The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-12-03
JOHN BURNS is HERE.
The Great English Socialist
Welcomed at New York.
ToaTrEnp pEnveRcoNvENTIoN
As Member 81 Parliament He VIII
yfsfs Congress- ana ~ CeuncfIlor OF
London VIII study City Anafrs-

WV Yosx, Dee. Among the passen-
ger. on the Cunard steamer Elruria, which
arrived here this morning. was John
Barns, NJ. p, the great socialist and labor
leader of London. A delegation from the
labor organizations Of New York city met
him At Quarantine. The delegation con-
sisted of E. r. McSweeney, assistant COM
missioner OF labor; Samuel Gompers,
president of the American Federation Of
Labor; Chris Evans. secretary of that
organization, and others. Mr.. Burns Is
accompanied by two fellow members OF
parliament, David Holmes, who repre-
sen.s the town of Bury. In Lancashire.
and who is president of the Weavers'
Association and delegate to the confer
ence of the Federation of Labor, and John
Williams Benin, member Of the London
county council and member Of parliament
for ST. George east. Mr.. Benin il deeply
interested IN temperance affairs
al cannot talk fairly Of American az
fairs, said Mr.. Burns to the Associated
Press, ''for IL would take years for me to
become familiar enough with them to do
so. / have been watching the labor move
ment IN America as closely as could at
distance, and have concluded there must
be a little more of the milk of human kind
ness injected into labor affairs if they are
TO progress as / would like to see them
progress"
On the dock were gathered about 200
members of the local labor unions, who
eheered loudly for John Burns as he
walked down the gangplank. Then an in
formal reception was rendered him. and
Mr. Dumar. of Typographical Union No.
8, made brief speech of welcome. In re-
spending. Mr.. Burns said il was an agree
able coincidence that he who had been so
strongly identified with the docks in En-
gland should make his first speech in
America on a dock, with the rattle of
trucks and the swash of the waters in
his ears.
The party proceeded on foot to the
Colonnade hotel along West street. At
many corners we're gathered groups of
dock Iaborers and cattiemen, who cheered
for Burns 90 he approached, and many
who had come from London greeted him
with the old cry of the London dock
strike. How are you, John?" 70 which
inquiry Mr.. Burns responded by stopping
and shaking hands with them.
Later in the day Mr.. Burns received a
number OF newspaper men aud talked for
an hour. After relating how Mr. Holmes
and he had been selected by the labor
federation at Norwich to represent that
body in the American conference
a. Denver. he said their duty was
TO convey the fluctuations of Eng
lish labor to that of America. OF
his own visit, he said he came
first to observe the condition of
the labor movement in America and in
what respects it differs from that in En-
gland; and second. as member OF parlia-
ment, TO visit congress and get grasp of
American political affairs. The workings
OF the labor department under Carol d.
Wright were of great intereat to him, and
as a county councillor he hoped to have
the opportunity Of inspecting the various
municipal departments of the great cities
of America. particularly New York and
Chicago. But above all, he declared, it
| Was for trades unionism that he was to
work. He believed that ultimately the
| principles of the trades unions would be
| universally regarded as necessary for car
| rying out any movement for human
| progress.
Mr.. Burns attention was called to a
recently published statement that he had
| said American workmen were 'no better
| than African slaves" THAT statement"
| be replied, sis superstructure of miscon-
| struction, based on a Misunderstanding OF
what said" Then he explained that his
remarks had concerned the condition OF
/ the Hungarians and Italians at the coke
region es depicted in our blue books, and
(which. if true" he added. ''is disgrace
to any civilized country on the face of the
| globe" Mr.. Burns will leave New York
on Wednesday. and will spend six weeks