The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1874-01-10

lOmclai.
CLEVELAND, q. Dee - 1873
TO he officers amt Men, 5ers Of The Cigar Max
tr, Union
GENrLEMEN- From the reports received by
as from those Unions now on strike and
which You have been ordered to aid it APP
pears evident that many Of You have utterly
failed IN Your duty % them and 10 the Inter
national Union
We desire u address u yOu few plain,
earnest words uu the possible consequences
which may result from tins neglect Of duty
wv your part Whether it arises from neg
lrct, from apathy, from lack Of interest in
the support 1T the unions, both local or In
ternatlunal, Or the insenslbility t. your own
interest,". We know not, nor do we care TO in
quirc into the causes, We consIdsr it our
duty to point Out the danger, in order that
you may remove the cause and avert 1t.
NOu have created laws hy which YOU have
bound yourselves to support each ether while
cuntendIug for your rights. and you have
pledged your honor as men that you will en-
force them. In this the contract Is mutua
man To man, union to union. To carry out
tins contract, NUT ALLY made, You have ere
ated the International Union and empowered
its officers, elected by your representatives,
to that your laws are carried out in good
faith. each To- the other The officers SO
elected haze again pledged themselves TO YOU
that they will faithfully perform their duty
and enforce tile laws which Won have created
FIR Your own government hut IN doing 80,
they must depend 10 a great extent ou your
support, t.,ldutlly and collectively and ou
the measure vi t.rt support depends the
strength d. the International Union la the
performance VI TINS duty local union calls
upan tue International I mon for its assist
n eA.r.. . H.sl
International Union f,r their sister unions to
make Pod their mart Nj the contract and
come N their assistance Three such de-
u,auds have up,r been made. and at one time.
ann Il 4, III ,luseuu,uce uf the manner that
soui. il ynu have responded To them. that
" deem ii necessary to address YOU The
Executive Board 81 the International Union
have caused Ia ~ levied ot each member the
sum az thirty, cents DER week. IN order to sat
isfy the CLAIMS VI those who according to
vour laws. are Justly entitled To i'll THIS.
surely. is not askin. too much Of men who
Are III gmploymeut ana even if it were so.
you Yourselves have made the laws aud
should abide BY them. Ii is simply useless
to make laws to support strikes and withhold
your assistance when called on. 1t is crimi-
ual to make to others the pledge Of your sup
port in times Of need, and when you are re
uuired to forward your aid and fulfill your
promise made IN mutual good faith, basely
to deny it when il is needed most Those
unions call on YOU to-day. 1t may be your
turn tomorrow Would YOU expect such
treatment at the hands Of those from whom
you had 4 right. w the terms Of the mutual
contract, to demand it v: Besides, 1t is not
their own battles these unions are fighting.
1t Is equally yours. The same power which
Oppresses them may at auy time be directed
against you Already their would-be mas
tiers are Boosting that they have got them in
their power, and are making their assertions
that tile International Union Is pOwerless to
support them. gu, fellow craftsmen are
the International Union, not the Executive
Board which IS merely the nominal head OF
the combination Of local unions Are You,
then, Powerless TO support your fellow work
men: let your answer he IN thunder tones,
NJ! Re m. a, aud show them nat You not
only have the power but the VIII and deter
mnatlon, 70 assist these unions III asserting
their nights against the power OF those who
would crush them, and you, and all Of uswho
toni for q living. II you desire the lnterna-
tiOnal Unton to assert its power, show it now
or expos its weakness 10 the gaze Of those
who will u"t I've silw IN taking advantage OF
It. Ii ever there was time when our full
strength and power were demanded, ltis now.
You are the power that created the Inter
national Union yor alone have The power to
destroy it. We firmly belIevs that its de-
struction can only be accomplished by the
acts Of its creators. and IN no quicker or sar
e way than BY Withholding your aid from
unions on strike. No other thing that you
possibly can do can more demorallze 1t than
this When we fail IN this, we fail in the
objects which called it into existence. While
the International Union approves a STRIKE,
and the local unions withhold their aid, It is
simply shadow without the substance, Men
when on strike require moral as well as a
pecuniary support, and IN denying them the
latter you deny them both while i is equal
~ true that n rendering them the latter you
render hoth- II Is the lack OF TINS support
both moral and pecuniary' that makes men
discouraged lhey know the sacrlhce you are
called up n to make is msleai"rant IN com
parlson with their own. lhey ma tnat the
and which they had right 70 expect from
their sister unions L withheld hence tney
abandon u.s. and We are weakened TO that ex-
tent, both numerically ana morally and yet