Workmen's advocate., 1889-06-08
ALERT SOCIALISTS.
THE AMERICAN SECTION OF
 CHICAGO.
A Model Meeting Last Sunday-Keep. ing An Eye On Contemporary Eyents-Cries of Distress.
 Scoring the Corrupt
 Politicians.

The meeting at Waverly Hall last Sunday afternoon was orderly, very interesting and largely attended.
 After calling the meeting to order Comrade Morgan, the chairman, proceeded to read an editorial from a local paper in regard to the Na- tionalists and Christian Socialists organizations, which were represent ed as one and the same thing. The article referred to the rapid growth of these organizations, which it de- clared almost phenomenal, and at tributed it to the influence of Bel lamy's work, "Looking Back ward. "
 It mentioned, also, the names of the most prominent and influential persons identified with the move ment, and referred to their publica- tions, The Nationalist and Dawn. The editor informed his readers that the methods of these reformers differed from those of the non- Christian Socialists, for they do not propose to boom their propa ganda by dynamite or anarchy or the de- struction of law and governmental authority (as if any SOcialist Party ever proposed anything so absurd and subversive of the very basic principles of Socialism,, and we presume they would scout at the notion that they propose to do away with all industrial and intellectual incentives and reduce mankind to a condition of shiftlessness and lazi- ness by regulating it on the same standards.
 (This isa verbatim quotation, there fore your correspondent IS not re- sponsible for the bad grammar.)
 The writer was of the opinion that the best way to test the working of the new ideas would be to start a kind of community or Brook Farm, and if it worked all right on small scale to gradually extend the sphere of it's activity. In other words, it was proposed to subject socialism to the same test by which Paddy pro- posed to try the alleged virtues of a feather bed. They would place one socialistic feather on the bedrock of our present competitive system, and them say with Pat: "Begorra, if one feather is 30 hard phwat must a whoal bedful be ?"
 The article was severely criticized by Chairman Morgan and it's absurd allegations and inconsequent reason ing fully exposed.
 The Executive, having been noti- fled that the gentleman who had been expected to lecture, owing to illness in his family, was unable to fill his place, and the chairman called for any matters of importance which might be in the hands of the committee
 The first subject which came up was introduced by Mrs. Woodman in a paper referring to the recent terrible calamity at Johnstown, Pa., and also to the appeals for aid which had been issued respectively by the Bradwood and Spring Valley miners of Illinois. The paper de- clared that while we, in common with the country at large, and in fact all the world, deplore the fear ful catastrophe, and sympathize deeply with the sorrowing and desti- ute survivors, it is, nevertheless, manifest that assistance and relief from all quarters will be forthcoming in their behalf, while, ,in the case of the distressed miners, the outlook was not so encouraging. The latter were on the verge of starvation and would receive no assistance from the wealthy who are best fitted finan- cially to render it. It seemed, there fore, that any relief funds which we as an organization could obtain should be placed at the disposal of those who, in their extremity, had