The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-10-27

those which grew b. O. HASKELL
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
gained and several weekly journals
cspousing its principles were estab-
lished, but they were not sup
ported, and hence were short lived.
In 1892 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 i'm 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 the
earlier movement, and like the purely
labor paper ever since, had precarious
existence and died young. In 1874
monthly and weekly journals devoted to
special interests were quite numerous,
tire machinsts. 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 were
started prior 70 1880, which are issued to-
day, are The Labor Standard, Of Pater-
son, y. j., edited by Joseph =. Melon
nell. its present editor, and The National
Labor Tribune, Of Pittsburg, founded 10y
Thomas }. Armstrong and conducted by
him until the time of his death, some
what more than year ago. The latter
paper is now managed by the widow
and a brother of its founder.
The great boom in the field of labor
journalism came in the years of 1882
1886. during the time of the phenomenal
growth of the trades unions and the
KNIGHTS Of Labor Towns Of 10000 in
habitants, 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,
81. Ia. first 70 .rh hon
the decline began Now three or four
German and as many English daily pa
pers in the United States are devoted
exclusively to the interests Of labor.
Though many of those established during
the boom did not live to celebrate an
anniversary, there were in the United
States in 1856 not less than 300 such pa
pers. Quite a goodly number were de-
voted to the class interests Of distinct
callings and were issued by the author
ity of unions, and many Of those are still
being published; but the greater number
were for labor, whether skilled or I'M
skilled.
Several were pronounced.y socialistic,
and three or four went so far as to fly the
banner of anarchism. Ii is not essential, If
ii were possible. to give the names of more
than small proportion of the labor
papers of three, four or five years ago,
few from each section as representa-
lives being sufficient. In the east there
were John Swinton's Paper and the Boy
cotter NOW The Union Printer, of New
York; The Craftsman, of Washington,
The Leader, edited by Frank X. Foster,
Of Boston; The Labor Standard, of Pater-
son. n. j.; The Examiner, of Hartford,
The Tocsin. of Philadelphia.
In the middle country. The Tribune,
The Herald and The Commoner, of Pitts
burg; The Ohio Valley Budget, edited
By John Ehmann, of Wheeling; The
Workman. of Cleveland The Labor Leaf,
edited by Joseph A. Labadie. Of Detroit;
The Unionist, of Cincinnati; The Signal,
Of Indianapolis; The Knights Of Labor,
of Chicago; the Union. Of St. Louis.
Southern Industry, OF New Orleans
and The Labor Herald. Of Richmond,
Va, were the leading southern repre-
sentatives.
The Labor Enquirer. of Denver. edited
by Joseph r. Buchanan (who conducted
paper of the same name in Chicago
during lsi7-7s), The Hayes Valley Adj
vertiser. Of San Francisco, and The West
ern Waterman. Of Eureka. Cal. looked
out Tor the west The Denver paper was
-adicaly socialistic. Truth. of San Fran.
900. edited by Brunette q. Haskell.
paper which attracted considerable at
tention because of its pronounced social
ism. suspended in 1884. The public is
already more or less familiar with The
Alarm, of Chicago. which was founded
by a. T. Parsons. one Of the men exc
cuted Nov. II. 1897. for participation i,
the Haymarket meeting.
Since 1856 there has been a steady d.
cline III the number of labor papers. anu
at present there are not more than 1870
published. Most of the distinctly trade
papers have survived, and several have
been recently added to this class This
is due probably to the great growth Of
the trades unions during the past three
years. while the decline Of the other
class may be accounted for in the re.
markable decline of the order Of Kniekts
of Labor.
The pathway Travelled by the laboe
movement is lined With mounds 'vAass