Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1889-12-14
much for his tender heart The
Congregationalist.

/
Evidently there are healthy move
ments to bring the two great wings
of influence and power, inlbehalf of
the toiling masses, to union and CO.
operation. The Knights of Labor
and the Farmers and Laborer's
Union are approaching each other,
through the regularly appointed
committees, and are having confer
ence, to properly and wisely under
stand each others needs, and to es-
tabllsh confidence in each other.
They are working for the same end.
They are looking for harmony in all
things. Suggestions are being made
that when the farmers agree to send
a man to the Legislature, looking to
the best interests Of their craft, the
Knights shall vote for him, and so
when the Knights agree on man to
legislate for them, the farmers shall
support him, and thus they may be
mutually helpful. Consolidation may
not be in sight, but evidently these
two influential bodies are coming to-
gether as they should, and we think
must in the very nature of things.
The Brooklyn Citizen says: 1.-THE
organization of capital involves one
of two things, to wit: either labor
organizations which shall restore the
balance or an increased subserviency,
that is, a nearer approach to serf
dom on the part of labor to capital.
1t is not necessary to consider capt.
talists as tyrants. They do not de-
sire, or intend to be; neither need
we consider the workingmen insubor-
dinate. for they are not. But the in
dividual is diminished in the corpo-
ration, and so the individual among
workingmen is of infinitesimal influ-
ence. The time was when the indi-
vidual request with the employe was
mighty. That time is past. For the
request of the employe to be heard
now, it must be voiced by the thous-
ands and the tens-of-thousands. And
so financial and commercial saliva
ton for the toiler, is only to be
found in union and cooperation. To
bring the great wings of labor to-
gether, and marshal them in force,
equal to the great and growing cor
porations of capitalists, there is
| needed a modern Joshua. A leader
or some leaders, wise in council, hav-
ing the courage of their convictions,
intelligent and broad-minded enough
TO grasp the whole situation, and
possessing patience and persever-
ance to reach the goal, though it
take generations to get there.
Madam, how many sons and
daughters have you? Six, did you
say? Three sons and three daugh-
tere. / suppose you have trained
them to do almost all you have to
do. They cut the wood, bring up
the coal, kindle and keep up the fire,
take up the ashes, set the table, wash
and dry the dishes, make the beds,
sweep and dust, and sew &C., &C.,
do they not ? | confess they ought
to do it all, but l have thought to
train than to do it some time, and |
will try soon. What, in their teens
and don't do such things? They
will never do it now, Madam. You
will be slave for them as long as
you live, and you have sowed the
seeds of idleness and do nothing in
them, so you may look for crop of
uselessness. Your own comforts
have been far less than they might
have been, and your children will
have but little less than curses for
you during their days. You are not
the only one. There are great
many such foolish mothers, injuring
themselves and their posterity.