The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1876-03-25
Why Is Labor Reform Unsuccessful 2
tFrom the iron MoIders' JVu naI)

ArAVhi tue Aieu MeuelA SNe Hssi'f
Fer twenty years LABOR reform has been
agltated in this country, and for ten years
u has been prominently before the people.
Daring that time, many national and state
conventions have been held some of which
were quite imposing, both IN numbers
aud IN intellect and the actions of nearly
all these cbu,uatIonc have received the
unqualified verbal Endorsement IF the vast
majority Of wurAIngluen. We say verbal
Endorsement, for the present condition Of
affairs . ives that the Endorsement ala not
extend sufficiently 10 cause action, ana
WOrkinumen have been content 10 ludurse
bv mere words aud then follow on IA the
old ruts until another convention was held,
ana another throwing up Of hats, and then
4 hAsty putting Of them on and pulling
them down over the eyes, s. that the own
ers the eof might not be known.
The doctrines advanced by the many
labor conventions are unanswcrable. They
are based upon true political economy,
which LOOKS T. the greatest good Tor The
Greatest number; and nov, after ten years
II conventions. If resolves, az wasteG OPP
purtuultles, labor Is IN the slough, one half
lille, the other half working for vastly re-
duced wages, while the cost Of living does
hot reduce. luuILuItles are beng heaped
upum labor that Il dare not resent, because
every man fears his fellow man. and
never. Ia the history Of this or any other
country, Vas the opportunity greater for
capital to thJrou. hly enslave labor by and
through It's factions, the factions beng as
numerous almost IS the laborers them
selves.
Ii labor was to-day unit, 1t would be
iuylucible IN controlling the destlnes Of
The country Every effort to unite labor
las been is grand a nLLle as the conception
~As grand. We are referring 20 labor as
i whole, not 10 the efforts to organize
Trade Unions Trade Unions look emily
at the organization Of trades each Trade
mon its own particular trade and the
only questions they deal with are the
hours and wages Ut labor. The wages
question Is not the only, OF even the great
question ii labor reform; for We realize
NOW, that during the war, when wages
mere at the highest, never before or since
did wealth 50 rapidly concentrate IN the
hands ii the few, ana IL Is this concentra-
non 81 wealth ana its absorbing nature
that labor has most 10 fear, and Is the
true and only Ieai question Of labor re-
torn.
This great fact has been set forth lsy
nearly every convention Of labor REFORM
ers, but without any practical result.
" ny We do not suppose Tor moment
that those who indUrse the resolutions and
platforms Of national labor conventions
will acknowledge the truth Of what We
propose to assert as being the reason why.
He may think 1t true ot his neighbors, but
not true Of himself. The whole mystery
might be explained IN one word-'self.
Tie Will not sacrifice self; We NIll not say
come, but always say go Too many
III Us are hoping to get away from labor.
" hlle We consider II a curse, We do moth
ia. % make It otherwise. We are not
niddIemen. or holding petty political Of
noes, simply because our opportunity has
not come. Ii We manage to get one hun
bred dollars ahead, We at once commence
T. look down Oh those less fortunate. We
commence to search for opportunities to
make the hundred dollars serve our fu-
ture wants without productive labor. We
dare not raise our voices against the pres
ent political system, tor too many OF US
are hoping against nope that We may get
some little political office, such as consta-
NE Policeman. TAX collector, councilman,
etc, that would enable as to live without
labor, and II We were to act up to the
principles Of labor reform, our chances
Tor such offices would be destroyed. The
present is our CT a. We denounce snob-
ocracy, monopoly, our employers, and
everybody that is above Us III station, and
at the same tiuse seek, by all the means
III our power, to become of them. OF this
We have ample proof. The most tyranni-
cal Of employers are those who in years
past were the most noisy among so-called
labor reformers. The moment the indi-
vidual labOrer becomes a storekeeper,
mIddlenan Of any description, or the hold
CT VI political office, LIS mouth is closed;
the system is all right, and whoever ques-
tious the system becomes jealous sore
head These are the reasons why labor
reform is 50 unsuccessful. Labor will not
Unite Every individual wants all others
To unite, but he wants to be free to &c.
out Of the ranks Of labor, and the result
Is that labor reform is becoming a by-word
and reproach.