The herald., 1896-11-16
IN THE FIELD Of LABOR
Stand Taken by Organized
W0rkingmen
LABOR PRESS A UN|TF0R THE MASSES
Result of the Election Ground
for Hope
THE FIGHT OF THE CLASSES
Action of the Labor Congress Yester.
day Afternoon
important Special Meeting Of tie Council
of Labor
City Labor Notes-Excited Meeting Of
the Labor Congress-Miscellane-
important Special Meeting Of tie Council
of Labor
City Labor Notes-Excited Meeting Of
the Labor Congress-MiscellaE
Gus Labor Notes of Gen.
eral Interest.

The belief Is general that organized
labor stood by the side of the masses
at the last election. Particularly was
this the case in this city. Not only Or
ganized labor, but the labor press and
reform papers, as rule, stood in line,
shoulder to shoulder, without regard to
individual opinions on minor questions.
This was done without going into poll
tics as trades unionists Not single
union in this city, as a union. indorsed
any candidate, and yet there was COM
mon bond of sympathy between the toll
ers in the different trades, and organized
labor was true to the masses. To demon
strate this, it is only necessary to give
few extracts from the Coast Seamen's
Journal published in San francisco,
which took no decided stand for either
candidate for the presidency. To be
sure, it championed the cause of Con-
gresham Mcguire, who was steadfast
friend of the Seamen's union and the
constant friend of labor His majority
was nearly S000-dOuble what it was in
1894. Here is what the Journal says:
During the past few days the cynic
and the pessimist have been very much
in evidence, bewailing the result of the
election as the final victory of corpor-
ate wealth over manhood. This is an
old cry, rather louder and even more
groundless than usual. We believe that
the result of the election is a ground of
hope for the future. When we consider
that six months ago the reform political
forces of the country were dls1nteSrated
and systemless, and that today they are
united, vigorous and directed toward
single end, we are bound to acknowl-
edge that the defeat at the polls Is
minor matter. When we consider. too,
how that defeat was accomplished, and
how narrow was the margin of victory
the defeat becomes relatively victory
Organized labor, particularly. has rea-
son for congratulatiOn. The attitude OF
the organized workers during the cam
paign and at the ballot box is the
strongest possible rebuke to the wolfish
cry of the scab and the renegade that
organized labor cannot be trusted to
strike for its own interests on election
day. Organized labor and the labor press
was a unit on the side OF the masses,
irrespective of individual opinions on
the minor issues of the campaign. The
and the classes, and organized labor was
true to the former. And this without
going into politics" as trade unionists.
The result has proved the oft-reiterated
contention of trade unionists that trade
unionism Is in itself a guarantee of in
telligent and conscientious action at the
polls, without being committed to any
party as such. OF course there was an
element Of trade unionism that must be
excepted. The "ariStOcrat." the skate"
and a few labor-for-revenue papers
went over to the other side Among
these may be included the progressive"
element which justifies its treachery
on the ground that 1t must be cruel to-
day in order to be kind in the future.
But taken altogether these elements
are insignificant compared to the grand
total of organized labor.