The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-11-23
POPULAR REFORM.
STRIKE 4RBIT r ATI0FS IND
TRADES UNIONS IN ENGL4ND.
A. Lecture by A. j. nrunaeua, NJ. p.

Mr.. Mundella, NJ. P. for Sheffield, delivered
lecture on Popular Reforms at tue cooper ln-
stitute, New York, on Monday, the llth llstau L
The hall was crowded with an audience repre-
sentinp AL classes OF citizens, but the working
men being largely In the majority. After descrio'
inr the administrative reforms which had been
erected in England during the past thirty
years the lecturer discussed the question
OF popu,ar education, which, In his opinion,
should be compulsory, and sketched the changes.
made Ia the English civil service. Upon this
branch OF the subject, Mr.. Mundella said: II stand
before you the representative OF one ofthe largest
constituencies in England, without the power to
influence In the smallest degree the appointment
OF customhouse of1cer or an excIseman." And
1t s a significant circumstance that these words
brought forth storm OF applause. Upon the
subjects OF capital and labor, trades unions,
strikes, &C., Mr.. Mundella spoke as follows:
CAPITAL AND LABOR.
The relations OF capital and labor Is the ques-
ton TO which invite your attention. and i Woula
ask you to consider the conditions under Wnlch
we approach the solution OF this aud all otner
social problems as compared with yourselves.
You are an old people in new country. possessed
of all the experience which centuries OF European
success and failure have given yoa. Iou nave no
trammel OF caste, or prejudice, or ancient IN.
stitutiOn remaining to overcome. Above all, you
have the command OF resources so vast that they
are as yet even unknown to yourselves,
aud generations OF well:remunerated indus
Try win be required to develop them: Lu, we,
where all the resources OF nature are
already appropriated. Where laws, traditions.
institutions require to be changed. where we
cannot build up without first pulling down, and
cannot pull down without inflictlng injury and
loss somewhere. We have old wrongs to redress.
old neglects to repair, old class pretudlces and
distinctions to remove. More than ALL we have
dense population in sea-girt fortress without
mower OF extension or expansion. The area OF
England and Wales, az you know, Is less tnan
that Of New York and Pennsylvania; and this
limitation Of territory while It greatly enhances
the dificultles OF our problems renders their 80
lution Imperative. We are large family In
small house, and we must learn 10 live togetner
In peace and amity, otherwise the happiness OF
the entire family will be In Jeopardy.
TRADES UNIONS.
The tendency Of industry everywhere is to
localize ITSELF We have Onr Iron and coal dis
trts our cotton and woollen districts. Ribbons
are only made in Coventry, cutlery IN SneHleld,
lace in Noting. am. Wherever NUMBERS are con
gregated engaged In the same Industry, commu--
nifty OF Interest and sentiment Is certain, sooner
or later, to bring them into association. trades
unions are the natural nsequence. They are
no, confined to England and America. They e&.
ist In all free countries, anu Wnere'er eeislaH0u
has attempted to deprive workinen OF their right
.Of combination, consplrlng and outrages have In.
yarably followed. Combination Is good In Itself
II wise directed. It.i only TO be deprecated
when the means IL employs aad the ends at " hich
IL aims are not conformed to order aud good gov
ernment. It Ia, alas 100 true that trades unions
have often been managed by misguided men,
have aimed at impractlcable and Injurious ends
and have stopped TO Outrage rag, anu
are fast passing away. The spirit OF intelligence
and the growth OF cooperation, arbitration and
Industrial partnerships are raising the condltlon
OF the wurkmen, making more pleasant tne reia-
lions betwixt the employer and the employed.
narrowing the area OF strife, and rendering
strikes less frequent and less aggravated.
In all the large well-conducted Trades Unions
strikes are ~ very n
England and America, there Is large class which
is bitterly hostile to combinations forgetful OF the
fact that labor can only stand on equal terms
the father OF Economic Science; has laid It down
with the greatest clearness that combinations or
capltallsts are not less common than those OF Ia
borers. "The masters" he says. are always
and uniform combination not to raise me wages
OF labor above their actual rate" Capital is IN,
deed. O combination with ITSELF lt Is strong, and
can walt Labor without association Is weak,
and cannot long be kept out OF the market. "It
is hard for an empty sack to stand upright"
STRIKES.
Combination then enables the workman to deal
on equal terms with the capitalist Invariably the
power possessed by each has been exercised In
turns to enforce unreasonable demands on the
other and strikes and lock outs In the absence OF
any reconclng influences have been the result.
cannot recall strike In my experience which
has not been attended with natural and moral In.
fury to the parties engaged. could enumerate
several in which the pecuniary loss has been from
f;00 600 to Ell O0O, ,O00 and the moral loss beyond
all computation. III have correctly Informed my.
self YOU are aole to point to examples equally de.
plorabe. The nine monthsstrike ofthe puddlers at
PlttsburC aud the one which has recently termi-
mated In Pennsylvania were barren or any good re-
suit. cannot discover that anybody was benefit
ed by the strike Of the miners. They LOST their wages
and expended their previous savings. Their en-
poyers lost the profit and Interest OF their invest
ed capital. The public lost 10 the high price Of
Goals. And fear 1t viii cause many child to be
sent early to work, and many family to wait
longer for new clothes.
TRe evil strikes will, think, be so generally
conceded, that need not detain you further with
proofs. II. In describing remedial measures,
appear to give undue prominence to boards OF er.
bitratlon, [ beg lE may not be understood that
there Is any c)nfic. OF opinion between Mr..
Hughes and myself. 1 am sincere advocate OF
co operation and Industrial partnerships; but he
has placed his views on these questions so ably
before you that it would be OBTAINING you un.
necessarily were 1 to do more than glance at
these en- paSsant.
COOPERATION.
CO-Opcratt0n is making rapid strides both In
Epgland and Germany, and In proportion to It's
extension Is the condition Of the laborer improv-
ed and the area ofpossible strife diminished. 1t
has moral and educational aspects. No laggard,
no drlnkard no dishonest workman will be tOle-
rated as partner In q cooperative mill or worK-
shop. Mr.. Ludlow, treating OF this subject says:
Let this state Of things last awhile and there is
literally evoked a new type OF wOrklngmen, en-
dowed nos only with that honesty and rrankness,
that kindness and true courtesy which distin-
wherever
they may be placed, but with q dignity aDd
self.respect and sense OF conscious freedom which
are peculiar to the co-operaior.n
In the spring OF last year presided over q CO.
onerative congress In London. at which the So
cetes OF every district OF Great Britain were rep
resented, and at which Mr. Ludlow's statements
were cordially indorsed. The delegates, entirely
OF the wol king class, were the most intelligent
and manly set OF fellows have ever met. Their
capacity for business, and the economic education
they had received, may judged from the fact that
the delegates from Manchester and twenty miles
around were conducting transactions amounting
to over f5, ,o00 900. Fully three-fourths Of this,
however, was distributed, and not productive.
BOARDS OF CANCELLATION.
Although cooperative societies and industrial
partnerships will probably experience great eX-
tension in the future, am not prepared to believe
that they will ever supersede tile present system
OF autonomy. In any case, until this Is done, aud
while 1t Is in process OF transformation, it is OF
tai and associated labor should he brought into
kindly and harmonious relations with each other.
The need for this was 30 greatly lel5 In England
that fonr vpars apO n rOVal commission an