, 1875-11-07
TRADErUNIoN pDTrr1ra

A new element has lately been intrpduesa
into the politics Of England It is the tr.aa
union vote. The unions have become o,ss.
political clubs, and their federation mstss
these clubs exercise, in many districta a t.-
rible strength. They are ready to vote f..
Wing or Tory indi1erently, provided eths.
will work for the laws they demand. so~.
of these laws are needed; others ars v1n~
absurd It has been gravely proposed ,b,t
all Imprisonment Of worhngmen for anv ~
Tense should bs abolished, because 81 1n.n,
of them had been jailed that they vera ::
ginning to feel no shame about it! This =,
gument is worthy Of housebreaker ~
highwsyman, but not Of honest persor.
At present, the English tzade-qnion;et.
are much pleased with the Tor;a.
Their annual Congress met at Gl.suovz
last month. On the second DIV ~
the session, one OF the leaders, q 1Ir: Hox7,.
who has hitherto been bitter opponer. #
the Conservatives, moved vote Of than,,s IN
D1sRAE11s Secretary of Home Affairs, yfr
CRoss, for the 1abor Legislation Of Tho Int
session Of Parliament The motion Was snn.
ported by GEORGE ODcKR, the ex-President ot
the International, and Radical It met
with some opposition, but was carried bv
large majority. This was great feather in
Mr. CRoss' cap, but he has since drageled tba
p1umage somewhat by IN injudicious attempt
to improve upon BENrHAM's famous phrase.
The greatest happiness of the creates.
number" Waited upon by a delegation cf
mechanics; he made speech, and said TIM
tho aim Of Government was "the greatest
happiness Of the greatest number, a. far a,
consistent with the actual rights Of .hs
few" This unlucky sentence provoles tbs
query whether "sctual rights " arc the e.
elusive privilege of the *'faw"? Still. 4
word cannot outweigh facts. The 7 ory
Ministry has framed and passed two or thzss
laws which suit the trades-unions, and ths
latter are therefore ready to vote the Tory
ticket. If the Liberals offer anything better,
however, this very Independent yote vii
swing from one party to the other.
The inside politics of the English trade
unions are somewhat unsavory. The newly
enfranchised freemen seem to have a pain.
full habit Of considering votes as property
and an election as an auction, at which tho
highest bidder naturally succeeds. GEORGE
ODoEn, speaking at the Congress, said there
were hundreds Of workngmen to 10 found
Us representatives Of labor; but, II they Ee
not prepared to pay, there is no use in tals:-
ing Of sending them to Parliament" H.
KANE said: ''Donations of ECO, Is100, Or E5oo
make far more voters than the most eloquent
speeches." GEORGE POTTER mournfnlly co.,
fessed that worhngmen could not fight rich
candidates. "There are thousands OF ~crE-
men who will only vote On being paid foz
doing So" The PalL1tall, quoting tbess
sayings, observes, tart1y but with some Truth,
that workingmen "want to be elected, but
have not money enough to buy their Owl
votes" Since the trade-unions, as who1s,
declare their readiness to deliver the work
ingmans vote to whichever party will gire
most laws of certain kind in exchange for
it, it is not 50 very surprising that individual
unionists should offer votes to whichever
candidate will give most money in exchange
for them. The distinction between the two
cases is an important one, but they a1e both
instances of bargain and sale.