The Miner and Workman's Advocate. — 1864-01-16 (London, England)

THE MINER AND WORKMAN'S ADVOCATE.  Sra.—Allow me, through the medium of THE WoRKYAN'S ADVOCATE, to give a few of your correspondents a word of friendly advice, hoping they will receive it as such. For some weeks past letters have appeared from union men, preferring charges against others of the same society about such frivolous matters, that the public are making many remarks thereon. For instance, such like procedure never did any good whatever, either personally or publicly; therefore, it may not be amiss for all such parties to start reform at home, and we shall then have fewer evils to complain of. In the next place, I beg to impress upon the minds of the working-classes the great necessity of choosing men for leaders who are strictly temperate, and zealous in every good work for the advancement of that class they belong to, as patent facts stare us in the face every day that one united effort is required to change the foolish customs and habits of the working-classes to suit the pressure of the age we live in. The age we Eve in requires all slashing, both at the pit and the public-house, to be given up, and stamped as a black and wicked crime against man's welfare; and as for union men being guilty of either, they are, I think, worthy of both pity and correction. Would all leaders of the working-classes only pay a little more attention to these evils, their influence would be the means soon of banishing them altogether ; and then a better and kinder spirit would animate each and all than does at the present time. It is the strong-willed, weak-brained customs and habits of the wealth producers that must be rectified before any good can be done worth naming. Fellowmen, let us have no more bragging at public-houses about hewing coal; better far sit and say nothing, than insult reason with your expertness in committing suicide. Miners brag 'bout their hewing and filling, They'll work till they're stiff as a prop. Stay, lot us try to work more at brain labour, And our country we'll raise to the top.  As for slushing at working or drinking, Few but miners do act in this way; Pray try to give up these insanities, And blessings will come with the day.  Then our union will both spread and prosper— We'll make this a wide world of love; Bad men and bad customs will die out, And all things work together for good.  Whether I am right or wrong I cannot help thinking that the better class of masters have little or no respect for these great slashes, who are continually worrying everything up that comes in their way. Great slashes, like race horses, may ran fast, but they cannot run long; in fact, Blushes often break down through excesses, simply through the mind being too weak to steer the body. Hence, Mr. Editor, necessity demands every thinking individual who wishes to make the world better, to war more with the foolish customs and habits of mankind, and less with isolated individuals about petty frivolous nothings. Then up and let's be doing, Let us work while it is day, Don't put off until to-morrow What must be done to-day.  Foolish customs need reforming, Let us banish every wrong, With love and truth united, We will, we will be strong. Up, up, then, let's be doing, Why cavil on the way? Away with petty differences, And hail the happy day. Man's true liberty's in union, 'Tis a truth well understood; Then unite in one close brotherhool, For the universal good.  —By giving this a corner in your invaluable ADvoCATE, you will much oblige, yours, &c., W. E. Spennymoor.  TO the Editor of