, 1888-11-08

THE TRADEs-CoUNcIL OF OUR CITY,


unions and the Knights OF Labor of
Spokane Falls, which assembled in
our city, on Thursday evening, for the
purpose Of forming trades. council,
besides being the first joint meeting
Of the various labor organizations ever
held here, marks an important era in
the lives Of our laburers.
A glance over the large and intelli-
gent audience that filled American
Resort furnished sufficient proof that
tho gathering was the result OF an
honest effort to better The condition
of labor and to elevate it in the scale
OF humanity. Except so far as every
man is compelled to be more or less a
politician there was an entire absence
of politicians at the meeting.
The power of intelligent combina-
tion, directed to legitimate ends, is alb
solute ;and what end can be more le-
gitimate than the earnest effort OF
men to better, in conservative, peace.
full way, their condition in lifeY John
Stuart Mill declares that all the labor
saving machines invented have not
saved mankind an hours toll II this is
true, the only hope for laborers is to
find remedy-if remedy there be-
within themselves. Every man who
works hopes at some period of his life
to become capitalist, at least to the
extent of laying up-in the language
OF one of the labor representatives.
enough to pay for repairs when the
human machine begins TO break down.
There is no conflict in this move
ment between capital and labor, but to
the contrary, and if successfully per-
fected upon an intelli gent basis, it
will prove the best protection for capi-
tai. A man whose capital consists OF
money, saved from labor, can never be
an object OF envy or OF bate to a man
who is trying to save little money
himself.
1t will be well for the lsborers of our
city to constantly bear in mind one
cardinal principle, whose disregard has
always and will always bankrupt every
of this character and
whose truth cannot be successfully
whenever and wherever
an attempt has been made to divert
labor organizations from the purposes
for which they we're constituted and
convert them into political machines,
they invariably and inevitably have
gone to pieces.
Churches are formed to attend to
spiritual matters; political parties are
ormed to attend to political matters,
md labor organizations are formed to
attend to matters pertaining 10 labor
A labor organization that should un-
to control the religion of men
would as certainly be misdirscted and
and would as certainly
'reak into factions and ultimately 60
% pieces, as would a church chat at.
empted to dictate the policy Of labor
Ind the same statement holds good
when applied to politics.
The laborers OF our city are an in.
elligent and industrious body of men,
md take them all together, as fine a
yet OF fellows as can be found any
There-too smart to be led by the
hose by this, that or any other politi-
'ian. Some OF them are democrats
nore's the pity--some of them are
'epublicans--the Lord be praised
or that--but all of them are
ellow-men - fellow workers in the
great vineyard-who have houses to
'uild and beautify, children to edu-
,ate, and something to acquire to be
aid away for rainy day. In organ
zing trades.council they have but
ollowed the footsteps Of all other pro-
essions and all other faiths. Churches
are united in one general society, doc
,ors meet in common assembly, law
yers have bar associations, and even
he editors-poor devils-form press
associations.
The REVIEW voices the general opin-
on of the city when it bids the work
ng-men Of Spokane Falls Godspeed in
heir efforts 70 lift themselves beyond
The reach Of want, to protect their Just
rights, and to maintain their independ