The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1875-07-10
AN APPEAL FOR JUST CRITICISM

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social economy which should never be per
mitted to escape the memory. In discus
sing questions in which committees are in
terested, we are too often apt to disregard
them. Thus we frequently find ourselves
arguing in favor of, or IN opposition to
organizations, because of the acts of indi-
vidual members Of them. Of course, much
of the good or evil accomplished, or ex-
pected to be accomplished by combination
of men, is dependent upon the inclination
Of the constituent parts to harmoniEe !;
yet we question very much whether any
Reorganization ever was, is now, or ever will
be, without its out-in-out traitors, or its
latter. though perhaps innocently 50 are
nevertheless enemies of their organize
tions, or let us be as generous as possible,
more properly levers Of power i'll the hands
of their atroit enemies. Perhaps no cause
has ever suffered so much from this dis
position of the public to argue a combina-
ton wrong, because individuals in it are
proven bad, or even indiscreet men, than
that Of labor reform In its every phase,
beginning with trades unionism, and end
ing with the political movement now W pro-
gress it has been assailed by the philo-
sophlsms of its enemies, with such success
that many thousands Of those it is intended
to elevate IN the scale oI humanity, have
been deferred from participation in the
labor necessary to its nature. If some
over-enthuslastic, and under-wise striker"
permits his preJudlces, for all men have
preJudlces, and few only can control them,
to inviegle him into an alteration with a
stubborn employer, blind tool of the lat
ter, OF a filthy, execrable " scab, which
results in a violation of law, the verdict of
the public Immediately is, the union is
an outrage" If some Jealous reformer in
the political arena, is sufficiently injudici-
GUS to argue against the hobbies Of a com
munisy, the virtuously indignant public
immediately cries, He is a demsgogue,
and his followers are his plant tools. If
one trades organization, in the heat of
passion, authorizes strike, upon what
the unerring % public is pleased to call
insufficient provocation, the whole union
movement his but al ''engne Of oppres-
SION, seeking to rob capital Of Its lust
dues
1 If worklngman, elevated to official po-
sition BY the votes Of his fellows, proves
recreant to his trust, every leader in
the movement must be unworthy II con
! idence
/ They seem to forget that Christianity had
it's Judas, the Revolution its Arnold and
every cause its drawbacks in the persons
Of insincere and superzealous advocates.
A moments reflection ought to be sufici-
emily convincive Of the injustice Of this
course of reasoning-but how many are.
there who deny to the subject, even that
moment reflection? How few are there
in fact, who are willing to test the merits
Of case in the crucible Of common sense,
when not initiated by prejudice
We are not Of that class, which is pre-
pared to sustain the actions Of our organiza-
ton, as do too many partisans ''at all
times and under all circumstances. We
have no wish to defend labor reformer,
merely because he is labor reformer. ex-
cept we are convinced that he has been
unjustly accused, and that he is therefore
in the right In the history of all organiza-
tions, including trades union, and Of all
political movements, not excepting that
now making III the interest of labor, there
are blemishes Just as there are errors in the
lives Of the best Of men, and no record of
a mans doings is complete, except it con-
tains a recount of some wrong act, no more
than is the history Of an organization per
feet, except it be found at times winking
or conniving at wrong-for ''an men are
falable." Necessity is an arch enemy
of law"
In order to Judge wisely between accuser
and accused, it is necessary that we look
scrutinizingly into the motive that prompt
ed the deed If we never disregarded this
injunction, which emnates from every
well-balanced conscience, perhaps the ends
of Justice would be more often attained,
and the moral interests Of the community
more frequently and susely subserved.
Necessity is frequently the mother of
crime, and in all such cases the real GRIM
inal is to be found where exists the primary
cause of necessity. If want be conceived
of Incidence and sinful extravaganza, then
is the perpetrator Of wrong in every way
responsible, but where poverty sesults
from oppression, and eliminates in crime,
then is the oppressor accountable in the
light Of every Isv, eitfEr human'sr divine.
A careful review Of the differences be-
tween employer and employed-between
aggregated path pd Abor, and the
causes leading thereto, would unburthen
many mind of the unjust prejudices it
new entertains against the workingman's
movement. He is struggling against op-
precision, and though he may occasionally
be led astray by bad councillors, either in
the shape Of evil minded men in his own
social predicament, or of his personal jeal-
ousies and enmities, he is laboring for an |
honorable ultimstum, and by what he may |
do wrong, let not his fellows be adiudged. |