New-York tribune., 1895-09-18
LABOR AND SOCIALISM.
THE VICTORY FOR CONSERVATISM WON
AT THE CARDIFF TRADES
UNION CONGRESS.
Cardiff. September |

tongues The StaNordshre potters have their
own harsh sblant manner of speech. which
is utterly unlike either the broad Yorkshire
accent or the Lancashire twang. The eastern
counties have marked popularity OF dialect.
and the cockney infection Is the sign of the
London workingman. The DevoEshre is one OF
the strangest and raciest OF the southern
tongues but even more characteristic and un-
compromising IL the dialect OF the midland coun-
ties Among the educated classes this medley
az northern. southern and midland languages has
been reduced to a common stock but the workers
in coal-pit forge and factory cling tenaciously
10 their homely. familiar twang and accent.
When speaking under pressure OF excitement
they invoiuntarily broaden the sounds Of vowels
and overaccentuate their dialect peculiarities
for the sake OF emphasis. debate In labor
congress Is unlike discussion in any other de-
lucrative body In England. Every speaker
shouts shrieks and howls IN his own dialect and
nInss his arms wildly from side to side as
though he were alternately welding fail and
cracking a whip.
The trades-union congress met In a con-
yenient but commonplace assembly hall. lighted
bv seven long windows on each side. The moor
Of the hall was occupied by five tables, at which
over three hundred delegates were comfortably
seated The tables were covered with dark red
cloth. and this was almoss the only touch or
color in the hall The platform was uncarpeted,
and behind the presiiing off1cer's table seven
tiers OF benches rose one upon another In the
direction Of a great organ. Around the nan
ran broad gallery with ample accommodation
for the spectators. 1t was sombre place, Win
a nlurky white ceiling and inartistio oecora-
tons; and the acoustic properties could hardly
have been worse: but the delegates were indii-
ferent TO all conditions Of environment. Tney
wera men intensely interested IN the work OF
the congress and in the struggle between the
two factions for the control and direction OF
the destinies Of the tradesunion movement
MILLION WORKERS Represented.
There were between three hundred and four
hundred Of them. but they represented over
million workers OF every handicraft IN drea'
Britain. With few exceptions they were star
wart broad-chested men. with long arms large
hands and deeply lined faces; and they pitcheo
their voices high when they spoke ana ehpha
sized every sentence with strong gestures. Ihey
were incisive and racy debaters, striking out
from the shoulder and hitting with all their
might, but generous in their applause OF oppo-
rsnts and always ready to laugh heartily when
evsr there was humorous turn In the discus
..o, Womei were among the delegates as rep
ra.srtatives of workers OF their own sex, but
,hs, took no part in the noisy. exciting debates
which followed the opening of the congress The
aelegates were plainly dressed. the majority or
,bAro IN light suits and tie minority In black
coats much the worse for wear. There were
strong faces among them. and some fine modeis
Cor the sinewy. stalwart English worklngman'
Tho first trades-union congress was held
,ran.v-seven years ago in Manchester, the nur-
se-v ~ free-trade Liberalism. A Royal Commls-
sion had been appointed to investigate 'he resu-
I.,,o,s and operations OF trades-unions and
fhirty-four delegates. representing ABOUT lAV'ooV
,orLars adopted measures for securing per-
n,anent form OF organization. EVERY suose-
lent congress was larger and more repre-
sentative body than the one which had preceded
u I, was not long before the leaders introduced
noll,,cs and suggested labor representation In
Parliament as a prominent feature Of the policy
- ,ba unions. but the earliest traditions OF the
movement were neither sectional, nor partlsan'
o- soc,a,,stic The delegates to the annual con-
Grass we're wage-earners and not politicians ana
,hsv renresented the interests OF labor as
whole.
=. ,t,,s nas.ed two great sections battled for
.unrenacv the Old Unionists and the New Union
ts,s The conservatives were loyal 10 the pest
tradition, of the organization. The radicals sc>
cented the naturalization OF the land as an es-
ssn,ial mart Of the trades union programme Be
Ginning AT Liverpool with only fifty votes III
fsvor OF the naturalization Of land ana all the
means of production, distribution and exchahge'
the New Unionists were in minority at Glasgow
in 1892 by only twenty-five votes. First al BEL
fast and again last year at Norwich. uncer the
leadership Of Keir Hardie. they succeeded III
carving a Collectivist resolution by large ma
iority 4 crisis in the history Of the organization
had come This great council of British wage
esrners was either to be reorganized by the con-
ssrvatjves on the original lines. or else TO De
transformed into formidaoie agency u '00'"'
ism Or COllectivism
vr.povs FROM THE NEW UNIONIsTs
In their hour of triumph at Norwich, Kerr
Hardie and the New Unionists armed the" "u
versaries with weapons for reganng control OF
the organization They passed resolution CIV
ing the Parliamentary Committee power either
70 re,.,sa or ~ make some slight changes in the
standing orders so as TO facilitate the WORK OF
,ha oo,.,sss The SCOPE OF the resolution was
not generally understood. and the recoros OF 'he
voru,oh congress failed to explain II. The New
I-,io,is,s when they found themselves outma-
noou,rsd and IN q minority, asserted that IL was
merely an instruction 10 the Parliamentary Com
mi,tee TO rearrange the programme OF 'ne co"-
gress so that topics might be grouped anu re-
mitted for consideration to grand or sec''ona'
committees The Old Unionists when ,hey ais
cerned their opportunity for revolutionzihs 'ne
congress. accepted 1t as general warrant 10,
radical revision OF the standing oroers' anu ioI
enforcing the new rules without hrs' suoii'''''"s
them TO the legislative body for approval
The New Unionists were Literally ho''' ~
their own petard." and harmless hoh-eAp,o-
sive thing II seemed when 1t was huhe in'o 1ne
congress a year ago by Keir Haro'e Inc o'u
Unionists. on the other hand. made most uiae
tic use OF the revision resolution, ana won VI"
tory for conservatism by processes wh'ch "e
distinctly revolutionary The parliamentary YIN