The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1901-01-19

features OF the traOe union movement,
and, while we have no desire to inter-
fere in the internal working OF any
organization, and accept the fact that
there is competition amongst many I'M
ions for the same class of workers, our
advice and influence will always be
used to bring about fusion of such
unions, and we will resolutely set our
face against further multiplicity Of
societies catering for the same work.
ers. Competition in industry, we be-
leve to be bad; in trade unionism we
know it to be suicidal. The tendency
in some quarters to further erect per-
pendicular barriers, dividing the work.
ers in the same trade into government.
municipal, cooperative and workers for
private firms, and to establish separate
unions for each section, is, we believe,
wholly bad and makes for disintegra-
ton. Any condition the workers for
public bodies enjoy they do so largely
as the result of the energy and enthu-
siasm of their fellows employed by pri
vate firms, and this should be reciprO-
Gated by membership in the same un-
iOn"
From the annual report, of which the
foregoing is a condensation, it appears
that the federation has not confined it's
attention solely to the British Islands,
but has sought to ascertain the stand
ing of colonial, American, and foreign
declarations. In that portion of the re-
port which deals with the American
Federation of Labor, all mention is
omitted of the long and bitter struggle
to inject partisan politics Of certain
Well-knOWn stripe into the American
trade union movement, which culmi-
mating in the Denver convention of 1894,
was finally defeated by an Overwhelm-
ing vote of 1,796 against PA, declaring
the program of 1.-The common ownership
of all the means of production and dis
tribution" to be alien to the trade un-
ion movement. That omission was
doubtless made from motives of policy,
yet the wisdom of that policy is open
to question, because experience is the
best teacher, and the experience so
dearly bought in America by five years.
internecine war in the ranks of labor
should be valuable to our british bro
theirs, who may have ere long to pass
through similar struggle in defense
of the integrity of their trade union
movement. 1t may be that the more
general diffusion of education, result
ing from a slightly better economic
condition, together with wider poll
teal experience, has enabled the organ
lied workers Of America to be the first
to emancipate themselves from the
dangerous delusion that social ques-
Be that as it may, the trade uniOnists
of American have fa1th that the pro-
verbal common sense Of their British
fellow workers will repulse every at
tempt to mar the prospect of their al
ready great federation by associatfng
it with any partisan political move
ment, however insidiously advocated.
LET us have peace!" should be a
watchword for both declarations. Let
us have peace within the ranks of la
Dor; and, to that end. freedom from the
improbable discussion of questions in
soluble in our day and generation, and
for all time to come, by the crude ar
bitrary and superficial means proposed
by the enthusiastic but visionary adj
vocates thereof. This peace is emf
nently desirable in order that each
may be better able. to push on more
energetically to. the great work. of the
voluntary organization OF the workers
and mutual insurance. against all the
evils of working class existence.
The British federation is grand step
in this direction, and we trust that 1t
will ever strictly adhere to the admir-
able program it has laid down for it.
self, and thus continue to grow in num-
bers and influence, serving as a bril-
liant beacon guiding and encouraging
the economically oppressed wirkers of
all lands.-Hugh Macgregor.