Workmen's advocate., 1888-06-02
NEW YORK AZ FAIRS.
LABOR LNCEUM DEBATE.

| At the Central Labor Union Hall, l45 Ea4t Eighth street, on Sunday evening | last, the American Section had an inter esting and successful discussion at its regular Lyceum meeting on Labor | Politics in 1SSS." COmrade Adam ROs- enberg was in the chair. Mrs. l. E. | Hinton, the organizer, called the meet ing to order, and in doing so urged courtesy and freedom of debate to tine | fullest extent. The hall was well filled Mir. T. r. Ryndcrs, of Pennsylvania, q | leading member of the Union Labor | Party, and a delegate to it's recent na- | tional convention, was introduced as the first speaker. He argued that political action, being necessarily compromise | on available issues, that the Union Labor | platform and movement came the near | est of any effort now ln the field to the | demands of the thinking, radical Social | ists. It did not at least deny the funda- mental existence of labor question, and l it had declared that labor was entitled 1 to all it produced. It demanded free | opportunity for the use of the soil, was
 
 | in requiring the issuing and handling of all money direct by the government only, and it desired the governmental control of telegraphs and railroads as part of the postal system. Mir. Rynders urged that the Union Labor Party, while not an ideal organization by any means, was at least facing the common enemy, the corporate monopolist, and on the road, therefore, to reform. He declared that its organization in New York would be purged of objectionable
 influences, and hoped this fall to see the Progressive Labor Party influences united with those of the West, Mir. Rynders declared that labor must secure control of the legislative power; that nothing else would aid the work of radi- cal reform and reconstruction.
 Mir. R. J. Hinton followed in an analy- sis of the political situation and parties. The Industrial Party, so-called, and the Equal Rights one were simply protests, and showed the living unrest. Of the Union Labor Party this was to be said
 it is at least on the road of development and progress. It is not a hinderer or an obstacle. It means well and thinks fairly. It represents something at least.
 The " United" Labor Party is no longer worthy of serious consideration. It Is only personal fact, the rumr follow
 ing of Edward McGlynn. II you go to their antl-poverty meetings you will see the same old fare..-the dsgruntlrd par
 shioners of St, stephens, following their discarded pastor, with a few Fenans and the ward polticaStors who maintain for "intloo nee the so-called party or ganization. But the concern, unlike the Union Labor Party, is not labor move ment at all. It is hostile to labor. It declared at Syracuse that there is no necessary conflict between capital and labor. It SustainS usury and competl- ton, It practically ignores the money and bond issues, questions of vast sgul- canoe in the resent forms of economic life. Its land tax theory is monopo- lstic theory, as in fact it would create q privileged class. Under the present eco homie life such system of taxation, a spacious and sophistlCal attempt to build on the unearned increment theory, would make privileged class of all small land owners who were situated so as to have little or no social value at tached to their holdings, They would be free from taxation, while all their means of communication would be made free to them at the expense of the whole people, The single land tax theory was an attack on the great aggregation of civilization; the consoCiatlon of enter prise and effort. It would antagOnize all forces in this civilization whose social evolution must be towards the co. opera tive commonwealth, however hloodily its harsh footsteps are now marked, Yet Ill the cities and Centers, by it's tolera- ton of usury and its relief of all other forms of capital from taxation, il would tend directly to levy burdens on city en- terprise to the advantage of the rural operators, and to crush out the small l owners of land within the cities them selves. The United Labor Party was simply sentimental furry when fl was x not designed to sldetrack the labor ques s tlon, Mir. Hinton then declared that as $ matters stood he did not see any place
 thls year for venture in politics. It. l work must must be that of propaganda , There would be nearly 9OO, ,o00, vote, T | cast. Yet the labor and prohibition I ,otes-the two growing third part, - muNtments-was i'll 1886 less than $50, 1 pnn ..nl in lSS- am tba E,n,yraaSinp,,