The Labor enquirer., 1884-05-31
.spRAcTIClI, POLITICS 2
A Few Reflection; on Existing Con-
ditions and Passing Events, BY
''Hon,rius. !"

j. .
There seems to be- no special impulse
in the labor r,ovement at present, and
now that the presidential campaign Is IN
prospect it is doubtful whether any
pivotal new i'd ca or departure will develop
in the near future unless some unforeseen
industrial paIic should inspire stirring
through empty stonaachs.
For such as are too serious and sensible
to be carried away by the pending SWIM
die of presidential campaign and who
want some steady and practical line of
labor reform TO cling to know of moth
ing more righteous and pressing to stand
by than the movement for shorter hours
of labor in all branches of industry.
OF course, tihe movement for ten hours
or eight hours Is at best only side issue.
1t does not touch the great Interior ques-
tions of equal rights and privileges to
the soil and other prime tools and in
strumentalities of well-being. But it
seems almoft hopeless to await any
radical seciil regeneration in these
matters. sometimes doubt whether in
a hundred years there will. be progress
enough mace in the groundwork of
solid economic reform to crystalize into
political party that would command
any respect in numbers, and success.
The utmost that labor forces of this
country seem able to strain out at present
in the way OF political fgurehead is
character like Ben Butler, who, although
vastly superior to the scamps now being
engineered by old party machines, and
whom should certainly support if !
supported anybody, is nevertheless sad
commentary upon the brains that ought
to be behind the industrial forces of this
era of light and saving thought.
have of ate been more or less in
correspondence with some of the leading
labor reformers concerning the setting
up of General Butl7r as the standard
bearer of ths labov and currency revolt
forces of the couutry. When once the
threshold Of politics is crossed success
becomes the leading object in view, as
balanced by the amount of principle
that is willing to be sacrificed to attain
it. What is essentially claimed for Gen
eral Butler is that less principle would
have to be sacrificed than with any other
man in the country having equal show
of success. 1t is an understood moral
concession Of all men who GO into poll
tics that in order to make any show of
winning a dead, literal, toe-the-chalk
adherence to principle must be sacrificed
anyhow The only question is as I'd
which man we must needs make the
least sacrifice of principle on while
standing good chance to win. That
General Butler IS that man | will not
dispute. If he Is put up would most
heartily support him as against any of
the vile tools of the old parties. But all
this business of trimming the political
tables l leave to those whose conscience
will permit them 10 work in it. If they
fix up the Butler .able and set Ben in
the middle of it, J. shall never raise my
hand against it, but will rather help
stand guard over it. AS for playing
waiter in making up of any manner of
political table, however, l cannot do it,
though meaning TO have every possible
charity for those who can.
am aware thai within the arena of
practical politics" the labor forces of
this country are unable to put their
hands upon single man of unfinching
devotion to ideas and principles who
would stand any show of an election.
We have indeed some grand and true
they are so clean and high above the low
arts of politics that it would be ridiculous
to put them up with any show of win
ming Thc1gh do not endorse all the
theories of Henry George l would rather
see him nominated as the choice of the
workingmen of the United States with
the prospect of ton votes than to see the
most successful politician of the land up,
and such a man is VIM. Hanson or good
old j. K. Ingalls, with dozen votes is to
my mind a greater triumph for the ulti-
mate cause of labor than the noisiest
political trimmer that ever made night
hideous with the howls of his empty
headed followers.
But this is not " practical politics"
These grand men of ideas an6 con-
sciences know it, too. They could not
put on the dirty linen of practical poll
tics even if it were offered them. So
they and all of Us who think more Of
mental and moral integrity than of sue
cess at The polls stay behind and let the
boys 90 ahead in the line of things prac-
tical. have no desire to question the
motives Of the latter. The great Ameri-
can idea is that those who go into poll
tics should 'go to win," and if it should
prove that'Ben Butler is the only avail
able man who can be put up by the labor
forces of this country with any hope to
win, then suppose the boys think they
are justified in putting him up as "po-
litical necessity" While l am not
schooled in these sort OF politico-moral
maxims and never intend to allow myself