The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-10-04
Whose Recent Election Pertinent Representative of
the Nottingham, Following Closely Upon That of viii
Crooks. Is Significant of the Growing Power
of Labor in the British legislature

tleman- Moreover, the newly made M
P. was a. dark horse in the race, oppos-
ing both the Conservative and Liberal
candidates, and was supposed to have
not the ghost of show, and so the
overwhelming victory had all the
greater an effect. But by far the most
significant point about Mr.. Henderson's
election was the fact that he ran as
the representative of the Labor party,
which only a few weeks before had
succeeded in sending Will Crooks, the
former; factory boy, to parliament by
an overwhelming majority, there to
support John Burns and the other di-
rect representatives of the British
'workingman now at Westminster.
Encouraged by its recent successes,
the Labor party is preparing to put
forward forty eight candidates in the
next general election, and it is now be-
lieved in this country that the time is
not distant when the parliamentary
representatives of the laboring classes
will outnumber those of Ireland in the
house of commons and hold, as the
Irish party has done of late, the bal
ance Of power between the Conserva-
tive and Liberal parties, thus having
it in their power to compel legislation
as important to their supporters as
the great Irish land bill was to the
y
Isle.
Although, as free trader, Mr. Hen
'derson looks upon his election as in
dicating hostility on the part of British
Workmen to Mr.. Chamberlains policy,
he is by no means as sanguine regard
Ing the coming national contest on the
subject as most of his supporters are.
Seen in the house of commons a few
evenings ago, he said: "Of course
ri rsOfI III
victory for free trade, but cannot help
saying that Mr.. Chamberlain's way of
putting the issue before the people
when he starts On his campaign may
change the aspect of affairs entirely.
am of course q convinced free trader
but I'm sorry to feel that the majority
of the workingmen of this country give
more time and attention to football,
cricket and horse racing than they do
to political issues that affect their
wel-being. Mr.. Chamberlain is clever
at manipulating figures, and he may be
able to convince the workingman that
protection is his only salvation. The
Labor party will not however, let him
have the fun all to himself. We may
assume an Independent attitude or we
may throw in our lot with the members
OF his own party, in whom he will find
the strongest opposition. But we mean
I'D -oiiy ScloC W II W OlIeCI the WOTh-
ingmen's attention to political issues"
Asked how protection would affect
America, he said: at would not affect
America at ALL it would only affect us.
Protected countries are our best GUS
toners, and if we get their backs up
they may raise their tariffs to the det-
riment of our manufacturers. To es-
tablish protection in England is a po-
litical revolution; to raise the tariff in
a. protected country needs but a little
political sagacity and discrimination.
Mr.. Chamberlain no doubt will tell the
British workingman that putting a tax
on foreign manufactured products will
produce greater manufacturing activity
in our own country. Where is the use
of building ships if we get no one to
buy them?' is my answer to such a
spurious argument"
Il have yet to learn" continued Mr..
Henderson, that protection Increases
wages. tWth the exception Of America
the protected countries pay lower
wages than those that are free, and in
America 1t is we'll known that the men
work at a higher standard Of physical
exertion."