The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-09-01

union. Mr.. George Howell, whose services
as the pienesr Of trade unions -
cured him q seat for an East Lon
don conssitueacy, only rem rsno0nosd .n tss tss
ssorstssy's pom On b.hsf of the great .1.ter-
national. while Mr.. James Rowlands. an
other London member, left a Matchmaking
shop to take his seat in st. Stephens. Asa
working carpenter, Mr.. Cremer, the repre-.
sentative Of Shoreditch. founded tho
carpenters union. On the other hand.
some Of the prominent leaders Of the Sooia-
pdon, are members Of the middle class, who
all their lives have drawn incomes from the
hated capitalist system, and worn the broad
sloth Of the detested bourgeois. They
have no s'locus standi'' at the Trades CON
gress. :.
On the subject Of the official payment Of
members and their election expenses tne
congress is in complete accord in regarding
such measures as tho means to the fullest
representation of labor. At Dundee last
year resolution embodying this view
was carried unanimously. to be en-
dorsed. without doubt, q Liver.
pool. At the present time Mr.. John
in jeopardy because the fund that vas
raised to provide him with an income while
he sat there instead of working in his shop
is exhausted. Nevertheless Mr.. Burns
10 parliamentary candidate foz
Batterses. In his case the can.
attract such sympathy that the pecnniary
John" will sit in parliament as we'll as in
the county council. But the whole feeling
of trade unionism in England, despairing
of voluntary funds, is now obviously in
favor of the state acting as paymaster.
It is on the question Of the "eight houl
= Ak,nk kIHns snAo nE
gress will culminate. The defeat that the
Socialists sustained on this question last
year was not 80 overwhelming that victory
now is quite hopeless. The Dundee dele.
gates actually declared for an eight-houl
bill applied only in favor of collies.
Mr.. Hardie's resolution in favor of the
legislative enactment of eight hours as the
votes to 63. A previous attempt to stem 9
plebiscite of the trades or the question
failed to elicit any distinct response. Onll
SO unions representing about 10000 mem.
bers made returns and of this number there
was a majority of 10000 opposed to parli.
mentary interference with the house Of Ia.
Dor. A much larger number of delegates
will assemble at Liverpool than Dundee
and there is reason to think that the mi
nority on this question will gain most from
the increase.
It is not yet safe to prophesy, but if al
the signs and portents may be trusted, tht
trade unionism of England is undergoing I
fundamental change. Socialism pure and
simple, cut and dried, will be secuted b,
the Liverpool congress, but the socialistit
spirit will be found to permeate the dele.
gates deliberations even more than 1t die
at Dundee. When several years ago tht
congress passed resolution in favor O
land naturalization the Times described \
as ''catch rope" Even so, the "catct
rope'' scarcely anticipated the frame of thu
delegates minds OF the present day. Ac
cording to the old view of. trade
unions, they are merely. an infalli
BILE means to one end-the raising
of wages. This view still pre-
walls, and it is a hopeful sign of the tim'
that the Engllsh socialists, unlike his con
tinental brother, recognizes the trade uniol
as useful and necessary stepping-stone t.
greater things. To the old view must b
added growing faith that. what the uniol
cannot do the state must, when the powe
of combination fails the force of law mus
succeed. FREDERICK DoLNAN.