The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1876-05-06
F&OM CINCINNATI.
CINCINNATI, May ], 1876.

| NOI ONeI Jcu years L nave DecO reKu
lar reader and occasional correspondent 70
The ADVOCATE, and can bear cheerful tes
tlmony to the fact, that it has been eve
true to the interest Of the workinymen
whose cause it started out twelve year,
ago to advocate, and now when it is about
entering on its thirteenth year Of useful
ness, | can but wish God speed the day
when its life of devotion may be amply
rewarded. To say that it has not pleased
all, is but to say that it could not accom-
plish impossibilities. If worklngmen
were all Of one mind THE ADVOCATES mis-
sion would be ended /; for instead Of few
lily supported weeklies. we would have a
thousand dailies laundering their aRdthemas
against the cursed system that has brought
labor to the very Threshold of slavery.
The telegraph informs us that the Pitts
burg convention has met and adjourned
The convention adopted series Of resolu-
tIons similar to those adopted by every
preceding Labor convention, except that
this one demanded a tariff for protection
to American industry. A committee was
appointed to call a convention in the
future, and it adjourned, and so far as
any practical steps being taken for labor s
benefit, the convention, except as an in
structor, was a failure. The telegraph
fur+ har ipfnrn,a ms that he dalaratas frI,,,
the Social Democratic party, baked =
the convention, and to the number of
twenty or more held little convention
of their own. Upon inquiry learn that
the cause Of their 4" bolt was the adop-
ton Of a resolution calling on the govern
meut to adopt the 3.6j inter convertible
bond, which has become the rallying cry
Of the Independents. The platform of
the Industrial Congress will compare fa-
vorably with any document that can ema-
nate from any Labor Congress, and the
hope that the Pittsburg convention might
develop plan Of organization that la
Dor might realize some Of the benefits or
rights demanded in such platform, having
been disappointed, it, in my opinion, now
becomes the duty of the Executive Off
GERS of the Industrial Congress, to awake
from their lethargy, and show that labor
can do something more than make high
sounding platform.
The condition of labor in this city is not
assuring, and in some cases is truly de-
plorable. The Hall Safe and Lock Works
is very large institution, employing at
the present time perhaps six hundred men
and boys. They are paid monthly, and
this is how they are paid: They were
paid for the month Of February in the lat
ter part Of March; they were paid in
checks on city bank, which checks were,
or at least are, payable in May. In other
words, every one of the six hundred EN-
ployes are obliged to loan that company
their entire earnings for three months,
without interest, and tins damnahle sys-
TEN has been in vogue for nearly year
If the concern was III difficulty, if it could
not raise the money, there might be some
excuse but the fact is the bank, upon
which the checks are drawn, refuses to dis
count them, because, although the firm
has a large bank account to-day, when the
checks are due, they may not have any az
count at all. The firm has plenty of
money for speculative purposes, but none
for its its employees s-the majority Of whom
are Germans. The result of this outrage
is, that the checks Of the Hall Company
are received by grocers and landlords at a
heavy discount. The poor employees are
at the mercy OF their grocers, and yet
they dare not rebel against the system OF
robbery, OF even make their grievances
known to the city press, because they
might thereby lose their situations. This
is wages slavery more CALLING to its victims
than ever was black slavery in the dnts
beuum days. The man who works for
wages is not a free man. he is not the
equal of the man for whom he works and
on whom he is dependent for work and
wages The system is but a sligh. modi-
fication of the master and slave system,
and even that slight modification is rapid
" disappearing, ridc the cotton factory
operations of New England
A new order has taken root in this city,
known as the Sovereigns Of Industry, and
is making itself favorably known to
numerous workIngmen and women. Its
principles are cooperative, and if honestly
managed will outtedly become very
popular. The Order is ABOUT to start a
| co-operative store, and promises in the
near future to branch Of into production
There are some long heads in the Order i,
this city, and they will force success it such
is possible.
The money that chinks has found iti
wGy into few pockets during the week
MANY exchanging their rags" for it.
through mere curiosity. The fact that thC
S42 OOO. 600 of silver, about to be put il
circulation, will cost the people nearly
81. SOC. 900 every year in gold, is carefully
concealed by the hard money advocates
That we should increase our interest bear
ing debt for the purpose Of forcing on thu
people currency that they do not need
that they do not want that is neithe
as convenient OF as valuable, as paper il
one Of the outrages that freemen alon'
would permit.
The preparations for the National Re
publican Convention are being perfected
The hall will seat about six thousand per
sons. The majority of spectators will n
doubt be Bristow yelpers, as the Repub
licans Of this city appear to be all Brlsto'
men. On the Democratic side Of tn
House, Thurman appears to be the favor
ite, and with Bristow on one side al.
Thurman on the other, what can the pre-
ducers Of the country expect Have the
any hope except in an honest ticket to }
nominated at Indianapolis by the Ind,
, pendents ! Give us Peter Cooper an
Moses w. Field at Indianapolis, and "
| will shake up both political parties unit
| their bones rattle. The Independent
| have plenty Of timber to choose from, b
l sides the two above named, there is Jud,