New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-19

|
striking. hedged them about with many annoy
Ing restrictions. Great hardshps resulted, against
which the unions protested in vain. Mr. Glad
| stone refused 10 consider any modihca'oh
Of the law. At this the unions turned to the bal
lot-box for redress. In the elections OF 1874 Mr.
Gladstone wa. opposed vehementy by many Ia
bor leaders and was defeated. A Conservative
ma ioritv was returned and Messrs. Macdonald
| ana Burt the first Labor Members were seated
a, Westminster The new Government promptly
| recognized the importance Of the labor vote as
| politfcal factor and passed the laws desired by
the unions Thus at last complete legalization
was secured and employer and employe stood on
| the same ground before the law. In the mean
| time much was accomplished by the unions
| through internal administration for the good OF
the men, Better treatment Of employees. espec-
| tally in mines and cotton mills. was secured ana
after a hard struggle. the nine-hours day was
adopted
Bu, again was history destined to repeat IT.
self. Success elation and vast expansion. reach
| ing even to agricultural laborers, came to a
climax Then came a crash and n collapse.
| There was not II Is true. the old hostility be-
| tween the employers and the unions Boards OF
arbitration and Cancellation had come into ac-
| ton and reasonable counsels prevailed. But on
! one point there was no possible agreement. Inc
| men insisted on the principle Of a fixed minimum.
! below which wages must not go: the masters on
| tho other hand put forward the doctrine that
| prices rule wages" and that the latter must
| nuctuate according to the profits Of business. 81
strikes came on. Of vast extent and the Ola s''ry
| ~ Industrial Discrimination and trade depres-
sion BY 1879 the cause Of trade unionism seemed
once more well-nigh destroyed Moreover section
| NAV cd
| industries made dlvergences Of interest between
| the unions Universal federation was seen to he
impractcable. and jealousies, recriminations' ana
| almost chaotic conditions. prevailed Upon some
| things all or nearly all could agree. and under
| the new leadership Of Mr.. Broadhurst and others
some progress was made in legislation But on
the whole divided councils made the unions almost
| helpless.
Passing by many interesting details. we
| come to the year 1855. which marks inc
opening OF one more new era and one oi the most
striking changes In all the history Of trade union
ism Before that date the doctrine OF 'laissez
faire" prevailed. Trade unionlsm was distinctly
individualist and ant-Sociast. Since lNN'. how
ever Collectvism has been more and more per-
meating the unions. until now tn!onisin ana 80
cIalism instead Of being diametrically opposed 10
zach other are quite harmonious and rapidly
becoming Identical Mr. and Mrs. Webb being
themselves Socialists rejoice in this change.
Perhaps they have unconscously magnihed the
extent 10 which II has already taken place.
though we think not. The leaders Of the unions
to-day. such as Mr.. John Burns and Mr.. "Tom'
Mann. in public life and The London Chron-
Gle" in the newspaper press. are Socialists pur"
and simple. and the acts ami Legislative pro-
prarnme ~ the unions to-day are thoroughly So
ciaI,stIc I, will interest Americans 20 know
that in the opinion Of the authors ~ this DOCK
(Which is "A highly authoritative opnon). this
doriratlon or absorption ~ trade unioniSm ny So
calism is chiefly due % the writings and labors 81
tina; eminent American Socialist Mt Henry
George As result II this marked change In The
sp,ri, u unionism the "fricndly.s'ciety idea IS
being abandoned. or AZ least dlscredlted Messrs.
Burns ana Mann dcnpuncng II 49, utterly WEI 'us
strikes are widely prevalent and are r"sorted -
on tho slightest provocation often with violence
and aggression is the order 81 The day. once the
Government refused 20 protect the employe. ana
sided with the employer Now. " the Socialist
led unions have their way. II Is To side with the
ernplovs and discriminate against the employer
II H. T. discriminate. also. against the non-uni'n
worklngman. who. under the new dispensau'h
has really no right to exist The trade unilnis'
according - the principles Il his newest New
Unlonism. is not only a. good AZ any one else ne
,s a grea, deal better He Is 20 dictate o. the
CAPITALIST not only the hours and wages OF labor
but the very manner In which the business Is
10 be conducted. where supplies are - be bought
where products are 70 be rold, with what other
CAPITALISTS he may deal and may not deal The
empoye IL T. be as absolutely master Of the
situation as the employer hundred years
ago
So after many and varied wan1erings. We are
brought back 10 the original impulse OF trade
unlonism II had It's origin In an attempt 10 re-
store state Socialism. j. II 10 have It's end In
similar but more successful attempt? II may be
that It's cycle Of existence Is thus completed and
that the present record is thus indeed the his
tory Of II. from beginning 10 end. The present
struggle is n crucial one. II is struggle between
the Old Unionism u friendly society, savings
bank mutual-beneht type, and the New Union
ism OF militant Socialism. Perhaps the latter is
the better With that question we have In this
writing no concern nor do authors discuss
II in this volume They II for promised
second volume. which will be looked for with
much interest. But what is certain is that the
old and the new unonisms are Incompatible and
that II the latter prevails. the former will be a
thing Of the past. and any continuation Of this
history will be history not Of trade unonism.
but Of Socialism
In two important particulars. trade unonism
has failed to fulfil the expectations Of It's pro-
moters. II has not been able 10 keep up wages
during periods Of trade depression. The law that
prices rule wages has invariably been too strong
for It. In prosperous times the unions have been
prosperous and triumphant In hard times they
have gone to the wall. and their strikes against
reduction of wages have only aggravated the
misery Of their members. This L. a dismal fact
but according 10 Mr. and Mrs. Webb's own show
ing II il fact. The other failure has been In
the attempt 10 combine the unions for trade pur-
poses into one universal organization. However
successful such an effort may be on political or