The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-12-31
woRKMEN IN PARLIAMENT.
The Changes in British Politics
Wrought the Past Twenty Years.


No one can nave watched the leaders
OF the workingmen for the last ten years
without finding among them men cap
able Of commanding the attention and
respect of rne House Of Commons, not
merely for their eloquence. surprising
As that is but for their good sense, good
feeling and good breeding."1 Snch were
the words Of the late Charles Kingsley
twenty years ago. O. lrsr
The prophecy has been abundantly
verified. Nearly ten years, however,
elapsed after these words were uttered
ere q working-man member was found
IL the House of Commons. though sew
ersl determined attempts had been
made. Mr.. Burt, who has occupied a
place in the Parliaments OF 1874 and
lSSO, the late Mr.. Alexander Macdonald,
who was in the House from 1874 until
bis death in 1881, and Mr.. Broadhurst,
who was elected in 1850, were the first
TO wear the honor, and each has "com-
manded the attention and respect OF
the House of Commons" so much so
that Mr.. BroadhuIst was a member OF
Mr.. Gladstone's Cabinet. Now that
several colleagues have been given TO
them by the recent elections, the in
iuence OF the w0rking-man member
lay be expected to increase rather than
lminish.
4 he advent of bona fde working men
o seats in the British Legislature only
marks a phase IN that vast, though, as
far as England is concerned peaceable
revolution which will ever be rec arded
rNFf ha a "a rFuk %
The nineteenth century. During the
early decades of the century the labor
ng classes were polit caliy, and in
many respects socially, under the heavy
heel Of a tyrannIcal or Indifferent
iiistocracy; their voice was uRheard
or UNDECIDED. save when, as in 1892,
their voice was mingled with the stern
rLmblings of revolution. Intel
lectUally the working classes then
S,re far behind the standard
OF to-day; socially, they had
% influence; politically they were re-
arded as outside the pale, and untitled
to exercise even the power contained in
4 vote. The time was q weary one for
the lsboring man, and justice was ap-
parently slow 10 make is advent. But
delay had its advantages. The work
ing men Of Great Britain received. q
much needed education in the manage
ment of their trades-unions and in many
other directions-a training that ma
tured the judgmeninand self control Of
those whose vote in future days will be
so powerful for good DRILL.
The social ana political improvement
in the industrial population has been
most clearly dIscernible during the last
twenty or thirty years. Fifty years
ago q, working man would have been
Ostracised even If he had obtained cleo
ton to Parliament; now he is received
there as an equal. Before the reform
bill OF 1867, the voting power Of work
men was comparatively small and few
of the middle classes would have listened
to q request for a wofkmen's represe--
tatiye, had there been no property qua
fcstion to stand in the way of an cleo
ton. With the passage of that
act, the condition of things was
changed in the great centers OF
population. II is not, therefore, q
matter of surprise that there should
be wish on the part of those to whom
political power has been committed TO
have 4 direct voice in the aaking of
the laws in which, as citizens, they
are so deeply Interested. Ardently,
however. as working men members
might be wished for By their class, a
greater difficulty still blocked the way
the want of money 10 sustain them
in Parliam, ntary life. This difficulty
has, however, been overcome by the
nominations 20 Parliament Of the men