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

success in your undertaking. Present my
kind regards to the members o. Congress.
Very respectfully your Obedient servant,
A. NJ. WINN,
President of Mechanics State Council OF
California, and Delegate to the 1. @.
To RoBERT ScHTLLISG, President of / q.
CINCINNATI, April IL, 1874
RoBERr ScHILLISe, President Of the In
dxstviai CoAgres:
DEAR SIN The Onion that had the
honor Of representing at the initial meet
ing Of the Congress held at Clevel and in
July Last, viii nOt-I regret to say, be
represented at the session Of the Congress
this year A depleted treasury and the
near approach Of . biennial convention, pre-
vents them sending delegate TO Rochester
Personally, | would be pleased to be
present at your deliberations, but press
Of business will prevent; be assured how
ever that mn nan will take greater inter-
est In the success Of tn Industrial Con-
gress, especially Of its present session.
Since the meeting At Cleveland, have
gwen the subject u more thorough organ
nation Of labor considerable thought, and
while II was not to be expected that the
means adopted at the first meeting, would
be Perfect, yet earnestly hope the pres
ent Congress will devote its sessions more
particularly 10 the consideration of the
question Of organization. II il in my
opinion useless to spend days or even
hours in the consideration Of questions Of
\ policy, such as eight hours for days
work, conspiracy laws, etc, etc, until
means are adopted by which the policy
agreed upon may be successfully carried
out. A thorough organization Of labor
Is the great desiderstum, not only Of in
dIvidual trades, but of all trades or call
lngs, into one common Rrotherhood. 1
can see but one means to accomplish this,
and that Is by the organization in every
city, town and village of Trade Assemblies
or Industrial Councils. Nothing but the
uhaccountable sel6shness and indifference
of ths trades already organized, has pre-
vented the organization Of these Trades
Assemblies, and the Industrial Congress
should, if possible, bring sufficient infu-
ence to bear, to cause them to spring up
wherever two or more Trades Unions have
an existence. My ideas Of an Industrial
Congress and its proper organization have
not changed any in i've years, and are
based upon not only my own experience,
but the relation of the experience of
Others.
The Industrial Congress should be com
posed only Of state representatives, and
delegates from National and international
Trade organizations.
There should be State Industrial
Council in every state, composed of repre-
sentatives from local Trades Assemblies,
and local Trades Assemblies should be
composed Of delegates from Trade Unions
The details Of this plan Of organization
could readily be filed in, but / desire to
be brief
Another important question for the
Congress to consider, is the devising Of
ways and means to successfully carry out
the legislation that may be adopted. The
electing Of President, and the imposing
Of duties upon him requiring no mean
order Of ability, as well as requiring time
and expense, and the failure to provide for
legitimate expenses and fair salary, is a
sad commentary on the earnestness of the
masses in the great labor revolution. A
revenue system must be devised, one that
will insure not only a sufficient but perIna-
nent revenue, to carry out the resolves Of
the Congress. This can only be done by
direct taxation, tax that will not be
Onerous, yet ample to meet all demands
upon the Treasury. The Constitution of
the Congress should contain a provision
that no organization can be represented at
its future meetings, except those that
by vote mdorse its constitution, and agree
to be governed by its requirements; aud
the constitution should further provide
per capita tax upon each member of every
organization that indorses the Constitution
Of the Congress. There are not less than
2OO, 600 Trade Unionists in the country,
and if the several organizations to which
they belong, were to ratify the COnstitu-
tion adopted by the Congress, and connect
themselves with Trades Assemblies and
the Trades Assemblies in each state form
state organizations, the tax required would
not exceed two cents per capita for the ex
penses of the Congress. Surely none
would consider this heavy tax, but that
it may be collected, that the burden may
be equally distributed, We need well de-
vised system Of organization.
Our National and International Trade
Unions through their executive officers,
could with but little effort, render invalua-
BILE assistance towards the primary organi-
cations Trades Assemblies organiza
tiUn of these assemblies would cause the
organization of Unions of trades that have
never been and possibly will never be
organic I'd, without the assistance Of Trades
Assemblies, or similar organizations.
The great draw back 70 the labor reform
movement III the past, has been the want
of hearty cooperation on the part of the
great mass of Trade Unionists. When
they become members Of their own Trade
Union and pay regularly their dues there
| to, they consider their duty done; they are
| content to allow their officers (who are too
often like the majority of the members) To
run the machine, and tho best officers in
the world will tire in well doing, when
their efforta are not appreciated, and those
for whom they labor, view their efforts az
altogether for personal advancement.
\ This feeling must be ohliterated, the mem
beers of Trade Unions must be taught that
they have duties above and beyond their
own Trade Union; that in this country at
least, prosperity must be general; that no
trade can advance permanently while all
others are standing still or retroxra aiding,
and that 1t is folly intensified for any
trade and its members to be content with
their condition, simply because it is less
degraded than some other trade and it's
members. The wants Of labor have been
SO often and so ably portrayed, that but
little is left to be said upon that subject,
and | earnestly hope the Congress will
look more to the means to accomplished
the desired ends, than u any further eX-
position of our needs.
Hoping the Congress may be . success,
and be the means of arousing the leJhargic
masses TO q sense Of their duty to them
selves, their families, and their country,
am, yours in the cause, ii. j. WALLS.
Ex-del. |. NJ U. No. 8, Cincinnati, q.
ToRoSTo, Ont, April Is, 1874.
To Mr.. Robert Schilling, President Of the
Labor Congress Of the United States o.