The Labor enquirer., 1883-03-24
Demand an Extra Session Of Con-
- gfess as a Remedy, for
l.: Strikes.
Advise All Wage Workers to Join
Their Trade Unions or the
<. Of L.
"To Your Tents, Oh Israel !''


labor legislation will be published in the
next number of the Vedette, organ of
the Federation of Trade and Labor
Unions:
The board Of directors duly appointed
by the central committee of labor legis-
lation, organized by authority Of the
last congress of National Labor Unions,
beg leave to submit to the organized
trade unions and assemblies of labor of
the United States the following mani
festO:
In June last a resolution was adopted
by the United States senate, without
opposition, directing an investigation of
the relations between capitalists and
Iaborers in this country and the cause of
labor strikes, ETC., and promised reme-
dial legislation to alleviate the existing
wrongs imposed upon the wageworkmen
by federated capitalists. At the request
Of the committee on education and labor
Of the senate list Of eleven witnesses
was furnished that committee by the
board of direction, to set forth under
oath the grievances Of which the wage
WOrkmen of the country are COMPLAIN
ing. After much unnecessary .felay five
Of the eleven witnesses Were/SUmmOned
to appear at the capitol, bHt only a par
tiaI examination of tw0>0f the witnesses
selected was made by the senate COM
mittee, when the investigation was
abruptly suspended, and further author
ity obtained from the senate for an eX-
tension of time to said committee through |
the Forty-eighth congress, a period Of
two years longer delay, for the reason
that more important business in their .
estimation, demanded the immediate at /
tention Of the senators.
This action, coupled with later pro-
ceedings inimiCaI to the interests of
wagewOrkers, cOnvinceS the board of /
directors Of the in8incerity and hollow
hypocrisy of the professions of the
majority of the senators. \ few days
before the close Of the late congress a
deliberate plan was devised by the
standing committee on printing, and .
seconded by the standing committee on
appropriations, to break up and utterly
destroy trade union of workingmen
employed at the capital of the nation,
which plan only failed of cOnsummation
by technical conflict with a standing
rule of the senate, which prevented it's
consideration in an appropriation bill, .
but their blunder would have been OBJ
waited had not our opponents been .
pressed for time
1t should be remembered that when :
the resolution passed the senate for in
VeStigating the relation between capital
and labor, the business of the whole |
country was agitated by strikes of work
men to the number of about 100000 |
men, and the strikes were daily aug
menting in numbers. They had com
bined to resist manifest wrongs imposed
upon them by their employers, and ap-
prehensions Of social anarchy, serious
arrangement Of business, and possibly
suffering to the families of the aggrieyed
workmen, moved the senate to adopt
this timely resolution. The local cen
tral committee Of labor, more especially
in view of the latter contingency, issued
a circular and earnestly advised their
fellow workmen throughout the cOun-
try engaged in strikes to make the best
terms they could with their employers
and renew their labOrs before winter
with it's diseomfOrts set in, and patiently
submit to wrongs until they could learn
the outcome of the senate resolution.
They also expressed their belief that
the only human power which could af-
ford permanent remedy to the work
men was the law-making power of the
government, and advised acceptance of
its profered mediation in good faith,
notwithstanding that the senate is be-
IieYed to be largely composed of lawyers
specially retained by federated capital
I, to promote the interests of their rich
clients at the expense of the poor citi-
zen. The fact is we'll known that these
so-called representatives of the people
have lavishly donated two hundred mil
lions of the public domain to wealthy
corporations in violation of the organic
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