The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1874-03-28
A Workingman in Parliament.
An IRteresttng Account or the Representa-
tive Of the EnglIsh WSrkIngmen Recently
Elected % Parliament.

An Interesting Aecommt or the Representa-
tive Of the English W0rkIngmen kecenIIy
Elected % Parliament.
The Liverpool Courier thus describes Mr.
Alexander Macdonald, who was recently
elected as Workingman's candidate for
Parliament for Staffordshire
In the strict sense of the word he is not
a workiDgman, and, if that were to be the
test, can only Justify his position from the
fact that he was a working boy. But he
has far higher claims upon the confidence
Of the working classes than could ever be
gained by mere manual labor, and although
differing from him widely upon political
questions, we must pay him the eompli-
ment that there 10 no man III all the ranks
OF labor leaders more capable Of advoca-
ting their cause with plain straightfor-
ness and effective moderation.
Mr.. Macdonald's style is one which will
gain the ear Of the house to which he has
been returned, and that position he has
already indirectly received before many
parliamentary committees. His valuable
evidence in reference TO the mining inter
ests has invariably been received with
marked respect, and has formed the basis
Of beneficial legislation which has been
concurred in both of the great political
parties, as well as by his many hybri1 sec
tiOns into which the liberals are divided
Mr.. Macdonald possesses great natural
ability, and is a fluent speaker, while he
combines that amount Of fact with his rea-
sOhing and illustration which is necessary
to prove influential in the British legisla-
ton.
We venture to predict that on social and
industrial questions Mr. Macdonald will
rise to an authority whose voice will not
only be listened to, but expected on all
those questions which he has studied 50
long and carefully, both in practice and ia
theory. But to hark back bit, as we
say on the hunting field, Mr.. Macdonald
possesses qualities which do not result
from the fact that he is the son Of miner,
nor from his long and intimate connection
with the associations Of those who labor
underground. In addition to having re-
celved university education, and to uccu-
pying the position Of a schoolmaster il
Alrdrie, he was for years the trusted corre-
spondent Of the leading Edinburgh and
Glasgow newspapers, and only rehnquish-
ed that position to devote himself exclu-
slvely to the interests of the miners among
whom he had been bred and born, and
with whose hardshIps and privations he
was intimately acquainted.
The member for Stafford was never a
demagogue nor a paid agtator indeed,
he never was an agitator at all, for his
voice was always for progress without re-
sorting to violent means. Even lately,
h. h. a
manding higher wages in consequence Of
the increasing price Of coal, the men in
the west of Scotland stayed their demand
upon Mr.. Macdonald s advice, not mere
ly because the poor were suffering for
fuel, but because abnormal rates OF pay
ment we're not likely to result in sustained
benefit to the workingmen
As we have hunted, Mr. Macdonald was
never the salaried official OF his mining
constituents. BY his business Of con-
tractor and master carter at Holytown, in
Lanarkshire, he has always earned a liberal
income, and all that he has hitherto re-
ceived from the men has taken the shape
Of presents. part Of which he has, in re-
turn, devoted to trade objects. In addi-
tiOn to all this Mr.. Macdonald has travelled
much and gained a mature experience of
lab prospects and organizations in other
countries, and notably IN the United
States, which cannot fail to prove valuable
when he comes to deal with labor questions
IN the HOUSE Of Commons.
We bespeak a kindly and favorable re-
ception for him from the conservative side
Of the house, though we regret that such a
man should be as far astray in his political
as he is generally right III his industrial
opinions. But then he has taken his pol
itics at second hand from the party with
whom he was brought most closely into
contact, while he has studied labor prob
lens with industry and ability before his
opinions were fully formed. We may add
that Mr.. Macdonald has always been a vo-
luminous and valued contributor to the
newspaper press, even since the voluntary
termination of his penny a-lne days