Birmingham state herald., 1895-12-10

than they can by the people themselves remaining servants and serfs to individ- uals or corporations of the character named. Besides the profits of operation should accrue to the people rather than to individuals.
 "As an organization we may decide to leave politics alone, but unfortunately for the interests of the organization and it's members, politics will not let us alone. hence we are compelled, not from sen- timental but from purely business standpoint, to consider and act political ly in such manner and along such lines as will yield practical results to the trade union movement in its efforts to emelio- rate the wage workers condition in life. We may not be agreed as to the scope of political work needed, and we may differ as to the methods employed in political reform work, but regardless of our dif- ferences in opinion as to either scope or methods, we all recognize the necessity of doing something, and doing 1t in : manner that will insure the hearty cS operation of all our forces. The idL. state of society, or form of governm51 aimed at by state socialists, philosQS . cal anarchists, populists, single taS-. 8 and others should not be permitted to stand in the way of immediate and prac- tical efforts, because the ideal state of society hoped for can only be reached, If ever it Is reached, by an educational evo- lutionary process, which means too great a delay to suit the masses of our wage workers, who are asking for relief from the ills of today rather than agitating for reform that will secure the comfort and happiness of coming generations. According to the most reliable statistics obtainable, there are fully 23,000,0O0 of people employed, or should be, at gain full occupations in this country, and in view of the fact that about one-tenth of that number are members of organized labor, and only large portion of the lat ter in the American Federation of Labor, it would be a useless waste of time and effort for you to attempt political reform work along independent lines. While disagreeing over different isms we all agree that reforms are needed, and 1t should be our purpose at this time to act only on matters of moment upon which all are in hearty accord, and if this is done 1t will be an easy matter to form a plan of action both political and CO., operative, that will succeed in taking from our federal courts powers which have lately been arrogated by and not delegated to them; to agree upon a meth cd for shortening the hours of labor, by Legislation, to eight per day or less, thus enhancing the value of work and wages. At this time it is not independent party, but independent voting that will accom- plish beneficent and speedy results. By cooperating in the support of men and measures favorable to labor interests you would soon have all parties striving to secure the votes of organized labor By this means the nationalizing of tfe means of transportation and, communi- cation could be accomplished and the municipal ownership of water, heat, light and power plants be assured.'
 Boasts the Bond Deal.
 On the recent issue of government bonds President Mcbride talked some vigorous English He said:
 nf ha mi century, and the most remarkable ever perperated upon our people, was that committed by the present national ad- ministration in adding to the bonded in- debtedness of our country in a time of peace. The attempt to maintain a gold reserve of $100,000,00O by contract such as was made by the Belmont-Morgan syndicate was farcical to say the least, but farce only in so far as 1t was intend ed to blind the people to the fact that they were being robbed deliberately and unmercifully, in the interest of eastern bankers and bondholders, whose only de- sire has been and now is the perpetua- tion of system of bonded indebtedness on the part of the government. The wickedness of the bond deal was exposed to the syndicate advancing gold to the government one day to increase the re- serve and the next day decreasing the re- serve by handing in national securities and getting gold for them, and with this gold purchasing new bonds having long lease of life. The eastern bankers if permitted, will continue draining the gold reserve until new bonds replace the old ones and an interest-bearing indebt- edness has again been established and the life of national banks prolonged be- yond the present generation of men. The bankers are not in business for their health, and they do not care what mis- cry they plunge the people into, how em- barrassed the government becomes or how heavily the people are taxed. so long as their profits are assured; and why should they? They are not to blame It it humiliating, however, to think, at the close of the nineteenth century, that a national administration can be found su- pine enough, or corrupt enough, to per init the government to be held up and plundered as ours has been plundered during the past year and a half In the earlier days of this government, when statesmen and not politicians were guid- ing the ship of state, the banks were sub ordinate to the government, but today the government is at the mercy of the banks, and the bankers dictate our sys- tenn of finance and laugh at l1e protests of the people against the tyranny of their rule. You should not only protest by resolution against the crime com mitted, but bring your influence to bear upon your representatives in congress 10 the end that they may provide against a repetition or a continuance of this great crime.
 Sympathy for Cuba
 What stronger evidence can be given to the world to demonstrate that the spir- 1t of liberty and progress still lives than that of Cuba, formerly the slave mart of the western world, now shaken from center to circumference by a revolt for freedom on the part of men who a few years ago were sold as slaves to the high est bidder? The Cuban revolt is in itself deserving of consideration and recop milton at our hands. but when we remem- Der that the Spanish dynasty has always evidenced hostility of republican govern- ments, even in the case of this country we should be all the more determined to insist upon fair treatment being ex- tended by the congress of the Tinted States to the revolutionists of Cuba and l trust ere this convention adiourns vou will have adopted resolutions petition- ing congress to at least recognize Cubans as ,belligerents. "'s
 Improvement Under Difficulties
 While there has been and Is now A ma terial improvement in trade Conditions as compared to those of the previous two and one-half years. yet the improvement aC