The San Francisco call., 1896-07-26
'LONDON'S GREAT
LABOR CONGRESS.
Monster Preliminary De-
monstration Arranged
for To-Day.
A WEDDING OF ISSUES.
Socialism and Trades Unionism
to Be More Closely
United.
FREE SILVER Is DISCUSSED.
Viewed With Alarm and Despair by
Leading Workingmen-Miscel.
laneous Gossip.
FREE SILVER Is DISCUSSED.


is fine day London will present a spec
tacle which may easily mislead some hun
dreds of foreigners who witness it. as well
as many millions of others who read about
it, as preliminary to the sessions of
the International Labor Congress
which is to be held here during the
coming week. A big demonstra-
ton is to be made in Hyde Park. and clear
skies will bring out hundreds of thousands
of people. So far as the programme and
the terms of the resolutions proposed go,
the gathering will reveal socialism and
trades unionism much more closely identi-
fed than they have ever been before in
Hyde Park. It is true that socialists, so
called, have of late controlled most English
trades union congresses, but it is a long
step from that to bringing influential agi-
tators like Bebbel, Guesde and Adler upon
common platform, under the English
sky with moderate collectivists like Pick
ard, M. P, and 81 idney Webb.
That such an apparent fusion should be
misunderstood in Germany and France is
inevitable. That does not matter much,
but it would be misfortune if Americans
should get wrong impression of what it
means. Lord Saiisbury's famous remark,
1--WE are all socialists nowadays" really
puts the right label on the whole affair.
Up to certain point most Englishmen
feel that indlvidualism has been carried
too far, and they listen tolerantly to the
projects for pooling public issues and let
ting the state help in extracting a general
average for those who are too weak to get
it for themselves; but there they stop
- oF
stir further in that direction are as hope
less as are those of opening up communi-
cation with Mars.
They will go to Hyde Park. perhaps,
even in rain, to hear what the collectiv-
ist plans and ideals are, but they have no
earthly intention of voting for them now
or hereafter. What is said from the plat
forms may slightly color future legisla-
ton by one or the other of the old parties,
between which the English voter alter
mates, but it will create no impulse what
ever toward the formation of q third
party. There are not so many actual So
cialists in London to-day as there were in
1S4S.
Three Americans are announced among
the speakers-the Messrs. Geard and NJ a.
guire and Mrs. Stetson, described as "Of
the California socialists" They may tell
their hearers that Chicago and ST. Louis
represent triumphs for the cause, but it
will fall on oeaf ears.
Without exception the labor leaders
here regard the reported capture of the
American trades unions by Bryan with
despair and disgust. They say that the
wage-earning class is he one of all others
which would be smashed first by sucn an
upheaval as free silver would provoke, and
that 1t would be the last class to recover
from the catastrophe. The English go
cialist leader, Fyndman, takes the same
| view. He denounces the silver delusion
as childish, and he declares that the i'm
pulse behind it is one Of naked reputation
of debts. From no class of either working
| people or social reformers here does the
silver Populist movement, as it has de-
fined itself, get respect or sympathy.
Lord Farrer to-day in review of the
whole currency question says: "There
may be some excuse for the ignorant
| Western farmer, who has been told
wild lies about boarded gold some
! where, but there is none whatever
! for English bimetallists who per-
sisted in their assinine folly in the face of
their knowledge that the banks of Europe
are overfowing with plethora of gold,
which no currency demands can absorb
He asserts that ''neither they nor Cen
eral Walker dared on July 13 to repeat
any of their discredited assertions about
the scarcity of gold, which used to be the
burden of their talk, and they feared to
mention the vital question of fixed ratio
at all.''
This veteran economist, who was nervous
at first, is now full of faith that in square
| fight between honest and dishonest money
in America right will surely win.
Macedonia has not been kept quiet after
all. Two invasions have taken pIace-one
by band of 1000 fighters, marching south
ward from the Bulgarian frontier, who are
said to have been surrounded and cut to
pieces in a pass of the Perrin Mountains.
and the other by 230 Greeks who went
northward in Coado, landed near Katar-
ina and have entirely destroyed the first
| Turkish force of eighty men which they
met Whether or not these movements
separated by hundred miles or so, belong
to one plan is not known. but they strong.
ly suggest that the pressure from outside
which heretofore forbade violence in
Macedonia, has been withdrawn.
Berlin hears that Prince Lobanoffs posi-.
ton has been shaken, which would be
very important il true. His pro-Turkish
policy is known to have been stoutiy
opposed by the Cars mother, who ha.
developed into q vehement politician
since her husband died, and whose passion
is to see Germany humbled. This open
ing of the ball IN Macedonia looks as Il
she has had her way against the Lobanoff
4 William plan of maintaining the SuItar
4 at ali hazards. Another fortnight vii
show If this is the case, and If it is there
will be en- extraordinary scurrying about
among the Chanceilors for new alliance.
and guarantees against the dangers o.
Turkeys collapse.
Mr.. Balfour, after a prolonged run oi
evil fortune, has been extremely lucky
this week over Irish land-bill business
For varsity Of reasons. some of which
the Dnnraven experience will help Ameri
cans to comprehend, the irish landlord:
are personally very unpopular among