New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-09-18
THE TRIUMPH OF TRADE-UNIONISM

Socialism and Trade nlonism have fought
their battle out In Great Britain. and Socialism
IS beaten That Is, above all the record OF the
recent Trade Union Congress at Cardiir. Com
pored with that all else that was done sinks
into inslgnifcance. The revolution Is as sweep
Ing in the labor world as that OF the electoral
campaign was in the realm Of politics, and may
nroye much more lasting. 1t 10 we-for HIM
self-that Mr. Keir Hardie Is now In this coun-
try. After being overwhelmingly repudiated at
the polls. II would indeed have been humillating
for him TO witness in person his reputation In
the chief council Of labor, and the Illustration OF
all the tricks and schemes he had SO cunningly
devised through years of ambitious intrigue. lie
dug pit for Trade-U nonism. and has himself
fallen into It,
The story of the revolution or counter-revolu-
ton, as it really was-is brief one few
years ago a little clique of Socialists began to
look with envy upon the prosperous and beneii-
cent Trade Unions and with covetousness upon
the funds they had amassed for the good OF their
members. They desired to apply TO the latter the
Socialist doctrine Of confscatlon and IAN equal
divvy" SO they began organizing little Social
ist clubs every where, twopenny-halfpenny ar
fairs composed not always OF real workingmen
but often OF batherskite politicians and profes-
slonal agiators. They called them Trade Mons
or Trade Councils, and OH that preiext got them
admitted TO the Congress on equal terms with
the bona-hde unions. SO professional labor
politician representing only himself and Il dozen
like him, came to have as much voting power III
the Congress as man representing an odestab-
llshed union Of 100000 members. Britons are
conservative and long suffering. They endured
that scandalous injustice for "A time just as they
once endured similar system OF pocket-borough
representation ia Parliament. But when-in the
words Of Burke-inconvenience festered into
crime, as It did last year at Norwich the limit Of
endurance was reached.
OF that Norwich Congress by virtue Of this
pocket-union system. the Keir IIardie gang got
full control The great unions were outvoted by
the little clubs The Congress was made TO
pledge itself TO the whole Socialist programme
Mr. John Burns, who now hobs up on the union
side, rejoced In this, and exutingly proclaimed
that Trade Unlonsm was dead and that Social
ism was 10 take Its place. To cinch the whole
matter, the Parliamentary Committee OF the
Congress was instructed 10 prepare new set
Of rules for the government of subsequent Con-
crosses The plan was to make a set Of Social
ist rules But that Is Just what the committee
did not do Probably the tremendous popular
verdict at the polls against Socialism had some
thing TO do with It, Mr.. John Burns is believed
to be able to tell which way cat jumps when
he sees it jump; and he likes 10 be on the win
ming side So he got the committee 10 adopt
rules that were not Socialist but distinctly anti
Socialist and that would squelch those little po-
tical clubs and restore the true unions To power.
Our London correspondent gives. in the letter
which we publish today. n graphic description
Of the manner in which these new rules were
received 10y the Congress at Cardiff, discussed.
and finally adopted and enforced. 1t was
dramatic scene. Ii will long he remembered,
and will long exert powerful influence upon
organized labor in Great Britain. 1t would be
too much TO say that the presiding officer was
entirely correct in all his rulings. He WIS
btrary even revolutionary. But his end was
right, II his means seemed ruthless Moreover,
he was strongly sustained by the Congress. and
that fact stamps his acts with entire validity.
1t was, as Mr. Ford says a conservative victory
won by revolutionary processes. But righteous
ness justfes revolutions. The Trade-Unions and
the workingmen OF Great Britain are to be ear
nestly congratulated. They have saved Trade
Unionism, they have established the wise and
just principle Of representative government in
their Congresses, and they have repudiated So
clalism and all It's schemes. That Is honor and
profit enough for one years work