The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1874-03-28
: ON CLEVELAND.
CLEVELAND, o., March "a, 1874.

N Cleveland, the ruling topic Is the
womens war ON whisky. 1t has created
an excitement in the minds Of our citizens
years. Last week, in the latter end, the
opposition assumed threatening attitude
and serious proportions. The action Of
the oppositionists, however in their attack
upon the ladies by insulting them by OBJ
scene and blasphemous language, and their
cowardly attack upon their persons with
brick bats and other missiles, while they
were pursuing what they believed to be
their duty, under the inspiration Of
Divine influence, and certainly a right
under the laws of the United States, has
done more toward enllsting public sympa-
thy in the cause they advocate than a
years effort would have done without in
is now to a pitch that he who would be
guilty of an ungentlemanly act toward
lady, would be in danger of a trial before
Judge Lynch. Thus, you see, the very
opposition sometimes to good cause is the
means of giving it strength and vigor,
building up that which 1t is intended to
tear down
| could not help, in looking at this move
ment, contrasting it with the efforts Of our
trades unions generally, and the attempts
that are made by capital to put its foot
upon their neck Simultaneous with the
news to me that the brewers and liquor
dealers of the city had melted a riot to
suppress the women III their movement
against the power Of strong drink, came
\ the Intelligence that at Minonk, ILL.,, where
/ the men had organized lodge Of the
Miners National Union, the bosses had
sent forth their nat u the Union men that
unless they entered into a special contract
/ binding thumtelves to renounee their
Union and deny Union principles, they
should consider themselves discharged
| This, before the men had done anything
except signify their their willingness to be-
/ come members of the National Association
a right that is not anywhere denied them
in any Of eur statute books The same
thing is done at Nirden, Ill the same
thing is done at Meadow Brook Colliery,
/ Luzerne Co., Pa. at Syracuse and Pome-
roy, Ohio, and other places | could men
ton, were 1t deemed necessary. Here are
union men deferred from exercising the
I .artrz
| ployment If they dared to stand up for
those rights, at every point. The spirit
manifested by the vulgar crowd Of roughs
and drunken men toward our women in
the prosecution of the work they have at
least right to do, is largely exhibited in
the man who thus attempts to stamp out
! Unionism or its spirit in the minds of their
workers. The question simply resolves
itself to this Shall wOrkingmen be per
mitted to use lawful means to advance
their interests, and protect themselves
against unjust exactlons, openly and above
board, or do the bosses prefer to have them
| 90 into secret conclave, and there make
oath Of secrecy, transact the business they
\ (the workingmen) desire to do openly.
that all may see and know what they do ?
Ii so, they have only to prosecute those
who essay to establish Unions, and its
business done in open daylight, as it now
is. But ] am possibly a little bit out Of
my course III estimating the object Of the
capitalists, who thus display their desires
to prosecute the leaders of Unions and
those who listen to them. They possibly
entertain the fallaciOus idea that they COM
mand the spirit of Union among the miners,
and stop all efforts that were being made
to establish an organization among them,
based on principles that are sound and
effective. If this is the frail idea, so let 1t
be they will hnd that they have a many
headed monster to deal with that can defy
all the force they can bring to destroy il.
| The power of Union among our miners is
as we'll known to them as 1t is To our bosses,
and now that they see way to utilize that
| power and make 1t operative in every State
Of the Union, the possible efforts to crush
1t will only excite the men the more to do
their duty, and every true man should rally
to the rescue. The fate that befel the
brewers here, by their ill-timed interior
ence in trying to restrain few ladies from
peaceably going about their business, by in
tlmIdatlon and open violence, have reused
up the whole moral, law-abiding citizens
Of tho city against them, will, | juGge, be
the result Of the cowardly and little efforts
Of the employers of a hundred men OF So
here and there to stamp out of existence
the Miners National Association.
But perhaps they reason in this straw
which is very common among them: ~
Is my work, shall run it with Just
men as have mind to and Just in "a
way have mind to- This COOL res, :
luton on the part of the COOL men has
been made time and again and time and
again, and in different ages. But ques-
ton whether they have not found 1t 20
difficult to carry out as the men who have
resolved to maintain their union principles
have in establishing and maintaining them.
One thing is certain: it has been all along
and will be in the time to come, howev, r
those men resolve, union men will be EN-
ployed in their works and union principles
will be taught and practiced. The more
they oppose it in one place the stronger
will it grow elsewhere. Those who dOu BIT
this opinion can examine into the results
of the Tioga struggle. Since it has ended
l have fifty letters telling me the effect it
has produced ON the men in many different
sections OF the country. Thus 1t, instead
Of being a crushing defeat to the cause Of
union throughout the country As 1t was
intended, has been the incentive Of large
reInforcements to the ranks Of organized
labor. The price paid for liberty there.
though great, after all purchases a great
amount beside what was directly noticeable.
The lesson to be deducted from this Is
the employer Of unions makes rs big a
mistake when he undertakes to abridge
the rights Of the citizen as the miner does
when he undertakes TO tell the boss whom