New-York tribune., 1907-09-17
SCENES AT BATH.
The Trump Lead IN Labor Politics
"A Congress of Opportunists.
Bath. September s.


visitor when admitted TO the exclusive circle OF
he assembly rooms hesitated over returning
-be lead and threw down the wrong card be-
cause he was frightened by the presence Of des-
rerately sharp players; and he was unable 10
MEAD any justification whatever when Mrs
TageIy shrugged her shoulders and coughed,
o- Miss Bolo. with dismal sigh asked for the
motive Of q stupid misplay. A clumsy trace
,,nioniet delegate would have been at equal DIS
advantage in explaining away a olunderlnS
-,brase or = false position in debate when il is a
settled rule to lead trumps when in doubt IN
labor, politics the trump lead is 10 attack the
government That is what nearly all the prom
fnert debaters have done during the hve DAYS
session in the stately ballroom. with its spark
ling mirrors and crystal chandeliers. where
Sheridan found color and glittering brllian'S
ro- The School for Scandal" Neither me
Natteau-like idyis in the cardroom nor lhe
fun length portraits in the octagon have N
spired them with simplicity and the senlle
amenities Socialists may have the longest sun
or the federation may have brilliant talent lot
fnessing and the labor representation commit
tee q bold method of roughing or leading up 20
honors. but unless E player be willing 1" at
+.cl the government he might as well he out
Of the game:
If a concordat has been reached during the
Union Congress II has been found in Offensive
ore-s+sors AGAINST the government, which has
unset the decisions Of the highest courts ano re-
stored the right Of peaceable picketing. In
place Of gratitude for favors received there mas
een resentful criticism Of ministers for playing
with social questions instead Of taking them UP
earnestly and working them out StalWart John
Burns who defeated dreamy heiT Hardie twelve
years ago at the Cardiff congress and Is now a
Cabinet minister responsible for the supervision
of the poor Law, has been singled out for attack
as = traitor 10 the interests Of working England
and hireling Of capitalism. One government
sIepartra after another has been condemned
for r77jsusfns the system Of contracting for pub
lie work and neglecting to recognize the trade
unions. The Prime Minister has received little
credit for making q stand against the privileged
chamber when his proposals for overriding the
veto are so deliberate and he is continuing to
create ner peers Ministers are held RESPONSE
hle FOR neglect TO discipline the unemployed who
sold their labor to foreign contractors in dock
strikes at Hamburg and Antwerp Why had
they not sought power from Parliament for ap-
plving the foreign enlistment act TO the organ
tzers Of praticaI. blackleg expeditions 10 CONT
mental ports and forestalling a dangerous con-
spiracy against labor? Day after day there
have been outbreaks against the government in
open debate and in premeditated resolution and
indictment So persistent have been the dele
gates In attacking the government that they
have not had leisure for playing up to one an
other IN faction warfare
The concordat was peculiarly effective in the
discussion Of the Belfast disturbances After
q prolonged strike In which the resources OF
ricketing under the new law of combination
were tested the constabulary force was insub-
ordinate and the military were called in for the
protection of life and property Picketing be-
came impossible when the soldiers were on the
ground to act as escorts for non-union men or
blacklezs The strikers were in the way or
being beaten by the employers. when the
authorities made the mistake Of sending the
soldiers into the Nationalist quarters al night.
Rioting ensued. innocent bystanders were killed
and the soldiers and constables We're withdrawn
az the request Of the priests and police magis-
trates who assumed responsibility for the pres
ervation Of order; and after surrendering TO the
rioters the authorities facilitated a compromise
with the strikers by which organized labor OBJ
tained nearly all iss demands The coroner's
Jury in a subsequent inquiry disagreed over the
question whether the Lord Mayor and the
municipal authorities or the rioters themselves
were accessories before the fact in bringing
about the death Of two bystanders. This is my
own summary of events which / witnessed in
Belfast The Trades Congress method Of deal
ing with the affair has been drastic resolu-
ton was moved by orangenlan and seconded
by an Irish Roman Catholic demanding a
searching inquiry into all the circumstances #
the employment Of the military forces. and it
vas adopted unanimously after declarations that
81 was no new thing for Liberal government
10 order out troops for firing upon the people
and that old religious and political differences
had been swept away by the new feeling Of
comradeship in the lockers struggle. The
cordat enabled the factions 20 agree that there
would have been no settlement Of the trades
dispute without riot and that public official
ought 70 have power TO cali out troops when
picketing is in progress.
L has been a congress Of opportunists. bent
upon keeping peace among themselves and re-
serving ell high questions of politics for decisive
action by a Parliament controlled by representa-
tives of the working classes. A score of impor-
tant resolutions anticipate a final triumph of
democracy, by which England be governed
for the benefit Of the Is there a wsnton
waste Of time and money in the blocking Of re-
form legislation by the antiquated procedure of
the Cornuons2 That will be remedied when the
working members muster majority and private
measures can be carried from stage 10 stage
and from wear 10 year until they are enacted.
Is the House of Lords drag upon the wheels OF
progress? II viii be removed and flung aside
when workers refuse TO have their attention
diverted from questions vitany interesting them
and send their own representatives TO west
minister in such overwhelming strength as to be
irresistible Are there serious divisions among
working representatives respecting ways and
means and ultimate goals? They must stand
together as practical politicians. as broad
minded as they are hard headed, sgreeing to