The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1876-08-26
THE LABOR PRESS.

voted to your especial interest, the diff
culties and trials which beset from week to
week the pathway Of labor editor II is
not for the purpose, however, Of craving
your indulgence, that we now refer TO this
subject, but rather with the hope that we
may spur you to q performance of your
duty, by enabling you, in a measure at
least, to see yourself as others see you.
During the existence of the ADVOCATE it
has been our lot to receive offers Of editorial
assistance from every point of the compass.
Reformers, fnarfciers, mediums, lawyers,
essayists, lectures, phrenologists, ETC., ETC.,
have in turn Landed their peculiar quali6ca-
tions in the same strain that pedlar extols
the excellency of his wares-each Offering a
panacea for all the evils to which flesh is
heir, and wondering why thick-headed
puDlic perslstently refused to adopt their
specifics. While a few, a very few, have
advanced views worthy Of consideration,
the vast majority, after spasmodic effort,
have relinquished their pretensiOns, and
showed their ignorance Of the very question
upon which they had undertaken to en-
tighten others.
A few days since, while conversing with
. gentleman who claimed to have had a
long and varied experience as journalist,
we were lie to believe that we had atlength
found one who could render yeoman's ser
vice in the cause, and whose pen would
prove invaluable to the ADVOCATE. Our
surprise may be imagined when We we're
coolly informed that he could write on any
popular topic, art, science, literature, as
. tronomy, prize fighting, in fact anything
and everything, bat the labor question. On
informing him that that bat, excluded the
one thing needful, he replied, he had never
given it any serious consideration for two
reasons First--Because the working
classes had been the most abject Of party
slaves, from which he inferred they were
satisfied with the legislation 81 the past, ami
secondly, because as society is at present
constituted, he thought the movement
as popularity understood, an Impracticable
one. That capital had obtained 80 com
pletely the mastery over labor, that it
seemed like forlorn hope tor any party or
section 10 attempt a reform in that direct
ion. Said he: There is the wealth, the
intelligence, the business talent # the
country to contend against there are men
who understand the ways Of the world +;
who are independent of labor, for the time
being at least men who recognize All
identity of interest, and act accordingly.
On the other hand there is the disjointed,
fragmentary efforts Of the most ignorant
and suspicious portion Of the community ;
men who never were known to unite upon
a single question, or make their influence
felt In the right direction What induce
ments then, are offered for any one who
values his time and opinions, to consider
the so-called labor problem"
Though your argument has the merit of
plausibility, "werephed, ''it seems as though
you proceed on the hypothesis that what
ever is is right. While you have not stated
fact that is not painfully apparent to
every worker in the cause, you have given
no valid reason Why all reformatory meas
ures must fail. Your charge that working
men are ignorant and oftentimes preju-
diced, is unfortunately true, but you seem
to ignore the fact that that ignorance is the
legitimate offspring Of our defective social
System-a system which it should be the
aim of every true reformer to re model.
of course there are evils to remove and
difficulties t. encounter difficulties too,
Of no ordinary character, as the respective
positions Of the contestants, to which you
have just alluded, abundantly prove. But
then there is the assurance that it is the
conflict of right against Urorq, and that
faith, energy and perseverance, properly
directed, are bound to triumph"
"Well, well, be it So" responded our
friend, "but l cannot see the advisability of
stemming the current, when | can make as
much by floating with the stream. pre-
fer to take stock in something more tangi-
BILE than . workingman's party" And
these sentiments readers, no matter how
unpalatable, are the sentiments, Of nine
tenths Of those who help to mould public
opinion.
= But, never mind here is huge pile of
exchanges, representing all classes and
every shade of opinion, and perhaps we can
find somthing in them which will interest
our patrons. Here are Republican, Demo
cratic, Mechanical, Religious, Infdel and
Scientific journals. Let MS examine their
contents. Special pleading, misrepresen-
tation, billingsgate, fanaticism, bigotry,
skepticism and crime fill their pages, but
labor Is ignored. There are buncomb
speeches, and windy resolutions, partisan
harsngues, and free love essays. Here is
one knave abusing another; pot calling the
kettle black Grant denounced and Grant
applauded resolutions insisting on FRO
lection to American industry and election
of their trainers a. officers of the emigration
scnema 20 belgrade ID, eorsOIilasiVnO VI roads
and reduction Of wages and 50 on to the
end OF the chapter, while the grand over
shadowing questson Of labor is forgotten,
because its representatives. are among the
most ignorant and prejudlced in the COM
munity.
Again, let US take case which is far from
being exceptional. A difficulty occurs be-
tween . railroad company and its en-
ployes. The cause Of the workmen is
espoused, and the act Of tyranny denoun-