{ title: 'The Clarion. volume (Troy, N.Y.) 1886-1887, August 07, 1886, Page 1, Image 1', download_links: [ { link: 'http://www.loc.gov/rss/ndnp/ndnp.xml', label: 'application/rss+xml', meta: 'News about NYS Historic Newspapers - RSS Feed', }, { link: '/lccn/np00170002/1886-08-07/ed-1/seq-1/png/', label: 'image/png', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/np00170002/1886-08-07/ed-1/seq-1.pdf', label: 'application/pdf', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/np00170002/1886-08-07/ed-1/seq-1/ocr.xml', label: 'application/xml', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/np00170002/1886-08-07/ed-1/seq-1/ocr.txt', label: 'text/plain', meta: '', }, ] }
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e iS, 6 VOL. I, NUMBEK 14. TROY, AUGUST 7. 1886. PfilOE 3 CENTS. O nly a T ramp . “irewuOBl 7 airaisp,\M id tbeptpns, Vuen UUisg t Ju!t brMtbUgBtshsl br tlie«»r, ADd tbU wtathecptUpbwKtt^E, AjwnckrceirbtstpiHt ttadned, TUI m acr wooed turn gWbered To morbUlT g u e on Ute d ^ . UMsteun, lEt osp&as* u d o o t aider Bight here o'er hU mortal remaloa, A do*, we pTchance, m *7 dlaooTer, RewardiDg us aU tor our paus, F jooi Whence be bad come a td bound wiltber, Blabi'ib-pUce and name M denote, WbatiEihist Ax.MCBsieure,'tie b latter Concealed lb the breatt ot his com . We'U read—‘-Mr dearbosbacd, CbJaMttsr 1 write 70U, hoping awlilbe Another strong lisk in lorel fetter That binds ;oa e o clostly to me; Hr beart'adeer.si tbrob of affccuon lB 8 Qdt 070 ii,dtrUtg,abd praj Kind SeaTen t .r b'-alto and protection, And speedr auccess onjonr way. Onr obudren are paaceloUy sleeplEg— 1 m w times bless them tor 70U, But Freddie Is aiUng and weeping And b iby Is tronbiesontetoo, Yet Aeerfuiir, darling, I labor TlU you some employment secure; I'm Helped by akihd'bearted neighbor Wbo leels for tbe frieidkas and poor. TkU morolEg onr Jennie ctme sprightly To riM me; ibe wnlapeieo me, 'Ha, Sweet aig.laconyeraewHbmeBigbtly And give good Udlnga of pa.’, uodfarormylit^te romanoer Your tattt Tbsuiuemiyitoodeacn spectator— Tbeir eyes were 0 erflowing with teen, Toelr Ups—where the name ot Creator Had n( ver been mentioned for years— Were now breatning prayers tnU ot ^ ty To ood with an earneM desire For those In a fat distant city, Depr.Tedof abosband and sire. The tale can be told by t i n t letKr— Denied of employment e t home, Hlssiarrugccatdliloato better A way o'er me iMd be did roam, Rtpulsed by continurd denials Be Came to seek rest on this sod, At last the re's an end to n 8 mala, He n e ts with a mtidfm Ood. ••And \«ily a tramp\ aald tbe papers When tiUlog the news of Ute day, Of bowapoormanwaadlEcOTrred Just breatblDg Us last by tbe way. And thus wasbU epiwpb wruien, ’ And acarceiy that letter waa read TlU many samant gatoered, 101' the dead. Elbe laei rites N ever M i « d W hat ‘T hey ” S ay . BT MSS. M. a. (tinnnn. Don't worry and tret About What people tUsk Of y rar ways or your means - Of your food or your drink. If yon know you are doing Your best every day, With tbe right on your side. Never mind what “they\ say. Lay out in tbe mortlog Your plana tor each hour, And never forget Tnat Old time Is a power. This auo rememb'r ’Uong trutbe old and new— The world la too busy TO thick mnch ot you. Taen garner tne minutes Tnat make np tbe hours. And plQck in yonr pilgrimage Honor's brigbt dowers, Should gfumblrs tau re you Tour course will not pay, w ith conscience a t n s t, Nevermind what “ibej” sty. TOO many have loitered Untu tne ebb tld*. Too many goodswlmmers Have chosen to dok. Because they are martyrs To “what p'opls think.” Then let us, torgettii^ Tneloaetsatet roig That Jostles us dally While mvcblng alobg; Press onward and upward. And make so sday— And thObgh pe<H>ie talk. Never mmd wnai ‘-tney\ say. A THRILLIN(J INCIDENT. OF TOT BLACK LIST—IT IB TAKBN FROM UFB AND NESSS NO OOKMENTOBT. A robbery bad been •comiaiUed. A mno aLmest ragged was arrested by one of those shreweJ detectives, ngainst whose piercing gaze sheet iron cannot sncoessfully stand. When the tnan was taken into court for preiimiaary trial, it was easy enough to sospeoC hioi, forlniF- ing been acensed of a crime, be seemed to rink under a weight of ghilt. The magistrate, addressing thepiisoner, asked a few questions nnd then turning to the detective wbo made the arrest he in quired: “ What caused yc« to suspect this \Well your honor, ho happened here a few diTS bef'Tc tbe robbery was 00 m- mitCed, and 1 eiog Of auspicious appear ance I watched him. I asked him his name and be said it was Barn'^s, but shortly afterward I heard that hia name was Powell. I lost sight of Liiu on tbe night of the robbery, but early next merning I saw him trying to sneak out of town, so I thought he had ought to be arrested. ” \I think, replied the magistrate, that you acted rightly in making the erreat. Now,” turning to the prisoner, ‘‘can you explain your conduct, and especially can yon explain why you go under two names?’ ‘‘Judge, let me hret explain why 1 have two names and that will explain my conduct. Understand, now, that' 1 do not beg for mercy. That time is past. 1 am DOW hardened. I will not detain you long, hut I ask you—and this is all 1 do ask—to believe me. Two years ago I was the master mechanio in a large rail way machine shop. 1 received good wages and my family, consisting of a wifs and Iwo children, lived as welt as any family in tbe town, 1 was most happily married, and sometiiaes at even ing, when my little boy climbed up and begged me to tell him just one atory, I wondered if such bappintsa could last. “One day I was discharged. I was never more astonished in all my life. I humbly asked the cause of my dismissal and was gruffly told that it was beesnse I was not wante^. They should have given me notice, still I did not complain, as I recogoiged tbeir right to employ whom they pleased. When I went home and tcld my wife that 1 bad been dis charged, she put her arms around my neck and said; ‘Never mind, dear, you can soon get another place.’ The very next day I started out in search of work. I had spent my life in machine shops and could do n o other kind of work. I went to a town not a great distance away from my home and applied for work. “ 'I believe we are needing a man,’ said the superintendent. ‘W hat is jour ‘John Powell,’ I replied.” “He went into an inner tffice and after remaining a few minutes he returned and Baid: ‘No, we don't want yon.’ \By this .ime my money was nearly gone, but I had not the heart to write home for more, for 1 bad left but enough —all I had—to sustain my family a few weeks. I went to another town, certain that I should obtain work, for one of tbe machine shops in the place had advertised for men. The head nL>n asked mu my name, and then pointing to a bench, told me to sit down and wait until he came. He was nut gone long. When he re turned he said: “ ‘D^ n’t want you.’ “ My dear sir,’ 1 replied, ‘1 am a skill ful workman and only ask you for a triaL Then if my work don’t suit i l l leave.’ \ ‘You’ll leave anyway,' he replied as be turned away. “By this time my munev was exhausted, but 1 oould not stop—I must push my way onward. 1 wrote to my wife, telling her that 1 bad not succeeded in getting work, but that I thought my prospects were good. I told her to write to me. giving as my address a distant towm I had hoped ii> get over li.e road, but failed. I knew why. A prominent rail road offlcial had lold the engineers not to let me ride. After walking many weary miles I reached tbe town and ap plied for work- “ ‘We don’t want you,' u id the super intendent. “ ‘Why?’ I demandtd- \ 'Because you ate blacklisted.’ • • ‘lly God, man, what have 1 done?’ “ ‘1 don’t know, and 1 d on’t care a damn, but you are blacklisted.’ “1 went to the postoffice. 1 found a letter addressed in an unfamiliar hand, I was disappointed. I had hoped to re ceive a letter fiom my wife. I tore open the envelope. Here ia the letter. Bead it. Judge.” The joBtice read aa follows: “It is my painful duty to write thia. Yonr wile, after having greatly exposed her self m moving from the house which be longed to a railroad offleial—she had to niQye—contracted a severe cold and died of pneumonia. Ycur little children are at my house.” “This is the letter I received, judge. Several weeks ago 1 heard my little boy was dangerously ill—cot expected to live. I dragged, myself to thia town, where I learned that my little girl and the boy, upon whom 1 bad centered my hopes, had died of diphtheria. I conld do nothing. I was crashed with grief, broken down with despwr. Then I changed my name so that I might corn money enough to take me to tbe graves of my wife and children. I did not com mit the robbery. I want no lawyer. I leave it with you. As I previously re marked, I ask for no mercy. I am in yonr power. Use me as yon will.” The old magistrate—a man who bad spent his early days at the anvil—arose, approached tbe prisoner, pressed some- Ihing into bis band and said: “God knows my heart bleeds for yon. When yon stand over the graves of your wife and children remtmber an old man who has seen his last loved one buried.”—Ar- kausaw Traveler. CORPORATION TYR a NY. We can find no more appropriate name than the above by which to designate the present attempt of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company to force its employes into its so called “Relief Association.” Tbe public should be made aware of tbe oue fact in this connectiau, and (hat is that the workmen employed by this cor poration do not want anything to do this “Relief ’ affair. It is said that corpora tions have no souls. But this Pennsyl vania corporation would here seem an exception, if what it asserts in connection with its Relief association be trne, for It declares that its ‘‘Reliel” is simply insti- tnted for the welfare of its employes. But no one believes that nssertiontobe true. It is barUly consistent with anv- thiDg possessing a soul to bar out of a benefaction a faithful servant because be has passed the age of forty-five. At the Northern Central shops there are some fiOO employes engaged by this P. B. R. Company, hnt there is not to be found over two per cent, of th05e who have so far submitted to this corporation tyrany, this eo-called Relief Asstciation. It is a notorious fact among the em ployes of P. R. R. that the Relief Asso ciation is obnoxious in tbe .last degree to those employed by the company. In the city of Philadelphia there has been but one among i's influential newspapers the Record, tiiat has had the fairness to condemn the attempt of this road in forciog its employes into ils Belief Asso ciation, so-called. As to tbe daily press of Baltimore we have failed to see one line editorially upon this subject one way or the other, Should serious outbreak follow a persist- ent Sort on the part of this corporation to coerce its employes into its so-called Relief Association, the time will have gone by for tbe press of this city to moralize on the rights of workingmen or tbe American citizen.—Baltimore Free The daily prees deplores the fact that there is danger of the Knights of Labor carrying their gricvauces into politics, and kindly advises th:m to go slowly, as such a course would be fatal to their or- ganizatloD. Let tbe workingmen beware of the plaudits of the public press, even if It praices their actions; such praise has a limit, and will not extend beyond a point that is harmless to capitalistic des potism. Any action proposing to pierce this queslion of industrial oppiesetun n ith a political lance, ia condemned by tbe capitalistic press, and with a singular harmony cry aloud “don’t d o lt.’’ What ever tbe daily press denounces, labor may generally consider ia ihe best thing it can do, and there is nothing more fiercely denounced end ridiculed by the daOy press than political action on the part of labor organizitiona. Let labor govern itself accordingly, and gather wisdom from its enemies.—Our Country. The farmers and other workingmen of Texas have p u t a state ticket in the field. The Democrats and Republicans have shaken bands across tbe bloody chasm and united to defeat i t What better proof is wanted fo show that the people have been crusifled between the sharks as it were? Both parties are working solely for spoils and neither is worthy of confidence. When the people try to clSanse tbe Augean stables they always try to dam the stream that will over whelm them in the near future. The words “democrat’’ and “republican” merely stand for petrified fossila of a former usefulness.—Labor Advocate. LABOH ORGANIZATIONS. OF WHAT DSNEFrt AK£ TEST TOTHIiABOR- INO MASSES f A great many of our members have asked the above question uftey they have been with ns a few months. They seem to h&ve bad the Idea when they joined the K. of L. that in a few days, or at most, weeks, tbeir wages would in some most unaccountable way, be^advanced about one di.>llBr per day, and because that has not been the case,'they are dis satisfied, auil are asking themselves the above question which undoubtedly is prompted by a'spirit of supreme seifish- ness. Tbe E. of L. is comparatively a new organization in this district and very many joined it without knowing what they would get. After awhile the malcontents will drop off, and those who are suited bring in their f iends, and so after a period of unoertunty and risk a homogeneous body is formed ibat will live and thrive. Leber organizations are undo'.ibtedly beneficial both to Labor and capital. They certainly educate the workingmen and give them a truer con ception of the relations of capital and labor than they possibly could otherwise from. Very often the committee work in his assembly is the first lesson a mem ber gets in public work,and tbe wonderful art of organization. Hia experience of loyalty to principle, necessary compro mise, truth in others, and tbe exposure of fraud and hypoensy cannot b ut be im mensely useful to him afterwards in far more serious matters than those involved in tbe managing affairs of Lis assembly. Tbe ablest and best workmen always come to the front; and it may belaid down as a rule that the more Intelligent the workman the fewer the contests with employers. It is not the in'el- iieir ofganzaJJon. And now (hey are more than jealous at the presence of the order, that ha.« put new life mto many of their toltericg unions. They are doing their best to raise «n ill wiud thst will blow no good to anyone. How can tbe working people ever ex pect to better their condition while so many of them are wasting their efforts by attempting to perpetuate those iso lated trades unions, and would be if they could special trade monopolies. I am pleased to call the attention of the trades unionists to this fact, that the K. of L. IS n ot atrades union. Its aims are loftier, and its power is directed to quell the abuse of the times. While st- tending to the wants of any particular trade, it is certainly filling a place occu pied by the trades onion. But this is enly one of its many functions. It aims St the unification of all honest occupa tions, the binding of the messes as it were, into one great body, in other words, universal unity. Not so with trades unions, their aims and objects are the very opposite. In stead of gathering industry into one grand whole, they cut the community up, into separate unions or cliques. Hurt ful to every oue, members or not mem bers, because when trouble arises they never consult the interests of those out side ■ he particular trade where the trouble exists. Trades nnions will soon be among the things of the past. There ia not ignorance, enough in the country to give them a decent following. And then what will become of their leaders? Banish those trades unions ideas from your thoughts. Spend a few hours to study the broad principles of the Order of the Knights o f Labor, and do n ot aid people to place a low estimate open your interest from the simple fact of your re- ligent workingman who considers that labor without his brother, capital is ! “ ^Ysdes unionist. 3275. lielple«, but the blil.n t ignotent m .n, | ^ H E F I N I C A L ASPECTS OP who regards capital as the natural enemy 1 of labor, who does so much to embitter j “ the relations between employer and em- i unions work on, year after year, ployed ; and the power of this ignorant j strikes, gaining a little on the demagogue arises chiefly from the lack of 1 ^ “Ses here and losing it there, until roper organization among theleading men t havemDlUplied all over the country through which their real voice can be ex- i thousands of dollars have been spent pressed. This voice will always be found their expenses to arouse in favor of the judicious and intelligent in favor of tbe formation of representative. As workingmen unions, and the upshot of the whole intelligent more deference must be paid influence which these to them personaUy, and to their rights, i men have in the lepslatures of and even to their opinions. They can- : “ Yeral Stotes, and here they often not be imposed upon so readily. It is ' *•'*- ‘•arely put their b e s t; better in the long ran for capitalists to ! political office. The ; be served by (he highest intelligence,and i labor ranks to-day are to be made well aware of the fact ths i because tbeir fel- they are dealing with men wbo know what ' workers do not know them to be is due to them, both as to treatment and | bft because they are jealous of compensation. j If Mr. Powderly had not done so Tbe natural force and energy of the ! Knights of Labor, be would American workingman, their go ahead character,, evinoes itself just as much in ; s^Jpe^eded. It ia the truth which needs the workshop as in the merchants,maun- demonstration to many minds which factneers or hankers office, and tbe time is fast coming when capitalists must rec ognize tbe advance of the workiagi^an, must allot to them a position in accord ance with tbeir claims and merits, and m uu also be prepaied to give them a jbst share of the wealth they create. All success to the C larion in its noble mission is the hrarty wish of the Hooaick Palls O tmbo . TRADES UNIONS AND THE K. OF L. Trades Unions have been potent factois in elevating the condition ot the various crafts controlled by them in times past. Bat in recent years they have been en tirely inadequate to cope with this high pressnre system, under which we are driven. Annion in its ordinary state is perfect enough so far as the regulation of the craft or its members are concerned. But when a move is made tor any increase of pay,or to resist a threatened reduction, and a strike is resorted to,—for this is their only weapon of defense—where do the trades unionists find themselves? In prosperous times, victory is leaning on their side, but in dull times they come out the wrong end of the horn, invaria bly. This is the record, and no one in reason will attempt to deny it. So what we require is a union strong enough to combat these dull times, or better still,to prevent them. Tbe order of the Knights of Labor has taken this task in hand, and has sufficient virtue to accomplish it. These ancient, time-worn trades unions lack the breadth of government necessary to accomplish either of these two things, no matter how complete or extensive have not watched the progress of these movements for years, that the man who ■truly loves his brother man and means to help him and makes his life happier and ' easier, must never let him know it. and must never ask of him the poor rrmn of political preferment. Of the men who formed the late Greenback Labor party, which was run entirely in the interest of the Isboring man, taking up sU griev ances. from convict labor to the full hour at noon for me^s in factories, huw many were given tbe best positions in the gift of the people? How many are prominent DOW? How many newspapers run hon estly In the interest of labor are living, compared (o the number started witbin the past ten year»? They lie like dead leaves strewing the paths of the martyrs to this movement, and tbe National View ofWasbingtOD, alone stands like some king of the forest, having just attained “the years of jonrnalistic maunood.” What it has cost cannot be estimated, bat it is hoped that its future as an ex ponent of the views of laboring men will be bright as its motives ore pure and single handed. Tbe law is the depeud- ence, as well as the protection of the poor, and the laborer ot inteJligeoce who casts a vote should know into whose bands he places his hopes and fears when he sends his man to the legislature or to Congress. When bankers and brokers cease to be oracles from which the people draw finan cial instrnctioD, we shall begin building a foundation on which to erect a true re public. TRUTHS FOR LABORERS. We must what? why education, before the laboring classes of this or any other country can attain their just dues and demands; ihey must be edncited. Here the majority of the wage earueis o f our country, pKisses^ed of a good common school education would not hear of de mands for less hours of labor as an in crease in wages. Brothers our time is coming, but slowly. Don’t be rash or impetuous. In our anxiety for the wel fare of our children and families, let us not lose our temper, but keep our heads level. Find out what we want in the line of laws, if not by reading, then from those who are informed as to our wants. That would be what is termed education iu a measure. Any one in looking over the reports of tbe nmounte expended for the necessaries and comforts Look at this *8.5,000,000 was spent in this country for educalion; 000,000 was spent for tobacco; #005,000,000 was spent for bread; #900,000,000 was spent for malt and spirituons liquors. Just think of it, len times as much money spent to form the foundation for wrecking men physically as was spent in fitting men for the various positions of life. How many familiee were ruined; how many happy homes destroyed just to satisfy men’s thirst for driuk. Money enough to build a flue college in every county in this eountiy, all gone in one short year. Had we as a mass been edu cated, Jong ytars hence our condition would have been far different than it is to-day. But we have allowed ourselves to have the foundation, justice, under mined little by little, until the name it self was in danger of being buried in ob livion, And It devolved upon a Stephens to rise and say to the hard-hearted op pressor, “Thus far caust thou come, and no farther,” noble man that he was to have the moral courage to devote his all for the labor slave of the world All on account of iguorance, all for the want of education, all for the want of knowing enough to assert our rights through or ganization. or in other words knowing enough to go to work in the proper way to secure our just rights. And I repeat all this has taken place on account of the Jack of education among the laboring classes. Now men and women that are dependent upon their daily labor for sup port ees to it that your children have education, I do n ot mean college or high school, but a goed common school edu- oatiau. Had this been done years ago, our condition would Lave been fsrdiffer- to-day. We cannot attain eqity, justice by violence, bribery or committing de predations to property. Ttiis can all be done through arbitration, which is the only true way for us to adjust any differ ence of opinion, as to wages or hours, between the employer and employed. We may go the world over, and those governments found m tbe lowest scale of civilization and education, there you will finj the lowest wages paid. When blind prejudice is removed, when it becomes known that the demands of the Isbonng classes are b ut a f u r oouipensation, when through the enactment of laws that will not allow capital, in order to meet com- petion, say to the han<is you mast but can you. till times are better. And to bring this state of affairs about we must have education, a unity of felling, and a working together in harmony. L abobxr . t r subecribs iot tne CLARION, t i a year. SOVEREIGN AND SLAVE. Politically, Amenoa is a democracy; industrially, Amcnca is an aristocracy. The community which allows the laborer to determine tbe destinies of the nation, allows him no votes in, determining the nature or the profits of bis own industry. He makes political [laws he ia under in dustrial laws. At the ballot-box he is a king; io the factory he is a servant, sometimes a slave. Men who make legis lators, judges, governors, presidents are not allowed to determine how many hours a day they ■will work, and are able to determine what wages they will re ceive only by organizing into an unarmed militia to preserve their rights. The community at the same moment puts a ballot into the hand, and a m naole upon it. We must either tike tbe ballot out or the manacle o £ twsuhecrlbe for the CLAKIOK, |l a
