Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1891-03-07

the foundation of the International
Workingmtn's Association. Every
where we see unions forming whose OBJ
ject is the improvement of the material
condition Of the laboring class; crafts
mems guilds and workingmen's clubs,
educational and beneficial associations,
cooperative, loan and credit societies,
trades unions and co operative manutaC-
turing companies. Under the prevail
ing conditions of credit and production
all these undertakings, originating in the
working class and resting upon the prln-
Clple of self help, must prove poWerless
to cure the misery of the masses. But
they have accomplished a vast work for
the intellectual and moral elevation of
the laborng class and i'll paving the
way for thorough reform of labor.
The true significance of these assoCia-
tions, their value, which cannot be over
estimated, lies in this, that, wholly apart
from the especial object at which they
aim, they are a schoo for self. ture for
their members; that they confer upon
them skill in the independent manage
ment of their own affairs and IN harmo
NOUS action with others for common
ends; that by education, prOnotlon of
com prehen> ion of business and fratcrnal
public spirit they prepare the worker
for a gradual transition from the pre-
vaiIing Wage. Sys stem to the cooperative
method of production of the future.
1t was the spirit of co operation which
in The Midde-Ages raised the working
middle class to so high level of culture
and property, of power and conse
quenCe. The re- awakening of the splHt
of co operation in our day will bear
similar and still more precious irul,
not for one class alone but for the no t
human society. The labor question, as
We aYprehend i, Is NO mere stowach
and money question, 1t is question of
| Civilization, Justice and Humanity.
When our saving of State and Society,
the GLORIOUS" achievements of our
policy of blood and iron like lost tradi-
ton shall long have been forgotten, 1t
will be remembered to the credit of our
time that it quickened and cherished the
spirit of co operation, the germ Of hui
man greatness and virtue in the labor
ing world, SO laying the foundation for
"A new and truly moral social life which
shall rest upon the principle of equality
and fraternity. The founding of the
smallest workingmen's club will be for
the historian of Civilization of greater
worth than-the victory of Sadowa.
Let us pass to the second question:
What has the employer to do?
The demand that we make of him is
simply this, that he respect in every
worker the human being, that he recog-
nize the laborer whom he employs as Il
being fully his own equal, and that he
treat him accordingly.
Everything, they say, has two sides,
In this everyday saying turks good
piece of popular wisdom;-the most diff
cult problems of knowledge as of life find
their solution in it. Like everything
else man himself has two sides, per
sonal one peculiar to himself as an indl,
vidual, and universal one which marks
him as member of greater whole.
In reality the two sides can neither be
separated nor sharply distinguished, for
it is the two taken together which in
their unity make the man. But in our
consciousness temporarily or permanent
! lv one side or the other can very well
press into the foreground and assert a
predominant influence upon our thought
and action. Let US assume the case
that the special individual side FREEDOM.
mates in mans character. 1t would
find expression primarily in his estimate
of himself, as self consciousness, sell.
confidence. "Hel p yourself. "Hercules
helps him who hel ps himself" btcOmes
such a mans maxim, the rule of his
thought and action. If he retains the
consciousness of the other universal side
of his nature, not losing sight of the
connection between himself and his fell
low men, he will admit that his own
powers do not sutt e to obtain him, by
his personal effort alone, subsistence
worthy of human being; that man can
1--we and prosper only IN society, that
brOtherly cooperation with Others there
fore lies in his own interest. Respect
} tor Others, sympathy and public spirit
will hold his self. consciousness and self
confidence properly in check. Quite
otherwise if the consciousness of sell
gets the upper hand in man. True
the ipsuthcenCy of his own unalded
powers cannot escape him even then
Tor the consciousness of the broad, uni
= versal side cannot be wholly suppressed