Workmen's advocate., 1888-11-24
QUESTIONS CONSIDERED.
How the Labor Movement "COllapsed."
 What is the Movement!


 Our German daily contemporary, the New York TOlkSzeitung, has propounded some questions, q printed copy of which came to hand. Let us see what they are, and talk them over:
 l. Which were the causes of the col. lapse of the political labor movement this year.
 Admitting, as the question pre- supposes, that there was an actual political labor movement which col lapsed, it dld not collapse this year. The small vote cast for the so-called labor parties would rather prove that the laboring class had no faith in those parties. The "collapse" must have occurred just after the previous election. The vote boiled by the Socialist Labor Party, though small, was larger than the member ship of the Party in the various To- calities where they made nomina- tlons. The Socialist Labor Party, being the only party which recog- nlzed the laboring people as class and fought tbeir fight upon a strictly labor platform commensur- ate with the requirements of the times, made the mistake, years ago, of not taking political action at every election. Those who were deceived by the 6S,000 votes cast in 1886 in New York are the only ones who may feel that there was a collapse. The significance of that vote has been amply proven by the return of the voters to the old political par ties. They were not Socialists. { 2. Do you believe in the possibility of reviving such movement; and would it | be desirable to have the same revived under present circumstances?
 ! The possibility of reviving such a movement would mean nothing more than the movement itself meant, namely that q large number voters were dissatisfied with present conditions, and voted on a specua. tion. They failed to elect their can didate and the interest died out | Socialists were not discouraged - they continued to carry on their propaganda as before. The Socialist Labor Party did not collapse, conse- quentIy it's reyspal is not necessary. Socialists can hardly desire a revival of a thoughtless and bottomless movement. They aim at a solid movement upon sound principles and appeal to the intelligence of the people rather than the to their tran scieEt whims. No, Me same will not be revived, under present circum- stances. The Socialist Labor Party will continue its propaganda on a more sensible line of tactics. The days of "hurrah" politics are num- bered, as far as Socialists are con- cerned, and who else, pray, will lead in a political labor movement?
 3. Should you so believe, do you con sider any of the present labor parties to be capable of concentrating the political action of organized labor: If so, which labor party do you believe to be capable of achieving that end; and what are your reasons for such belief?
 Any of the present labor parties :? Why, has not the political move ment collapsed, after all ? But we find no labor party now in the field save one--the Socialist Party; con sequently it devolvcs upon that party to conduct the political labor movement at present; and if the Socialists are but true to their tra- ditions-and we have no doubt of that-they will 50 thoroughly and conscentously agltate for thelr principles, and for their organlza- ton for the sake of those principles, that they will fulfill their historical mission. Why do we believe 1t? Well, the fact that the Socialist Labor Party is the only labor party, among the ruck of those So-called, which goes on in undisturbed prose- cution of its work, Is proof enough for the present. We are apt to judge of the future by the measure of the past, and that isn't such d bad plan, if due allowance is made for altered circumstances.
 f. If not, upon what principles and in | what shane dn you hplieye the desired