Telegram-herald., 1889-10-13


out of the political movement of 1929
in New York, Massachusetts, and three
or four other eastern states. In that
year the Workingmen's party was or
ganized and several weekly journals
espodsing its principles were estab-
hshed, but they were not sup
ported, and hence were short lived.
In 1882 about the only paper of this
class existing was The New England Ar
tisan, published at Boston. 1t was the
official organ of the Workingmen's par
ty, but it soon went the way of the rest
from lack of support. There was slight
revival in this direction in the forties,
and papers were established in several Of
the prominent eastern cities, The Voice
of Industry, which made its first appear
ance in Fitchburg, Mass, being the most
noteworthy.
But these papers, like those Of tho
earlier movement, and like the purely
labor paper ever since, had a precarious
existence and died young. In 1874
monthly and weekly journals devoted 10
special interests were quite numerous,
the machinists', the iron workers, the
shoemakers' and the coopers' unions
each having their official journals. There
were also other and more general labor
papers established about this time, among
which was The Workingmen's Advo-
cate, of Chicago. Some of these papers
lived only few months, others survived
for two or three years, but none of them
are as much as remembered by the rank
and file of the labor movement TODAY
The only journals of this class that We
started prior to 1880, which are issued to-
day, are The Labor Standard, Of Pater-
son, n. j., edited by Joseph z. McDon-
nell, its present editor, and The National
Labor Tribune, of Pittsburg, founded By
Thomas j. Armstrong and conducted by
him until the time of his death, some
what more than a year ago. The latter
paper is now managed by the widow
and brother of its founder.
The great boom in the field Of labor
Journalism came in the years of 1892
1886, during the time of the phenomenal
growth of the trades unions and the
Knights Of Labor. Towns Of %. 900 in
ha0itants. and in several instances Of
less population, had their weekly papers,
some of goodly size and some very small;
some ably edited and some otherwise,
In several cities dailies were started,
notably The Leader, of New York city,
which was among the first n go when
the decline began. Now three or four
German and rs many English daily pa
pers i'm the United States are devoted
exclusively 10 the Interests Of labor.
Though many Of those established during
the boom did not Ire 10 celebrate an
anniversary. there were an the United
States in 1856 not less than 800 such pa
pers. Quite goodly number were de-
voted 70 the class interests Of distinct
oauinCs and were issued by the author
ltv of unions. and many of those gre still
being published, but the greater number
were for labor, whether skilled OF un-
skilled.
Several were pronouncedly socialistic,
and three or four went so far as TO hy the
banner Of ansrchism. II Is not essential, il
Il were possible. TO give the names Of more
than small proportion Of the labor
papers Of three, four or FIVE years ago,
a few from each section as representa-
tivos being sufficient In the east there
were John Swinton's Paper and the Boy
ootter now The Union Printer. of New
York: The Craftsman. II Washington.
The Leader. edited by Frank X Foster,
Of Boston. The Labor Standard. q Pster.
son. y. j.. The Examiner, Of Hartford
The T0csin. of Philadelphia.
Ia the middle country, The Trihune
TIE Herald and The Com1aoner. Of Pitts
burg. The Ohio valley Budget. edited
hp John Ehmann. Il Wheeling. Toe
. Workman. of Cleveland. The Labor Leaf
edited bv joseph A. Labadie. q Detroit
The Unionist. q Cnnunats The signal
q Indianapolis. The knights ~ labor,
F of Chicago. the Onion. of 81 Louis
F southern In3awrv. q New Orlsaus
ard TIE Labor Herald = Richmond
Va. were TIE Iaadlng southern repre-
senfafiFes
The Labor Enquirer. - Denver, edite'
/ by Joseph Is Bachanan who conduc1e
= paper ~ the same name in Chicag
during ls77-7se The Hsyes Valley Al
vertiser. n san Francisco andlb be y es'
EN- EVatehnsan of Fufesa Cal iooses