New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-09-30
III
LABOR PARTY SOCIALISM.

influence at Norwich is all the more remarkable
| He then becomes merely the representation OF an
| idea and It is the idea and not the man Whicn
| has taken possession of the Tradc-union mind.
But the idea is Coniscaton OF all property FOR the
| benefit Of particular class. under the more or
| less specous name of Collectivism. 1t Is. more
! over n vast extension OF Collectivism. we snail
work." said Mr. Hardie. FOR the collective own
| ership and control Of all the means OF produc-
tion distribution and exchange" That Is the
| formula under which Confscation Is disguised
In plain English. there is to be a general grab
| II Is no, the danger that any such scheme will
I ever be realized which makes the announcement
| of It important There Is, OF course no such
danger The very magnitude Of the scheme puts
| II out OF the category OF proposals that require
| to be seriously considered. What Is important IS
| the fact that such a body ms the Trades Con-
! cress should vote for It. Socialism may stop far
! short OF general conhscation and yet do immense
damage. II the workingmen aim at the moon. it
| is In the hope OF reaching the housetops. IL
they put their hands TO n proposal OF universal
robbery. It is In pursuance of their settled pohcy
OF effecting a partial redistribution Of wealth. or
a very considerable modification. in their own
| interest. % the system under which profits are
now divided between Labor and Capital
and something by strikes which were the aim
| and the result of organization. But the progress
was too slow Remember what le!surely trans
| formation unionism underwent from the Old
Unionsm 70 the New Unionism. and the sud
denness with which the New Unionism becomes
| rash Socialism. Ten years ago" said Mr.. Tom
Mann. Il should hardly have been allowed 70
raise the question OF Collectvism In any branch
OF my society the Amagamated Engineers.
Now the 500 branches Of that society are regu-
larry discussing tho principles Of Socialism, and
many Of the members sturdy Socialist work
ers" His object had been from the beginning
to get grip Of the Trades Congress. as they
had previously done Of many of the trades coun-
CHS Last year. for the first time. coectiyist
resolution was carried In the Congress. II re-
lated to land only. and the vote was l3i 20 g.
This year was carried the resolution including
every kind II property.-uniYersa Confscaton-
by a vote Of 2l9 TO g. or a majority Of l5S. Mr.
Mann makes 1t perfectly clear that this vote for
Collectivism and this great majority were In 40
sense the result II a sudden impulse or gust Of
passion. He and his associates had been plan
ming and plotting for this thing during the last
ten years They knew Just what they wanted
ana saw Just where they going They
watched long for their opportunity. They heated
while the iron was hot And they have left upon
the Trades Union!sm Of Great Britain the in
delible brand 4 Connscation.
/, need not be- supposed that Mr.. Mann or Mr..
Hardie or any ~ the engineers 81 this plot.
have any definite scheme. or any clear notion
how they are g. carry Il out. They do not take
The trouble to think those things out in advance.
any more than tho impatient Radical who wants
10 abolish the House 81 Lords takes the trouble
10 consider how H. will abolish II. or what would
happen n he dld. or what. II anything. he would
tut In the place Of an institution which for more
than coo years has formed an integral part OF
the Legislative Constitution OF England. But
Mr Hardie IN his confused way. connects his
brand new independent Labor Party somehow
with the cause ~ Collectvsnl. and seems to be-
licye that be has It I'm him 20 organize n new
party. capable - ovcrthrowing both the old
parties and Of taking possession Of the machine.
He proposes the formation II body u men and
womcn-thc female franchise Is mere inciden.
caring nothing Ton parties In the ordinary sense
Of the term. who would take their places in
Parliament and on all local governing bodies. and
would IRE pcctivcly Of the convenience OF any
person or party ruthlessly go forward until their
ideals had ben realized" The word ruthlessly
nts in well enough with Mr. KeIr Hardies
days letter He does not shrink from a direct
appeal To cupldty He gives statistics Of poor
law relief and of private charity. the yearly
total Of which he fixes At sos 900 600 and in ad
ditlon. there are the sums spent by the Trade
Unions In sick and out OF work pay. Then he
says:
side by side with this there Is n small body
of men who take ss0.OoO.OoO annually from the
people Of London. not for rendering any service
al, q, live fr.lN harn rA "a
the elements OF an invgoratng campaign.
That is pretty plain speaking. Begin by
plunderlng the landlords The means de-
mghtfuly simple-merely TO get a majority in
Parliament and n majority In all local govern
ment bodies. ! am not sure. bearing In mind
the attitude Of the existing London County Coun-
ell to land and landlords, that 1t would be very
difficult to get such a majority I'm London itself
You have only to call 1t Progressive and talk
about betterment and untaxed ground values.
and to say It has nothing to do with politics.
Then the Conservatives will go comfortably to
sleep and the Progress!ves. remaining extremely
wide awake. will elect their men on platform
slightly more progressive than the last. and the
trick Is done; or would be done If there were no
such thing as Parliament.
But for carrying out this interesting pro-
Eranmc any part of II. something more than
speeches by Mr.. Hardie Mr.. Mann Is needed.
Great masses of men have TO be converted and
ideas alien to the English mind and especially 10
the mind Of the British workingmen. have 10 be
planted and watered. and time allowed for the
seed to come up and the fruit. whatever II may
be- to rpen. 1t is. from any point Of view n
very large enterprise. and Mr. Tom Mann's pro-
posal to reverse the figures and gather 100000
out Of the 1000 900 workingmen into Unionst and
Socialist folds Is which Will require a good
deal OF missionary effort.
Among the strongest opponents of Trade
Unonism the great bodies of non-unionsts;
or many OF them are. They do not like the dis
cipne. They do not care to submit to the tyr