The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-12-29
No DICTATOR WANTED.

OF all the labor union representatives
who have recently spoken in America,
James Mawdsley has attracted the most
attention. He has been at the head OF
$1,000 cotton spinners in England for eigh-
teen years, and he attended the meeting
of the American Federation Of Labor con-
vention. He had seen Gompers elected
president and heard another working man
publicly denounce the new officer as
"pompous nonentity." He sat in the con-
vention quietly, day after day, listening
to the long -winded wranglings over Gre
dentials. over the differences between the
socialists and the trades unionists, over
the matter of resolutions calling for this
reform and that reform. and over the
many other petty subjects that occupied
hour after hour of the conventions time.
After it was all over he expressed his
views, but they rather jar on the Ameri-
can spirit, although he uttered some
sterling truths.
The greatest obstacle TO the progress
Of trades unionism in this country" he
said, lis your much-boasted freedom
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Every man wants
to be a leader No one wants TO feel that
he is subordinate You lack discipline
The working men in this country are ca
pable OF achieving wonderful power. But
to do It they must form into an army, get
leader and obey him. The American
working man does not seem 10 like that
scheme Without # he can never amount
TO much.
"The trades unions, at present. get men
TO make speeches. Some times they pay
for them. These men tell the toilers that
they are downtrodden; that they are be-
Ing ground under the heel of monopoly;
that their wives ara starving. that their
children are hungry-excellent speeches so
far as giving the working men sympathy
Is concerned. but which for really improv-
ing their condition are not worth a-er--a
rap. Sympathy is one Of the banes OF the
labor movement. Speeches are another.
When man gets up in labor meeting
and gives the working men the sympa-
thetic twaddle which they 50 much ad-
mire they say: All. that's the man for
US
are excellent things for building up organ
izations and getting the men to join. but
when It comes 70 actual contact with the
hard conditions Of their lot. speeches and
sympathy are worse than useless. They
should meet capital upon its own ground
Let them go into the market and buy
brains and pay the market price for those
brains. and they VIII make an investment
that is worth more to them than all the
speeches that ever were made in the
world They should have a leader-a man
who Is gifted with the knowledge Of men,
o. affairs ard Of government; enc who
can conduct their business In a business
Ike way, AMI DO the same for their labor
| that "A shrcwg manager does for his en-
p,1yers wares. It matters not who this
man IS or what he is. They should select
him as a political party selects It's leader
a railroad It's president, a corporation IS
manager. Ard while they have him he
shopa be a dicta;Or-they 70 outline their
policy. he 90 execute il as he would exc
cute nay other business entrusted TO him
-uc'ramme'e1 ana 10 his own way"
How true 20 human nature, MI Naw8-
sley. ~ the head Of soso men. feels the
thrin % authority and asplres for more.
He IS no doubt az able man. or he could
/ hardly have hsId bis position 50 long
True. he has had 80 deal with man who
have never known tha, liberty witch he
describes as The hsne O: American labor.
Eut are English workmen 50 much better