Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1890-09-20
THE NATlONALlSTS
Their Central Committee Declares that
II Has no Power-The Clubs can
DO ss they Please.

DO rs they Please.
The meeting of the Central Committee
of Nationalists called for the 18th instant
to take action as to whether the clubs
should or should not continue with the
Commonwealth party was a complete
failure 1t was discovered that the
Committee had no constitutional power
to bind the clubs in any way; each club
could, whatever the action Of the cen
trail body, do just as it pleased-with-
draw from or stay with the Common
wealth; Join this, that, or the other
party--inferentialIy Tammany not ex-
cepted-just as they had mind. A mo.
ton declaratory of this anarchc status
and supertluous in itself was accord
ingly put and carried.
A discussion cnsued, nevertheless, con
corning the propriety or improperly of
Withdrawing, and was carried on past
midnight. Considering the avowed i'm
whole discussion was a waste of time,
except in that it brought out clearly the
condition of affairs But in the course
of it there were frequent digresslons,
and those who argued from the point OF
principle as to the inconsistency of con
tinuing with the Commonwealth party
were often, despite their wishes, drawn
into inferior and petty questions, Thus
it happened that all the malignant false
hoods with which narrow minded and
srlf-seeking cotere outside Of the Ma
tionalist clubs had succeeded III stutfing
up some of the Nationalists themselves
we're boldly retailed at the meeting and
lowered the tone of the discussion.
As matters stand, of the II bona fde
clubs, 6 Clubs No. 3, 4, 7, 8, the club
of the 22d Assembly district and that of
the cath, No. ., have decided to
withdraw; while only 3 clubs, those of
the ID, Is, and Dist assembly districts,
whose respective memberships are very
small, have concluded to remain in the
Commonwealth party. There was a
fourth club that joined this trio IA So
called club Of the 18th assembly district,
But that club only typlties the weakness
of the minority, 1t is not IA bona fde
club. 1t consists of just two members,
Its conscientious secretary did not think
it should 90 into the last meeting Of the
| Cooper Union convention owing to its
ridiculous smalness. Nevertheless one
member Of the club made bold to turn
up at the Committees meeting as the
representative of a club, and to pre-
sent a long report against withdrawal,
which report was based upon arguments
wholly besides the question, and bore
the impress of having been drawn up,
moved seconded, and carried by that
member himself. The question was put
to him regarding the status of his club
and he admitted that it consisted of
only two members. He tried to make
out third, but that third has been out
of the district these two or three months.
Yet, strange to say, these inquiries were
objected to 10y some of those who oppo
ued withdrawal.
There still remain two bona fife clubs
to be heard from, No. 8, and that of the
23d Assembly district. They have not
yet met to take action. AS far as car
be judged from the opinion Of the mem
beers who have been interviewed, there
is little doubt that they will take the
proper action and withdraw.
Furthermore, the strength of the Ma
tionalist majority in favor of Withdrawal
is exemplihed by an additional circum
stance. Until the other day there were
IL bona fie clubs. One of them. No. 6,
has recently disbanded in disgust at
the proceedings of the Common.
wealth convention. This action, OF
course, is not wise; nevertheless it shows
that the overwhelming majority of Ma
tionalists are consistent and refuse tC
drop. lower or soil the fair name of Ma
tionaism by an alliance with "A powerless
cotere, of doubtful standing in the labor
movement, and evidently without sutii
cient principle or courage to accept that
name. This, however, does not imply
that they propose to be home guard
in the coming campaign; on the con
trary, they will probably be found
among the most active on the stump,
and holding aloft the flag of social
justice.