The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1874-08-01
PRINCIPLE OR POLICY?

In our last We referred somewhat briefly
g a recent editorial in the Cooper's Ne"
HoHthhL in which exception was taken 20 ''''
theory of those political Sc'i'i'is
b,ld ..tbat An evils affecting. crushing ana
l...+,...,.;,,.. the ls.burcr spring from defect
~. ,,,i iniqutous Legislation, Or from the
absence If Just, comprehensive legisla-
ton.
The first exception taken Is that to
make the reform effective II is necessary
that worklngmen elect a majority Of the
men composing the State and national leg
lslatures
We cannot admit the force II tins areu-
meut III do So would hc to acknowledge
uot,Dai autagonism between capital and
labor. There have been scores of-mstauccs
where labor has failed 70 secure its de-
mands at the hands of our law makers
| through ,yitord.t, rather than design, ana
4 to-day, Illuminating AS the admission may
BE- It a is none the less true that no bona
tide, authorized representative ri her III
forests can be found IN our national legis-
Iature. Is 1t any wonder, then, that class
| legislation Is and has been the rule. and
tins, too, IN a so-cs,lIvd Democratic GOV
crnment, which his yet to celebrate its
centennial We think ev,u MIR. Foran
Viii admit that many III the measures IN
ruduccd by i'm in the OHIO Constitutional
Convention were carried by a prcsentment
ot facts, which appealed To- the better
Judgement and svnsr uf right at the mem
beers, Y which they would have remained
lu ignorance but for has single efforts, and
which he alone Was able 10 present.
And We presume there art localities where
q fitting representative Of lab"rs interest
may hc found whu, if elected, would Az
equal credit to his constituents.
\ look at the political horizon certainly
does mot present to our mind the CHEEKY
view entertained by the opponents Of pc
htIcal action, or warrant the Inference that
such action Is IF the future. We find
corporations are consolidating, augmentms
and strengthening their influences day by
day. Their representatives can he found
on every committee; their muuthpieces IN
every debate; and Just in proportion as
their power increases III the social fabric
Viii it correspondmgly increase IN the law
making direction. To-day parties are dis
rupted; all Is chaos and cuufuslnu. Men
are racking their brains iuruew issues upon
which to base the party Of the future, and
We may rest assured, be these issues what
they may, the interests ii capital viii be
as scrupUlously guarded III the future as
IN the past. Is it, then, the duty of labor
in this Juncture "a stand supinely by, and
by its silence or indifference acquiescu III
the enunciation Of principles antagonistic
t. its best and most lasting interests, under
the plea that political action. on its part at
least, is Of the future Why if the power
Of capital increases Al the SAM ratio for
the next fifty years AS It has during the
past half century. political action ON the
part Of the producing classes will be as
effective as the wall Of the damned But
we are told that workimgmen are at present
divided on political issues, and that their
preludices are deep rooted Yes, and they
Will continue to be divided So long as they
are willing to remain the catspaws Of Willy,
designing, political trlcksters. 1t Is a
strange fact, however, that many Of those
who affect to have such a holy horror Of
workingInen using the ballot to advance
their own interests, are themselves the
most INSCRIPTIONS partlsians Of the Repub
lcan or Democratic factions We hav, heard
men declaIm against placing labor tick
1T III the field because 1t Was upccpe,iied
t. 40 so-who styled themselves trades
unionlsts- have seen them the mex day
peddling ballots and shouting themselves
hOarse III advocating the election Of the
most notorious and avowed anti-trades
unionist in the city. And again to have
seen these men affect to whine over what
NiNN Ntit l'ANtlSth W SAl " tiN WI az al ~
their interests, when the man for whom
they acted as tool Was AS good as his
word and championed the opposition to
every measure III which a trades unionist
vas Interested
II is true there is little prospect If inmedi
ate success, but what Of that Did the Anti
Slavery leaders when they couldn't count
upon t,rD per cent Of the voting population
allow that fact to prevent them from
maintaining their organization and promul-
eating their views. The two per cent. in
creased to ten per cent. the ten to TWEEN y,
until the men who had been despised and
ridiculed, denounced rs enthusiasts and
demagogues, commanded publicopinion and
eventually secured the control Of the gov
eminent. What they have done Labor
Reformers may do and it lies with them
selves to effect the result
A WORD WITH THE INDEPEND-