National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-08-24
A SPONGE UPON THE woRKINGMAH.

The editorials printed In so-CallcQ
workingmen's organ in this city, are writ
ten, it is understood, by an ex-CoRfederate,
who, during the war, was employed in the
Confederate money-printing establishment
at Columbia, S. C. He no doubt intends
to fight the battles of the workingmen now
as he then fought the battles Of the slave
holding aristocracy, from the comfortable
standpoint of secure bomb proof" As
q matter of course the tenor of the entire
paper is tinged with the old-tim aspira-
tons Of this man, aspirations which
were bred of the influences of the rebellion,
and it has become, in truth, Democratic
organ. The fact that it is supported by
the employees of Republican Admins
tration, and that it is, in short, pensioner
upon the Government Printing Office, will
strike many people as little strange, to say
the least. But 80 far as its political or pub
lie influence of any kind is concerned it
can do no harm. What we object to is
that condition of affairs exists which in
duces intelligent craftsmen to squander
their earnings in the support of journal
which, under its present management at
least cannot be expected to win or deserve
public respect. Every business man in
the city who looks at its advertising
columns is at once convinced that it is not
selfsupporting, and those who know any
thing of its private affairs are aware Of the
fact that its existence depends upon the
gratuities of workingmen whose families
are robbed for its support. If it were not
for very natural though nevertheless
deplorable, pride, these workingmen have
in not allowing newspaper of their start
ing to perish, they would withdraw their
support from it at once, and devote their
money TO more reasonable objects. As it
is they are induced to give, give, give, and
the insatiate object Of their charity re-
munerates their generosity by melting
them to unjustifiable strikes, which have
already cost them thousands Of dollars,
without any appreciable return. There is
reason in all things; but there is none in
the pretention of the journal referred to,
that it is the laboring mans friend. On
the contrary, from its very origin it has
pursued policy calculated TO ruin its sup
porters, while few unprincipled, blatant
and misguided theorists enjoy the rare
privilege of wasting the money of
innocent stockholders in vain attempts
to injure the business of firmly
established and ever popular news
paper establishments like that of THE
NATIONAL REPUBLICAN. It may be
said that it is no business of ours how these
workingmen waste their money, inasmuch
as we are not injured by it but we have
deep interest in them. For that matter
every business man in the community has,
or should have, because their industry is
directed into improper channels,
that are fuitless except of evil to the work
men themselves Aside from this, they are
of an honorable craft, the acknowledged
intelligence of which, however, is con-
trsdicted by their wasteful' endeayor to
keep alive q leech upon their purses for
the vainglorious purposes of having an
organ" Ifthey had any prospect of sue.
cess with that organ In the future, 1t would
be different but they have not. 1t shows
no sign Of improvement in any respect,
either in business prospects or editorial
management To be brief, it is q sink
into which the Union printers of the
District .recklessly throw their "hard-
earned earnings" without any prospect of |
remunerative return. If this is not q true |
statement of the case, we hope some
printer, aside from those, engaged as edi- |
tons business managers, &c, viii tell us in |
what way he has derived any personal
benefit or his family have been made more
comfortable since. he began to work for it |
Is journeyman stockholdss, or subscribe
for ii as sympathizing stockholder. !