Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-06-29
NO CAUSE FOR ALARM.
Legislation on Socialistic Lines In
England and America
Is SCARCELY A POSSIBILITY.
The Reliable Trades Unionists Do Not Want
an Eight-Hour Law.
JOHN BURNS AND HIS C0NFEREEs

LONDON, June 20.-One of the most IN
teresting features of English social and
political affairs at present is the question OF
Socialism. This may sound strange In re-
gard to this conservative and steady-going
country, but it is fact just the same, and
there is much connected with the ques-
tion that concerns America. 1t is safe to
say that Socialism, or the advocacy OF So
cialistic principles is more prominent in
England to-day than has ever been the case;
and to very great extent there is unity
of effort between the Socialistic leaders here
and those in the United States. 1t is re-
markable that in this country trades unions,
generally speaking, are almost stepped body
and soul in Socialism. What l mean by
Socialism is the desire and the demand to
have the National Government pass laws
to remedy every evil in the industrial
world.
Well. what I wish to point out is that the
working classes of England are, like the
working classes of the United States, step
ping prominently to the front and demand
ing special legislation in their favor of a
very pronounced socialistic type. The sue
cess attained In one conntry means to great
extent success in another, so that recital OF
the true state of affairs here as regards the
"eight-hour demand" and other matters
cannot but be Of the greatest Importance to
the masses of the United States. l have in
quired into the matter not only faithfully
but fully, and while am not disposed to
enter into any discussion regarding the right
or wrong of these socialistic demands, 1
am persuaded that the English Parliament
Will not by law limit the working day of
adults TO eight hours.
VIEWS OF THE EARL OF wEMYss.
I have come to that conclusion notwith-
standing the fact that such labor leaders as
Burns, on the one hand, and such opponents
of Government interference as the Earl o:
Wemyss on the other, both declare that the
tendency of the National Government is to-
ward socialistic measures. On this subject
1 had q long conversation with Earl
Wemyss. He is the recognized leader OF the
laisses faire party in England, a prominent
member of the House of Lords and Presi-
dent of the Liberty and Property Defense
League. For more than 80 years he has in
terested himself in social and industrial
matters, and undoubtedly is a leading au-
thorlty on the questions referred to. The
Earl sees some awful things ahead OF En-
gland and America because of the Govern
ments yielding to the demands of social
istic kind. During the conversation he said:
81 know that the desire of the masses in
America for Government interference in
their behalf is very strong, but venture to
say that we are beating you Americans in
that respect. The growth of socialistic
notions in England has become alarming,
and 1 have fears of the future. define
io1i ctfo cl 70 he 1oni LOT
tailment Of liberty and legislative confsca-
ton of property for the benefit OF the poll
tician. There are many bills before Parlia-
meDt that illustrate what 1 mean. There
are three, for instance, dealing with mines.
One OF them is called the eight-hours' bill
and another refers to quarries. The latter
is a very remarkable bill. 1t is brought in
by Liberal, and it prescribes the angle at
which ladders are to be placed, the distances
at which platforms are to be fixed, and
further, that an inspector is to go around,
and the owner or person working the quarry
is to state to him the amount of produce
from his mine and the quantity of metal in
the mineral got. This is the way trade is
expected to be carried on.
PROPOSED LIQUOR LEGISLATION.
"Then there have been no less than ten
bills presented lately in reference to alcohol.
These temperance people would do far better
if they relied on the fact that 999 out of
every 1000 Englishmen prefer, on the
whole, beer to water. 1 think we may say
in England that every man has been
more or less sworn on the Horns at High
gate, by which I mean that a man swears he
will never drink small beer as long as he
can get ale, and that he will never drink
water as long as he can get small beer. Yet
we have Parliament giving heed to the
noisy faddists, who go about the country
advocating all sorts of what they call re-
forms and crying out for prohibitory legis-
lation, in the face of the fact that such legis-
lation has sIgnally tailed wherever it has
been tried, as in America and Canada.
"And 1 wish to say few words about the
trades unions. 1 believe that our legisla-
tors are greatly Influenced by the opinions
OF workmen, as expressed through their
trades unions. Not long ago there was a
Trades Union Congress, the President of
which said: The eight-hour bill is only a
temporary measure; land reform will give
permanent relief. 1t must be searching,
durable and give the land to the people.
Inspectors should be allowed to enter at all
hours without warrant to see whether the
work is properly carried on, whether it be
in a bedroom or anywhere else.
Another president said: when light is
spread, then, indeed, it will go hard with
stock gamblers, land monopollsts, rents and
royalties. With trades union magistrates
trades union parochlal managers, and with
trades union M. P.'s, what could not be ac-
complished?
THE ROAD TO NATIONAL RUIN.
'Now there is no way of mistaking the
full meaning and intent of all this, and it is
OF Importance to every English speaking
country. Depend upon it this Sucialistic
heave must be stopped both in America and
in this country. What mean is that the
Legislators must stop making laws embody-
ing the socialistic notions, because they are
the road to national ruin. 1 don't say that
the laboring classes have no grievances 10
be remedied; they have many, but law can
not do as much as the workmen can do for
themselves. find that the English social
lstic movement will receive no encourage
ment from the success of American move
ments. am persuaded that Americans are
too practical to cling to that false notion of
relying on the Government for everything"
Without doubt the Earl is very strongly
impressed with the notion that socialistic
laws are going to predominant. There are
many others of less Importance who think
similarly, but I believe that facts are
against them. Sound and trustworthy Rad
icals like Messrs. Burt, Fenwick and Brad
laugh have no such apprehensions; indeed.
the three members Just named are strongly
opposed to making an ''eight-hour working
day by law. Messrs. Burt and Fenwick
are paid by trades unionists, so that matters
do not seem to be as bad as the Earl Of
Weemyss makes them or thinks they are.