cause, speaking of these matters says:
''It will be much more difficult matter
10 form central, harmonious and power
ful order among the workingmsn than it
has been 10 secure for the Grange its pres
ent prominence and influence, bat, for all
that, the effort il undoubtedly 10 be made
for veal or woe, and il viii in time be
another thorn TO the old political parties
that are now struggling 90 desperstsly fo'
existence"