The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1896-08-01
WAS A RIVAL OF BEDLAM
SOCIALIST CONGRESS IN LONDON
STARTED IN An UPRoAR.
Proprietor of the Hall Threatened
TO Eject the Delegates If Dis
order Continued.

London. July 27.-Such a pandemonium
as the socialist congress presented today
has never been witnessed In England.
The delegates behaved like mad men,
standing on the tables. waving their arms
ana yelling at the top of their voices in
half dozen different languages. During
men reporters were so terrorized that they
men reporters were so terroized that they
fled from the hall. Chairman Convey was
inaudible and swung huge railway bell
with both hands III an attempt to restore
order, but this only added to the din
without quoting the assembly.
Benjamin Pickard, president of the
Miners Federation of Great Britain and
member of parliament as an advan ced
liberal for the Normanton division of the
west riding of Yorkshire, who was one of
the delegates gazed at the scene of dis
order with his face rejecting comical de-
spaii. And these are the people who
want to govern the world" he said.
Finally the proprietor of the hall enter
ed and declared he would close the build
ing unless the delegates behaved in a
more orderly manner. This had a calm
ing effect upon the socialists. and the up
roar subsidized.
Representatives of the advanced po-
htical thinkers of nearly every civilized
nation on the globe were present this
morning at st. Martins town hall, in
Charing Cross, within five minutes walk
of the palaces and houses of parliament,
when the annual International Socialist
Workers and Trade Union Congress was
called to order. Prior to the general meet
ing the delegates of the various national
tiles met separately, each meeting select
ing its own president and secretary. The
standing orders committee consisting Of
two members from each nation, was also
selected
A number of socialist organizations in
the United States were represented by
proxy, while among the delegates from
that country present in person were Mat
thew Mcguire of New York, representing
the socialist labor party; Lucien Sanial of
the Trade and Labor Alliance, and Ar
thur Keep of Washington. representing
the Federation of Labor The lion of the
.ehour, however, is the delegate from the
Servian labor party, named Reclus. He
was regularly selected some months ago,
but as the socialist party of SerVia is
financially in very low water, it was I'M
able to pay his expenses Consequently
for months he has been working his way
across Europe, obtaining employment at
his trade of shoemakng in the towns
through which he passed, and tarrying
long enough at each place to make
enough money to carry him to the next
point on his itinerary, besides putting by
a trifle for his maintenance in London.
He reached here on Saturday in good
shape, and with a balance of several
L.
congress will see to it that he returns
home without having to undergo a repe-
tition of these experiences.
No less than 500 resolutions submitted
by the socialistic organizations of the
various countries represented appear in
the pamphlet agenda distributed among
the delegates 20 the international con-
gress this morning. The Dutch socialist
party asks for Il definition of political
action" The executive council of the
Social Democratic Federation is in favor
of 1.-The workers being political party
themselves" England, Austria and Ger
many ask for complete political equal
ity for the Proletarian women The So
cial Democratic Federation is in favor
of the socializa ton of the means of pro-
duction, distribution and exchange. The
independent labor party advocates a uni
Versal language, and the Social FEEDER
alton expresses the wish that this Ian
guage shall be English. The Independent
party also asks the congress to declare
emphatically against the useless and
dangerous illusion known as the general
strike. The Dutch socialist party calls
upon the workers to follow declaration
of war by any government by a general
strike. Seven resolutions are reported
under the head of War" the most i'm
portant of which is one from the French
labor party in favor of a gradual reduc-
ton of military service in the European
states through the medium of an inter-
national convention.
Chairman Convey warned the struggling
men and threatened to call the police, but
in spite of the firm attitude of the chair
man the fray continued until Mr.. Convey,
in stentorian voice, shouted: Il declare
this meeting closed
Then the delegates, still wrangling and
shouting, streamed into the streets.