Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1886-08-22
A REAT DANGER.
JOS. r. BUCHANAN DISCUSSES
A LIVE QUESTION.
4 Tritc Fable Universal Federation.
Trades Unions and the h. Of J..
Trades Districts -" purge
Ranks" Of Political
Opportunists.

''E'' ''''''''
A hon and a boa once discovered
in the same moment II nice, fat hare.
They began to discuss their relative
rights to its possession. A fox
walked up during the discussion and
offered to arbtratc the question, and
finally suggested that the lion and
the boa should decide their proprie-
tary rights according to the rules of
the survival Of the dttest. The con-
testants agreed to this and the fight
began. When the excitement had
almost reached rage, which was n
natural result, the fox secured the
hare and made off, much to the
chagrin of both lion and boa, who
discovered the trick after they had
torn and lacerated each other. They
paused, out of breath, and viewed
the terrible damage each had
wrought the other, and expiring,
groancd; "What fools we have been +;
we deserve to die. O.
The workers of the United States
during the past twenty years have
found it necessary to combine il they
would protect themselves from the
greed Of capitalism. Naturally num-
bers and immediate protection cut u
greater figure than the everlasting
principles, which are necessary to
permanent success, during the
earlier periods Of the formation of
these combinations. As matter of
course, without Il general principle,
and the ruling idea being the pro-
lection Of self for the time according
to methods suggested by the cnyi-
ronments of each respective class,
the various organizations find them
selves, to some extent, differing when
it becomes necessary that there
should be Il general union of the
forces for the protection Of each and
all.
The question of universal fedora,
tion is discussed, and men Of brain
and experience decide that such is
necessary. TO effect this. some
minor differences of opinion as to
methods must be cast aside; all must
agree to disagree on non-esscntials,
and to stand united upon the princi-
pie that, to the producer belongs the
product.
But right here the fox steps in.
He is the emssary of Capitalism.
His particular mission upon this oc-
caslon is to prevent q coalition Of the
elements which differ hardly at all;
for he and his masters know that if
such union is perfected then all the
cunning Of the former and the cruel
ty Of the latter cannot avail against
its intelligent force.
Wise men in the labor movement
have for some time seen that there
must be a complete union of the
Trades Union and Knight of Labor
forces. They realize that the inter
est Of all who work for wages are
identical and that to better protect
those interests, there must be uni
yersal, compact organization. For a
time a distinct, class organization
may succeed in upholding the inter
ests Of its own members, by refusing
to consider the welfare Of all other
wage workers; but such success is
bound to end in ultimate failure in
an age when inventive genius is CON
tinualIy making inroads into the sup
posed stronghold Of skill. 1t re-
quires no argument to prove this
statement to the man who has been
able to see and read during the past
twenty years.
The Knights Of Labor, standing
upon the broad platform that all
honest workers have an equal right
to protection in the enjoyment of
their productions, has grown to an