The St. Johns herald., 1892-07-21
Organized Labor and Politics.

III IuiIlO lWO ldSto hloN; 0HN
 table experience of its predecessor ; and second. that, in the struggle for improved conditions and emancipa- tion for the toilers, what is wanted is the organization of wage workers, not on "party" lines, but on the lines of their class interests. Asan organization, the American Fedora ton of Labor is not in harmony either with the existing or projected political parties. So deep-seated is the conviction in this matter that, long ago, it was decided to hold the conventions of the Federation after the elections. Thus freed from par ty bias and campaign elimination, these gatherings have been ill po- si.ion to declare for general princi- ples, and to judge impartially upon the merits or demerits of each par ty. holding each to an accountabil- ity fer its perfdy to the promises made to the working people, and at the same time keeping clear and distinct the economic character of the organization. By our non-po- litical partisan character as an or ganization, we tacitly declare that political liberty with economic in- dependence is ilIusory and decep- tive, and that only in so far as we gain economic independence can our political liberty become tangi- ble and important. This may sound like political heresy: but it is eco- homie truth.
 As time goes on we discern that the organized workingmen place less reliance upon the help offered by others, and it IS spark upon the altar of progress that they have learned to more firmly depend upon their own efforts to secure these changes and improvements which are theirs by right. Of course 1t must not be imagined that we have no interest in the political affairs of our country; on the contrary, we believe that it is our mission to gath CT the vast numbers of the wealth producers, agricultural. industrial and commercial, into grand army of organized labor, and, by our struggles for improved conditions and mancipation, instill into the minds of the workers a keener ap- preeiation of their true position in society and of their economic, po- litical and social duties and rights as citizens and workers. Every ad- vantage gained in the economic con- dition of the wage-workers must necessarily have its political and so- cial effect, not only upon themselves but upon the whole people. Hence for the present, at least, nearly all our efforts are concentrated upon the field as indicated above.
 Many may find fault in refraining from directly entering the political arena by the nomination of candi- dates for National and State offices and will point to results in England and other countries for our emula- ton. In considering this question it must be borne in mind that the bona fide labor movement, as ex- pressed in the trades unions of America, is much younger, both in years and experience, than It IS abroad, and that the element of time is an important factor for the rank and file to mature that confi- dence in the wisdom and honesty of their leaders, which is as neces- sary prerequisite to the party en- tering the field of politics, as it has been the achievement of the trades unions, and it would be most un- wise to say anything, harsher to abandon the organization. position and methods of past success to fly ''to others we know not oi." More than half of the battle of labor has already been won. No really intel ligent man to-day disputes the 1l-s,,, or 1oh0, Tpl>o okoco o r, q;