The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1875-11-06


/; jury be convicted and punished unjustly
! Conscious myself Of having violated n,
1 law, | am also fully imbued with the be
I lief that Xingo Parks, John joyce, anc
t John Malloney are alike innocent of Grim,
I coming within the pale of the statute OF
= conspiracy, as amended by the law of 1877:
, fairly interpreted On this plea | trus
. the miners and laborers Of Pennsylvania
will make every effort calculated to inhu
} ence the Board of Pardons to get these
l men released from the service of a term
In prison, imposed under a verdict that
was not calculated to carry such with it.
| promise my whole power, if 1 have any.
! The law, also, ss it stands in this particu-
lar, requires to- be amended to make il
J definite. Our people should give it i'm
mediate attention.
Before quitting the subject of strikes |
must state that the constitutional article
on strikes investing the President with
power to legalize them, is one that has rem
dered the position to me very undesira-
bic one indeed Few men have any con-
ceptlon of the embarrassing character Of
this duty. The common idea is that men
should be governed by the article, and the
counsel given by the President. have
found it the exception where men
did this, and | regret to say
that this spirit of nsubordination
found allies and supporters in those
who should have known, nay, did know
better, and whose influence ! naturally
expected would have been given to the
cause we all have so much at heart
Where our counsel and advise have been
followed, |, without, | hope, being con-
sidered guilty of egotism, fatter myself
they are the men who to-day stand the
freest and most independent the most
comfortably circumstanced, and in every
respect the most likely to be ready TO
catch the first winds Of prosperity in their
waiting sails, and be waited to prosperity.
Among those we can count Tioga and
Bradford Counties in Pennsylvania, Foun-
tain County in Indiana, together with
other minor important places throughout
the country. These did, in large meas
ure, during the threatened troubles Of the
last year, follow my suggestions, as did
also LaSalle County Of Illinois, and moth
ing has been, / believe, lost to them by so
doing. But while some men court power
and authority, and delight to WELD it, the
power given the President of the Miners
National Association in this particular is
not only a dangerous one to the members,
but is such to the officer himself. 1t was a
mistake to put it there in the first place,
and this fact | became very sensibly aware
of during the year 1874. On the belief
that 1t was wrong, and that belief was
founded on that years experience, 1 asked
that the law might be changed and place
that authority i'll the hands of tlose who
have to supply the means of supporting a
strike. At that time the Convention, or
rather the Committee on Constitution,
thought 1t best to allow the article to
stand as it originally was, aud 50 left it
This year my experience only confirms the
convictions Of last on this question, and
am glad to find my recommendations
taken hold of by others, and that they
stand as propositions before you for ac-
action. Their adoption | commend to you,
and ] do hope it viii not pass unheeded
ON this occasion, for the sake of the Asso-
citation represent and the presiding Off
Ger, whOmsoever he may be.
Another point of the greatest impor-
tance to the Association is the matter of
too many men getting on a strike at one
time. Our districts, like men themselves,
are selfish. They scarcely ever think their
act, an entering into struggle which they
have reasoned themselves into the full
opinion is the best that can be done for
them, is being jeopardized by body
already in the field that are all the society
can take care of, or that, by their making
fight, they are simply defeating those
who have all the enemy they can cope
with In short, too many Of our men get
into the field at once. and by so doing
~ 4 fl, LII.
number are out-all that can be supported
and not tax the society beyond a decent
point-any more coming out only add as
sistance to the enemy and make the sue
cess Of their fellowmen an impossibility
This has been the general condition of
affairs for at least eight months Of the
present year. This should be remedied
ABOUT THE STRIKE FUND.
When the organization was first begun
1t was thought best to allow the accumula-
ton Of funds to take place in the local
treasures. 1t was considered that there
it would be taken care Of, and yet be at
hand when wanted son call for strike
purposes. The leaving it there, it was
deemed, would give greater satisfaction to
the members generally than if it were
sent to a central fund; aud under the con-
troll of few men. This plan none OBJ
iected to, or could do so for any tangible
good reason, everybody believing it could
be had "on call when the CHIEF officer
required it for the purposes for which it
is raised. Two years practice has not JUS
tilted this idea. find the strike fund of
ten cents per member per month for the
first year, and of twenty-hv the last is
not preserved inviolate in the local treas
uries, ready to be sent on when wanted.
We have very many cases, yea, a majority,
where if it has been collected at all, it has
been expended for other purposes than
| that for which it was paid, and not availa
| BILE at the time wanted. This fact induces
me, on this occasion, to ask you to give
the suggestion of having all the strike
fund sent on to the general treasury with
the monthly report accompanying it. To
me the need of this change is very evi.
dent, and | refer it 70 you for action, i'll
the hope you will give it due considera-
| ton. When strike is determined on it
is but right to know the real power of the
finances that is to support it without re-
course to special levies. Special levies are
exceedingly Objectionable to men | find
! out. / expect you know this fact.
ARBITRATION AND CANCELLATION.
Before sanctioning a strike, says our
! Constitution, :" the Board" (or in its alb
sence, the President) shall adopt all
lawful ways and means, including an offer
to arbitrate to effect an amicable settle
ment between the employer aud the en-
ployed," and again, before resorting to a
strike as means Of redress, or even be-
fore Lodge in difficulty applies to the
general office to have its case considered,
it should exhaust every device within the
bounds Of fairness and honesty, for the
strike article says, eff after all means
of redress have proved fruitless, they
deem it expedient to resort to strike,
they shall be requiredito send saers t Z"
etc This is not the way things are done