Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-30
The Labor Members of Parliament.

The London correspondent of the New
York Tribune gives some interesting and
important details concerning the triumphs
of organized labor in the English elections.
1t is story full of meaning, and certain
to have sequel of moment both in Great
Britain and throughout the English-speak-
ing world. Note some of the changes that
have taken place:
"a cotton spinner has captured Sir James
Fergusson's seat in Manchester; a millhand
has beaten Sir Ernest Flower in Bradford;
printers have headed the poll at Norwich,
Burnley, Manchester and Deptford; a
NAVY, who was once employed in eXCaVa-
| tions for the Manchester ship canal, is
member for Stoke-on-T Trent; railway
guard has a majority of over seven thou
sand at Newcastle-on-Tyne, where Mr..
Morley once suffered defeat An obscure
collier has distanced a mine owner; a cot
ton operative has vanquished Lord Goseh-
ems son at Bolton; stone mason's son
and a warehouse clerk have each won by
800 votes at Leicester over Sir John ROLES
ton; laster in a boot factory has carried
a Wolverhampton seat against Sir Alfred
Hickman: miners have been victorious at
Morpeth and in GlamorganShire: furniture
maker, who had begun life in a mineral
water factory, triumphs at Leeds; and men
who have been carpenters, shipwrights,
steel SmelterS sailors, engineers, mechanics
pftmen and even newsboys are sent to par
Lament in place of university men, baronets
turers, bankers and the sons of earls. They
may not be working at their trades now,
but they have sprung from the toiling
millions. and their election in such numbers
is a triumph for democracy
OF the capacity of these men to discharge
the duties in parliament for which they
have been chosen the correspondent says.
They have made their mark as trades
union organizers; they have presided over
labor congresses: they have brought about
amalgamations and declarations of allied
trades; they have been aldermen and coun-
cillors in municipal politics; they have been
delegates to international arbitration and
socialist congresses; they have been ex-
perts in technical education; they have con-
Quoted trades union journals and written
articles for the most thoughtful reviews,
and most of them are fluent speakers with
fine talents for the management of men,
Some of them are socialists, who have been
organizing professions of the unemployed
and making violent speeches in Hyde Park
and Trafalgar Square; but the majority are
shrewd, intelligent representatives of trades
unionism, who have trained themselves in
the management of unions, declarations and
amalgamations, and have acquired expert
ence in rough and strenuous school. These
are the substitutes for the wealthy unionist
commoners in the best club in London F"
There follows this statement Of what is
to be attempted by these new leaders, with
a glance at future parliaments:
TT will be group with program Of
its own, beginning with a revision of the
law of combination interpreted by the
house of lords, and running on with pro-
posals for old age pensions, salaried house
OF commons, extension of the principle of
compensation for accidents to all trades
and many other advanced schemes. There
| must be a measure for the working inter-
ests at each session or the group will join
the nationalist in the opposition Hobbies;
and when another general election comes
the number of labor candidates will be dou-
will be behind them"
Surely we have something here worthy
of consideration. The English are not
Eighty race. but quite the opposite. 1t
would probably be a mistake therefore to
Set this development down as a mere
spasm, likely to pass and leave no perma-
nent mark. 1t argues purpose, plan, an
organization. and spirit of progress. The
movement may not go forward with equal
success at all times. Much will depend on
it's leaders. and whether they continue to
grow with their opportunities. But grant
ing that growth. may see before thirty
years of this century have passed the prime
ministership of England filled as the presi-
dency of the United States has more than
once been, by man who In his youth
worked with his hands for wages, and
| touched shoulders with the humblest in the
land