EPHEMERAL LABOR MOVEMENTS 493 



and Canada. This organization in 1886 voted to merge with other 

 trade unions and the name, American Federation of Labor, was 

 adopted. 



In addition to the trade unions of the period, such as the Inter- 

 national Typographical Union and the Cigar Makers' International 

 Union, and the national federations, such as the National Labor Union 

 and the Industrial Congresses, the Knights of Labor and numerous 

 ephemeral labor organizations appeared whose ideal was that of "one 

 big union." Like the Knights of Labor these organizations practically 

 ignored trade lines. Except in the case of a few controlled by the 

 socialists, they were in reality reform associations composed chiefly of 

 wage earners. These ephemeral organizations are interesting chiefly 

 because they throw some light upon the conditions of the period and 

 upon the ideals and demands of the wage earners. The decade of the 

 seventies was especially prolific of ephemeral labor-reform associations. 



The National Guard of Industry was organized in 1869. It ad- 

 mitted "all trustworthy persons who earn their bread by the sweat of 

 their brow " and who are friendly to its purposes. The platform of the 

 order was a peculiar hotch-potch of humanitarianism, trade unionism 

 and political reform; it favored the eight-hour day and cooperation, 

 and opposed granting land to corporations. 20 The " early closing move- 

 ment" is not of recent origin. As early as 1866 or 1867, in New York 

 City, a "Dry Goods Clerks' Early Closing Association" was in exist- 

 ence. The Supreme Mechanical Order of the Sun was established in 

 the early sixties. It was still in existence in 1869, a secret order having 

 an extensive ritual and several degrees. 



In 1872, the Christian Labor Union was formed for the purpose of 

 influencing the Church to aid in the establishment of cooperative asso- 

 ciations. The Association of United Workers of America, called by 

 Professor Commons the "nationalized International," came into being 

 in 1874, and was apparently merged into the Workingmen's Party two 

 years later. It was a socialist organization. Each member was expected 

 to support only those political movements which aimed directly at the 

 economic emancipation of the wage earners. 21 



The Junior Sons of '76 "do not attribute all our suffering to any 

 single cause, but to a variety of causes." They appealed to all workers 

 to unite "against the growing power of monopolies" by using the 

 ballot. Laboring men should be elected to office. The Junior Sons 

 was a secret organization supposed to be composed exclusively of 

 workingmen. In the spring of 1875, it was stated that in several 

 counties of Pennsylvania the majority of the voters were members of 



20 Pamphlet in New York Public Library. 

 2i General Bules, published in 1876. 



