- 135. What was the Industrial Congress and Universal Brotherhood?
- It was a national organization called into existence by a convention arranged by officers of the Iron Molders' International Union, Machinists' and Blacksmiths' International Union, Coopers' International Union, and the International Typographical Union. In addition to representatives from these unions, the miners, tobacco workers, cigarmakers sent delegates, as did the central bodies from Columbus, Cleveland, Indianapolis, and two other cities. The convention was held in Cleveland on July 15, 1873.
- 136. What was the general policy of this Industrial Congress?
- To avoid politics, not to take co-operation too seriously, and to devote itself to economic action. The political policy of "reward your friends" originated with this union. It lasted from 1873 to 1875. Its refusal to play politics and to gain membership at the cost of principle, these, together with the industrial depression killed it.
- 137. Upon what did workers then depend?
- Enough of them depended upon politics to be the backbone of the Greenback party.
- 138. What was the Sovereigns of Industry?
- An organization devoted to co-operation. The Industrial Congress refused to affiliate with the Sovereigns of Industry and won its hostility. It lasted from 1874 to 1878. It failed to survive the depression, and dishonest officials. Co-operation had received another black eye.
- 139. What was the general condition of unionism in this decade?
- The National unions were composed of autonomous locals. The centralization of power, which now amounts to dictatorship, was not invested in the national and international unions. This, it was argued, was a weakness, though that is doubtful. Another thing that was noticeable and which had a bad effect upon the labor movement was that its most capable men could not resist the temptation to use their union popularity for their own political advancement. A seat in Congress, or a good position under the government turned many of them from labor leaders to enemies of the working class. In the closing years of the '60 decade many organizations
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