Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-08-23

hehb "ltuih Z government, socially, po-
" litically and industrially this should be
" the aim of all labor organizations, local,
national and international. Organization
without such aims must fail sooner or
later" We do not know whether Mr..
Burgman comprehends the implications of
his advice but as fact, what he is so
coolly recommending here is nothing less
than the complete subversion of republican
government, and the substitution of that
peculiar form Of despotism which the Chi
ncse Six Companies of San Francisco have
been accused of maintaining.
He would have the workingmen COM
bine to form government within gov
eminent. Now there can be but one
object in such a programme and that is
the overthrow of the existing form of gov
erIment. For it is perfectly clear that an
inner government of the kind described
would be unnecessary unless it was in.
tended to resist the laws and usages pre-.
viously existing. And this is revolution.
Indeed Mr.. Burgman clearly points to
such contamination when he says that
the workingmen have made mistake in
trusting their liberties to statutory
claws" What does this mean, when
taken in conjunction with his plan for an
mlperium in imperio, but that the working.
men ought to combine for resistance to the
existing laws, and that they should aim at
the substitution of Chinese tyranny for
free institutions We are afraid that Mr.,
Bargman is a very bad and foolish adviser.
The theory Of this government is that it is
of, by, and for, the people. The working.
ing.men are voters. They are and always
have been able to influence and direct leg.
islation by the exercise of the suffrage.
They have no right to claim any further
political power than is possessed by every
citizen. Aud should they ever attempt to
set up Mr.. Burgman's revolutionary form
of government, and undertake to control
the country by methods alien to its doc.
trines, they would find that the rest of the
nation had something to say in the prem.
Uses.
It is, however, true that the working
classes are relying too much upon the pro.
lection OF governments, and upon the trade
union form of government above all other
kinds. The truth is that the management
OF their organizations has thus far not been
st ali cil culated to advance the real inter.
ests Of the members, but that H.ey have
been employed to establish great number
of very short. sighted andy-arbitrary rules
and reg lations the general effect of which
has bean to eribarrsss both Labor and
Capital, TO hamper production, aud to
breed il swill and distrust between employ.
ers ard employed. But it is not true that
the exist ing political machinery is incapable
OF helping the working people, as Mr..
BuFgman says. Their chief troubles are
f,ettribut sble to that blind suspicion of
capital which leads them to accept the
oouns5is III ignorant leaders against thei.
true in sresss. Instead of thinking for
Shemsef yes, and calmly mastering the situa.
ii they accept whatever shallow
so histfi 3 s7p offered them, and so they
are mads TOT of to advance the selfish
interests Of pkxsons who care nothing for
them. 'rake ths>aSoteetiya4system. That
is agains THE interesA of Labor, which it
taxes ex rrbitantly without any compensa-
ton. at nevertheless it is sustained to.
day all over the country by the working
classes vho are robbed by it. The fact is
that the workingmen willfully shut their
eyes to the issues which lie az their doors,
and go ca woolgathering after impractica-
bic and chimerical ideas.
Mr.. Burgman, however, while his notion
of government within government is
both dangerous and futile, and wholly op.
posed to American governmental doctrine,
has the sense TO perceive that the working
classes cannot benefit themselves by reck.
less strikes. On this question he is worth
hearing He said Permit me to voice
"my sentiments loud and strong in utter
condemnation of largely organized strikes
s. for no other purpose than paltry in.
Grease IN wages. The strikes which took
"place in the East this year, whether sue
"cessful or not, were gigantic follies. If
:" the money contributed in support of
I" these strikes, and the losses consequent
g from a standstill of business resulting
" from the same, not TO speak of the hard.
ships, trouble and misery which accom-.
"pany strikes as general rule, were
summed up, it would no doubt show an
"smount large enough to buy out some of
50 the leading industrial establishments,
" and run them for the cooperative benefit
" of all the striking participants. That
is perfectly true, but is it equally so that
nothing hut experience will ever teach
"the masses to do little thinking for
" themselves, and not trust too much to
the advice of their avowed leaders,"
OF experience the working classes have
certainly had plenty. Year after year they
have seen strikes fail, they have felt all the
evils resulting from them, and yet this
year, with the experience of quarter
OF century of organization behind them,
we find them making some of the most
unreasonable and hopeless strikes on record.
1t almost looks as though experience
was utterly rejected by them. We are
inclined to think that what they want is
better kind of education. Instruction
in the elements of political economy would
preserve them against the worst of the
evils they haze hitherto suffered, and dis.
abuse their minda of the fallacy that cap.
ital is the natural enemy of labor. But
the sort of federation which Mr.. Burgman |
breaches can only land them III deeper !
difficulties, aud if carried out on his line |
would beyond question speedily bring
them into conflict with the laws of the !
country, since it is certain that an impe
rum in imperio would not be permitted |
e eDA>in any country possessing the
power ani>sspacity for self-governmsns.
THE lAsssx CHINESE CASE
A Chinese case is>before Inc United
States Circuit Court 4 San. Francisco,
which promises 20 afford TIT press of that |