Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1890-09-06
"C0MM0NW EALTH'
SAILING UNDER FALSE COL
ORS.
The Delegates of Bogus Organiza-
tions Control the Convention. -
They Adopt a Nationalist Plat
form and Form an Anti.Nati0nal.
ist Party.

hhNS u
form and Form an Anti.Nati0nal.
ist Party.
The Cooper Union Convention which
was called in July by the Nationalist
upon the request of several members of
trades and labor organizations, for the
purpose of uniting the warning factions
of labor held a meeting on August %.
The action of the Convention was deci-
sive of many points of importance.
In the first place the lengthy and in
many respects contradictory platform
presented at the last meeting was unce-
tremendously thrown overheard. That
platform met with the common fate of
all well-meaning but mistaken attempts
to please every one. 1t had encountered
unanimous opposition from represen-
tatives of the most opposed views, and
it vent down. In its place was adopted
platform, which no one who reads it,
will be at loss to place. 1t is a Social
list or Nationalist document without a
break, The various planks are explicit
and sound; and the preamble states it
in definite terms that the ultimate object
of the party is the foundation of the
Cooperative Commonwealth, the sub
stition of mutual cooperation in the
place of the present brutal and wasteful
wage and competitive system. The
debate that followed was not in the
nature of opposition. Several amend
ments were offered as to matters of
detail, but all were voted down as super
tluous.
PLATFORM
WE DECLARE, that Plutocracy and Ca
pitaism in the United States have
reached that point, where they threaten
the very existence of the Republic.
Exterior forms of Democracy are more
than meaningless; they are snare and
a delusion where a plutocratic oil
garchy, by welding an absolute control
of all the means of Northumberland, ma
chinery money and the means of trans
portation and communication en-
abled to fasten perpetual mortgage on
the earnings Of every mechanic, farmer
and other useful member of society
and thus to hold the masses of the people
in serviie bondage. The cause of this
intolerable condition of things is the
bruta. and wastelul rage and cOmpeti-
the system in the production and dlstri-
button of wealth, From that gigantic
and overshadowing evil flow of neces-
sity all existing forms of social injustice.
So long as it is permitted to continue
no permanent social reformation is pos
sible 1t will foster, widen and deepen
class distinctions and keep the Republic
in a perpetual state of civil and indus
trial warfare
Political freedom and industrial servi-
tude cannot co-exist There must of
necessity be an irrepressibe conflict be-
tween them.
The present Trust form of organization
among capitalists is substantial admis-
sion of the failure of unrestricted com
petition and points the course of econ
omic evolution, while at the same time
the advanced ethical standard the
human race has reached, renders our
times ripe for the substitution for the
present icage and competitive system of
that humaner one of mutual cooperation,
'>nnded upon fraternal basis of indus
ii, and an equality of rights and advan-
tages.
WE FURTHER DECLARE, that both the
Republican and Democratic parties are,
from their very nature, the agents of
plutocratic and capitalist misrule; that
to expect reformation through them is
idle and that the so-called "Citizens" or
kindred movements betray the in
veterate hostility to social emancipation
of the parties from which they spring,
by their attracting the most unscrupul-
Gus of the plutocracy and the most cor
rupt of the wage-slaves
In view of these conditions we now
constitute ourselves an independent po-
litical party under the style and name of
The Commonwealth Party, whose ulti-
mate aim is the establishment of the Co
operative Commonwealth, and which, as
steps leading to that end, now demands
and pledges itself to carry out:
THE appropriation, under the law
of eminent domain, by the municipali-
ties, the state and the nation, of their re-
spective railroad telegraph and tele-
phone systems, of their mining indus
tries, and of all other agencies which
perform public functions. And the
enactment at the same time of civil
service laws that shall ensure to the
employees in all these industries, as fast
as they are nationalized, permanence of
office, right to promotion and a retiring
allowance after term of meritorious
service.
The enactment of similar civil service
laws in behalf of public school teachers,
of the post office, and of all other civil
employees.
2-The issue to the people of all monies