The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1877-04-21

sacrifice tor the sake Of future advantage
what an admissionIl which form necessary
elements in the success Of every organized
society" Truly, if there were any doubts
as to the fitness Of Trades Unions to at
tain their objects, the National Federation
OF Associated Employers Of Labor has re-
moved that doubt. Have the Trades Un-
ions succeeded Ask the federated en-
ployers. There can be no better proof, not
only Of the power, but Of the justice Of
Trades Unionism than the document from
which the above quotations are taken.
Although, then, Trades Unions have
proved themselves thoroughly 1T and able
to carry out the main objects for which
they were formed, yet 1t cannot be denied
that, in regard to one portion Of their pro-
gramme, they have not shown the same
!, tact and ability. There is the authority
of the chief actuaries In the country for
saying that the insurance funds-as they
may be called-of some of the Trades Un-
ions are based upon false data. The
amounts expended under this head are for
sickness, approximation. accidents, funer-
ais, &C., and the sum total thus expended
is very large, in some instances much
greater than is spent in conducting a strike
or opposing lock out. AS has been al
ready pointed out, such benevolent notions
had very little to do with the formation of
Union. They were mere subterfuges
tackled to the charter of Union because
II was illegal for them to exist without
them. When they were registered,
however, they had sort Of asl-legal ex-
istence, and could, at any rate, meet legal
ly. 1t is probably that the care and at
tention Of the original members would be
devoted more to the immediate advantage
Of increased wage than In calculating pre-
miums for a sick and burial fund. Proba-
bly,, also, the actuarial abilities of the frat
promoters Of Unions were not very great.
At any rate, there il the fact that in re-
spect TO that portion Of a Union which re-
sembles ''frIendly society" there is, az
q rule, great degree of unsoundness. The
sooner this is altered the better I; and per-
haps it would not be amiss If steps we're
taken for the general and gradual extinc-
tion of this feature. Let Trades Unions
nave one grand object, 10 which the whole
If tn cir power and resources can be de-
vote /, and it will be found that they will
sue iced much better by doing that well, as
by trying too much they 'botch, If not
lose, all. Jack OF all Trades" is proverb-
tally master Of none" There Is every
reason to believe that Unionists are in
favor Of this suggestion. The friendly
society" features are seldom dwelt upon by
Union advocates. MIR. Dunning does not
include them in his PHILOSOPHY" OF Trades
Unions Mr. W. L. Thornton barely men
tions them the COmte de Paris says moth
ing in their favor and the writers men,
toned in the course of these pages seldom
speak of them. The introduction to the
annual reports of Trades Unions is the on
ly place where their advantages are dialated
upon. We are there told that the man
who neglects to insure against the ''Ills
that flesh is heir TO" has ever q black
shadow before him. He cannot tread the
earth as Independently as other men for
he knows that, however superior he may
be to the frowns OF The world at present,
there may come time when distress, and
possibly beggary, will overtake him." This
Is very true and very good, but it is an
argument III favor Of friendly society,
not Of Trades UDion.
ITO be continued)