The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1874-11-07

hated, fought and killed, and no wonder
you only live to its provisions, the party {
the first part does not.
Where this sided instrument 10 nc
used to drive you into q strike, other cause
as much Objectionable, are forced upo
} you, 50 that you are driven to kick agalns
them, or smother all the many principle
the human mind inherits trial we know
to the good and great but under the cir
cumstances we have to advise bear Il all fo
the time being. Our organization Is goin
on a rapid rate. Do nothing rash to retar'
its progress until it is complete. Then fea
not, your time will have come, and yo'
may then throw of the yoke and asser
your rights as noble men and a. citizens o
free land.
To sum all up in word, we say-suffe
every iudignity that can be heaped upoI
you, sign every kind Of paper the bosses
present you, and do not think to combat
them now. Organize secretly if you are moi
permitted to do so publicly, but do organ
ise. The bosses do not tight you openly
they cannot blame you if you adopt theil
tactics. Those who have accomplished
great good had to bear great opposition.
Remember those Of old, who struggling
| for freedom, had to move cautiously and
judiciously-do ye also the same. We sd-
wise You thus, for to strike now is, a. it
were, fighting the wind. Reserve your
prowess and your power until the oppor
tune time, and then let US burst the bands
assunder For the pre- ,ent let there be no
strikes
To the observing man our reasons for
thus addressing you will be obvious with
out giving them in detail. Suffice it TO say.
they are weighty and for the general good
of all interested and the association. We
have several strikes on hand that may
necessitate levy lodges will please hold
themselves in readiness to respond
promptly"
So far from its being well received in
some places for so advising. the officers got
heartily denounced. Indeed, certain dis
trict uficers collected all that were sent to
their SECTION and had them burned there
be :ore the members saw them. In thnse
places members how do not know that
such circular was issued. To do these
men Justice, however, they acted from
what they believed good motive. They
feared If the rank and ile knew that we
as the heads Of the institution 80 counciled,
that they would withdraw from the organ
ization. la consideration of the state of
feeling in various places, 1 believe an ex-
preston Of thu body Is required Tor the
guidance If your future Ofhcers-nO matter
what advice or Instructions emenate from
your central office sanctioned by your exc
cutive ufficers-whether iii accordance with
the wish the members at the point to which
~. fhxaU akxaNa
should know them and to refuse to act
upon them is simply evidence that no or
ganIzation exists there. If the general Off
GERS give orders that are fatal to the well
being of the society, amend your constItu-
ton 50 as to be able to remove them. But
if they are simply to be tgureheads whose
advice, or whose general order Is to be cast
aside or followed at q will, then are they
nothing, and you have an organization
simply IN name. l ask you, gentlemen OF
the convention to 50 Arrange this for the
future that the whole society will under
stand it, That the advice given in the cir
culsr was correct l have simply to refer
you to every strike that has taken place,
with the exception Of Braidwoad, since the
date Of its Hooking Valley tells in
trumpet tones we were rlght-Clay county
echoes to the tale--Johnstown chimes in
its accent also, and to-day the men of the
Allegheny region join III with the senti-
Inent that our position was the correct one.
In fact every place where truggle has
been since then, tells about the same story
in evidence that they made mistake. On
the whole, however, the council had de-
cided effect, and many places that would
undoubtedly have tried their fortune in
contesting the ability Of the mlne owners
to reduce them were restrained from 50 do
ing, and now in the west the prices are
again going up to the old standard or very
near to 1t. A couple of months or 50
passed by when desire again arose at
places to get into the field, and fearing the
consequences, no improvement having yet
taken place in the trade Of the country, l
sent OUT the following
OFFICE OF THE
MINERS NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
CLEVELAND, O., May II, 1874.
To Officers aud Members:
DEAR SIRs We feel it to be our duty
to again address you by circular on a mat
ter u the greatest Importance to you, and
hence to the associatian. The organization
has grown beyond the anticIpatlons Of the
most saDgulne among us-havlng enrolled
ON our books nearly twenty-five thousand
names, and the rolls continue to come in
every day. This is flattering result, and
one IN " Inch we take pride, because we be-
ieve it has no parallel III the history Of
trades unions on this continent. Our hope
is that we will continue TO grow till all who
toll III the mines Of the country will be
good and sufficient members OF the Miners
National Association.
The times are exceedingly dull through
out the country, and IN many places u re-
duction Of wages has bee forced upon the
men in fact, the reduction throughout the
west has been almost general, and under
the circumstances, unavoidable. In three
places III Illinois a strike is in progress, try
ing touphold the wages-DAnvlIle, Bo~ies-
vile and Lincoln. In Minonk the men
have been ON a strike, to maintain the
union they have established for the last
three months. In Indiana the men have
been compelled to succumb to the condi-
tions uf the companies. Two lodges have
been completely ostracised, the labor being
supplanted by colOred men from Virginia,
brought for the special purpOse--New
Straitsville, Nelsonvile, Haydehv,lle,
Floodwood, and the entire Hooking Valley,
Ohio, are still in the field, and these, too,
are fighting a reduction in their wages.
The men Uf Johnsto Sn, Pa, aud those Of
Meadow Brook, Luzerne county, are con-
testants in struggle to enjoy the right to
have their union and its benefits. What
the result Of this combat will be at any
point, or ON the whole, it is impossible to
furetell. Much depends upon the support
that can be given them, and the unity Of
action which they themselves display.
There are Of our Union men engaged in
these seperste conflicts an aggregate Of
over l, ,2OO. TO give them constitutional
benefits, q weekly revenue Of $6, 600 re-
onires to be raised. From the men who