The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1875-08-21
THE DETROIT CONVENTION.


Aug 25th, and it is definitely known
that Judge Kelley, Matt H. Carpenter,
Moses " Field, and number of other
prominent Republicans, will be in atten-
dance The labor reform element will
also be well represented, and the claims
of workingmen will be fully considered.
These Republicans acknowledge the fact
that the well being Of the laboring mas
! ses are Of the highest consequences To the
government and the people. They recog-
nize the fact that the ndustris asses
are not prosperous and that this laok Of
prosperity is the result If unwise leglsla-
ton they, however, believe that the
Republican party can be induced to make
the labor reform cause its own. They
argue that the Republican party has al
ways been essentially a reform party, and
that the reform element in the party
greatly outnumbers the bank robbers
wing Of the party Whether they are
right in this opinion remains to be proven;
it is for the reason Of testing this belief
that they are determined to remain in the
party for the time being, and they are not
overwise in taking the course which they
have.
This convention occupies very much the
same relation to the coming political
campaign of next year. that the organiza-
49, u. i
military campaign. The officers 81 the
corps will meet To collect information, sur
vey the field, compare notes, decide upon
a uniform plan If action, and station
trusty pickets throughout the country. in
oruer to be fully prepared for the contest
when the hour OF battle arrives This
preparatory course Is equally important.
whether tins corps will ultimately operate
AS an auxiliary of tn, Republican Ut Dem
ocratIc army, ur a. al independent prgani-
zatlon. The work needs to h. done. II il
essential that those Who are ~ our mind
N regard to the great labor Reform issue,
should come e. a thorough understanding
among themselves. This Is the object to
be accomplished At the Detroit convention.
The men who will he IN attendance are
men Of influence and men Of eminence /,
they viii command The respect and atten-
ton Of the Republican party. II which
they are component anu influential part
1t Is now admitted by all intelligent per
sons Of every party that the financial is
sue is the vital issue If the hour. This
does not cover the entire ground Of the
labor reform movement, bur it is the over
shadowing element Of the labor reform
contest As now understood ~ the leaders
Of that movement. Labor cannot hope to
receive a Just proportion IF the rewards,
SO long as our money markets are control
led by privileged few who now monopo-
lie the banking business. This is the
great central fact which viii be acted upon
by those in attendance at Detroit. The
hope is, as before stated, To COMPEL the
Republicans party to side with the people
and against the money monopolists. But
if the Republican party is 50 completely
under the control Of the money sharks,
then measures will be taken by the indus
trial classes To look out for their own in
terests.
The ADVOCATE wishes to be fully under
stood upon this issue As representa-
tive IF the labor reform movement, we
hereby notify all politicians that we shall
support no candidate for office who will
not openly pledge himself to labor for the
repeal Of Sherman's Infamous resumption
act the overthrow Of the national banks
and the establishment Of the Interchange
able bond and greenback system Of nation
al finances. We Will have none Of your
specie robbery nonsense. We will sup
port candidates openly pledged to labor for
these reforms, irrespective of political
nominations. If the Republican party,
as a national organization, viii make our
principles its OWL We will support it, But
if the Republican party shall worship the
golden god, and the Democratic party
will indorse our principles IN GOOD FAITH,
then We will support the Democratic party
II neither the Democratic nor Republican
notional organizations will indorse our
principles, then the industrial classes will
demand an Independent ticket, and what
is more, We have the strength Of numbers
to elect it triumphanjly.
The efforts to build up an aristocracy,
based upon wealth, in this country, will
not succeed. We all know too well what
an enormous cost it was to break down an
arlstocracy based upon caste, but when
the trial Of strength between this arrogant
aristocracy and democracy came, this aris-
tocracy, which was mtrenched behind the
traditions Of i've generations, and backed
by innumerable laws and precedents,
went down. The power of the money ar
istocracy is even greater than the power of
the slave aristocracy ever was, bat we
have acquired great experience in our first
contest, and are therefore much better
prepared to grapple with the treacherous
money robbers than we were with the sub
tie slave drivers. There can be no doubt
whatever Of the result Of this contest.
Before we were lighting to free four mil
lionss Of black slaves, whose liberty was
only sentiment with us. Now, we are
lighting to fire, ourselves from the tighten
ing grasp Of the cowardly scoundrels who
skulked at home to suck the lifeblood Of
the people while we we're at the front fight
ing the battles of our country.
Jay Gould tells us plainly in his organ,
the New York Tribune, that if we will not