The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-09-07
THE BATTLE OF LABOR.

Despite the constant agitation against
:hem, the shameful English penal laws
against workmen were not finally repealed
antil 1875. Something was done for the
mitigation of this oppressive legislation in
1857, and under Gladstone in 1871 was
passed the Trades Union act, which sane
toned the aims of the unions and legalized
their measures, but it is part of the glory
Of Lord Beaconstield's last administration
that he granted the workmen's demands
and passed the acts of 1879 which are
termed the great charter of English labor.
This long battle of labor, which lasted
full century, won for the work
ing classes Of Great Britain increased
wages, shortened hours of labor, higher
social consideration, increased political
consequence through enlarged suffrage
and eligibility to all positions open 10
popular election. To the efforts of the
trade unions is largely due the repeal of
that outrageous legislation which for SO
many years robbed English labor of its
constitutional rights To combine and strike
for protection without danger of punish
ment for conspiracy. The leaders of this
great trade union battle for constitutional
rights had no identity or sympathy with
the new school of English trade unionists,
so called, whose present leaders are chiefly
socialists, who look to the state for aid
tavoring the pensioning of laborers.
The men who fought and won the great
English labor battle of 1875 believe that
workmen should rely rather upon volun-
tary contribution and mutual cooperation
than upon government interposItion, and
their best men today hold that unionists
have no more right to compel men to be-
long 10 a trade union than employers
have 10 restrain workmen from joining q
union or remaining in it, and such crea-
ture as a walking delegate had no place in
their organization. George Howell, one of
the ahleSt leaders of the old school of
Trade Unionism in the battle of 1875, in
his recent book, The Liberty of Labor -
notes the present socialistic tendency in
England 10 push labor legislation beyond
due bounds.
Two.oases recently decided in England
illustrate the sOcialistic drift of the time
In one Of these cases certain trade unions
compelled their members TO stop working
Tor particular employer because he re-
fused 10 discharge workmen who were not
members. In the other case trade union
commanded an employer 10 dismiss a par
ucular workman--a member Of another
union by the way-and the master COM
piled. In the former case the master and
in the latter case the discharged workman
brought his action against the union. and
in both cases the unions were successful.
1t is clear that the socialistic leaders If
labor are stronger in England than in
America, for under a recent decision of the
court conspiracy among workmen TO pre-
vent others from working or from heipy
hired Is q crime az common law and
punishable under the statutes Of Vermont.
This case grew out OF the attempt Of the
workmen 10 prevent the employment of
other worSmen and 10 deter them from
working by denouncinS them as ..scahs"
and threatening 10 make them publicly
odious rs such.
Ii IS an interesting fact that the first
French Republic IN 1921 denounced conf
blnations OF worSmen 10 stop work As
tending to disturb the peace that ought TO
prevail in workshops, declared that all
fines levied hy such combinations. either
upon wo.kmsn or their employers. were 70