The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-12-21
A COALITION IS PROPOSED.
British Labor Leader Thinks American and
English Trades UnionistS
NEED THE SUPPORT OF EACH OTHER
Asserts That the Recent Decision in the Tar Vale
Case is Such as to Prevent Strikes In
Great Britain.
Especial to The Post.)


London, December 2O-The following rather re.
markable statement has just been published here:
Utter confusion fills the minds of British workmen
in respect to the status of trades unions under the
law as recently interpreted. Apparently we have
hopeessy lost the Tan Vale and must face the
necessity Of surrenderng damages and costs to the
amount of some 100000 Cs2UO,OOO) Not only this
but the court wholly fails TO advise us what methods
we may legally employ in conducting a strike In
deed the practical upshot of the Taft Vale decision
appears to be that we can not strike at all under
existing circumstances or that we could do so only
by extending organization so as to include the
entire available labor of the country With that ac
compished, there would be nobody to take the places
of the strikers and therefore no necessity for picket
ing or any other means of making strike effective
Meanwhile we must bring the total force of labor
In Great Britain to bear the clearing up Of the
question OF the rights OF trades unions The courts
must let us know where stand. Legislation must
be revised and brought into conformity with the prn
cples of common law, whatever these may be. We
ask no privileges not enjoyed by the rest of the peo
pie.
shall not stand up in the house Of commons and
plead for any class legislation in behalf of working
men, but shall urge that what is right must be found
out and made the law of the country.
Our American trades union brethren will shortly
be confronted with the dilemma which at present
puzzles us. Capital is gradually encroachng on the
pOslLon american and British workngmen have
gained through organization The leaders of trades
unions in both countries should devise common plan
of defense Such action can not fail to help the cause
OF labor In many ways and would lead to better
derstandng of its rights according to the eternal
principles of justice we'll to more effective ways
OF getting those rights recognized in the legal usages
Of civilization
Furthermore the fusion of the laboring masses of
the AngloSaXon world in harmonious thinking and
acting would put great weight in the scales In favor
OF AngloAmerican peace. The Venezuelan crisis
demonstrates the ACCESSIBILITY of forming the workers
OF America and England into active peace union.
with a systematic program. Such union woulg tend
TO rattonalize diplomacy would make arbitration prac-
teal and avert any plunge into war out of false
sense of patriotism national honor.
Richard Bell. NJ p,
Secretary Amagamated Society of Railroad Servants.
The enemies of trades unonism in great glee
over yesterdays decision of jury in the high court
holding the Amagamated Society of Railway Serv.
ants and its officials, including Richard Bell NJ. p
responsible for damages to the Taff Vale Railway
company which are estimated at $135 600 and were
caused by conspiracy to produce strike of the en-
ployes. The strike arose because the company re-
fused to accept the Intervention the society and in
who was prominent agltator The jury found that
the society maintained system of terrorism to
compel strike, and prevent the employment of
black lcgs"-that is to say, nonunionists. The re-
suits of the decision not fail to be momenous
though the critics are hasty in assuming that
trades unionism has met with its death blow.