The Labor enquirer., 1883-04-14

dissolved by dissensiOns arising from an
attempt to meddIe in politics. We will
grant that such has been the case in
few instances but what was the char
acter of the so-calIed political action in
those cases? Was not the move inau-
gurated for the benefit of some party or
candidate; or to enable some one or
more to be revenged on an enemy? We
think so.
Unions and all labor organizations are
instituted and maintained for mutual
protection and to aid in bettering the
condition of members thereof What
more potent means of bettering the con-
dition of any class Of workingmen can
be employed than the repeal OF preJu-
dicial laws and the enactment OF just
ones And. again, we submit that ten
times more labor organizations have
been broken up because proprietor8 and
monopolists have been enabled under
the laws to Cypress the members, than
bv any political action ever taken.
Let the concentration os wealth under
present systems go on for few years
LONGER. let the #orkingmen Of the coun-
trv still remain quiet Iookers-on and
make no effort to secure legislation for
their benefit, and when another panic
comes-brought on by the men who
control the wealth Of the country and,
vie ask YOU, of what avail will be a
union Of workingmen composed Of a
few hundreds of. wage-slaves, who daily
live up to their incomes, opposed to the
organized forces and concentrated wealth
Of the oppresSors backed up and forti-
fed by the statute books?
Trades unions are excellent things,
and We shall always be identified with
and advocate them, and help, in our
humble way, to build them up; but 50
long as questions Of political economy
and of legislation are prescribed, and
only those Of Keeping up w~ge caring
for the sick and burying the dead are
admitted, so long will the eXecutioneers'
ak be suspended over our heads, ready
to descend and destroy us at the signal
of the money kings.
We have thought of a plan by which
the organized IaOorers Of the country
can bring about the desired results and
yet not frighten the most timid member
of the societies. Let the workingmen
Of Colorado, for instance, within the en-
suing eighteen months, map out their
ideas Of what is due them from the law
makers Of the state and present them to
the public Then let them select from
among the people as their candidates
for the legislature men who will promise
to work for the measures you ask; then
choose from those who will accept the
terms and make the pledges, all the
professional politicians will freely make |
the pIedges-and as freely break them) |
men whom we feel will be true to us
and then let us call upon the working
men-organized and unorganized-to f.
support those men, irrespective of party. |.
1t would be better if they were not par
tisan at all,
We are assured if this plan, or one Of
a similar nature, is carried out much |.
good can be accomplished, and no union
man can say that he has been dictated
to by hiss ociety and the success Of the
movement will depend entirely upon
the endpayors and stamina of the organ
lied men.
Let us have the views Of some Of the
many able and honest men in the ranks
on this subject. If our theory is faulty,
point out the weak places, and let us try
to accomplish something which will
cause the future generations topoint back
with pride to- the workingmen IF the
century, and feel grateful
that they were saved from complete and
abiprr slavery by the wisdom: and timely
action Of their fathers and graudfathcrS,
CUT DOWN.
The first thing that Will I've noticed