New-York tribune., 1907-08-05
A YOUTHFUL SOCIALIST
HO.c Yorkshire Student Has Won
His Spurs.
London, July "a

Siasm of youth in the flush of victory. Mr.
Grayson is not the first Socialist to be elected
TO the Commons. for Mr. Kerr Hardie. Mr.
Philip Snoyvden and others with opinions az
revolutionary as his already there In
Germany France Belgium and otter countris,
Socialist candidates have frequently headed tina
poll so that there cannot be anything suff-
cieutly startling in the result OF the Yorkshire
contest to mark the opening of a new In
political history. Mr. Grayson has underratsd
his own personality. which was more influential
and attractive than his principles in determining
the unexpected result. He obtained something
over one-third Of the votes in a canvass in
which he and the Liberal and Conservative car
didates were close together. He had neither
trade unionist subscriptions nor the Official
s,,pport of the Labor Representation Commit
tee but conducted his own canvass and won ths
seat because he was the best candidate with
personal qualities commanding admiration and
confidence. II is probable that he would have
carried the election with equal facility Il he had
been nominated either by the Liberals or tbs
Tariff Reformers. He has the Incompatible gift
Of arousing enthusiasm for his cause. and add
ed 70 this he has discretion and sobriety OF
judgment IN the management OF men He has
made an aggressive fight for his principles. and
his sincerity has helped him when his rivals
were cautious, diplomatic and evasive-
Mr. Crayson certainly deserved round OF
cheers when he stood before the Speaker TO take
the oath He was barely %. but while the eyes
Eetokened the Socialist dreamer there was an
OIL head on the pair OF young shoulders. and t-
was man OF force who faced the House where
there was groCp TO welcome him and no
wbip 10 send him notice A student OF Owens
College Manchester. and apprentice who
had not qualified for membership IN a trade
union. he had gained experience as a journalist
and enjoyed adventures as a stovaway, and
after intending 10 be a Unitarian minister and
training himself for schoOlmaster. he had
settled down in ths CoIne Valley and become an
evaneeI OF socialism. \ dreamer with thrill
in his voice that indicated his own belief in
social reforms as coming realities. he had also
a practical talent for finding OUT the grievances
Of men around him and securing redress There
were the valley fettlers. who were underPaid in
their work in comparison with the same class
of artisans in HUddersfeld near by He took
tp their cause and obtained for then. add-
tionaI payment Of four sFiIlings a- week He
associated himself closely with the poorest peo-
pie in the district and discovered thai their
children needed to be clothed AMI fed well
as to be educated at public expense He had
personal knowledge OF tn pathOs OF poverty and
whole hearted sympathy with the aspirations oc
ambitious workers When the election came oa
he announced himself as a candidate and with
out having the support Of trade UnioniSts or
the Independent Labor party. nor any money
except the pennies contributed by workers IN
the district, he succeeded in heading the poll.
when his two rivals had large campaign funds
and powerful Organfza tions behind them y
youngster who could accomplish such feat
had mastered the secrets OF leadership. Even
veterans had much TO learn from him IN the
practical management OF popular canvass
What are the principles for which this out
spoken campaigner has stood in the COlEe Val
lev? Socialism for one thing. and by Il he
means the transfer of the land and other re-
sources of production now Ovued by a sTnali
privileged class TO the entire body OF workers
Among other things work for the unemployed.
votes for women. old age pensions. graduated
income tax. the free maintenance Of school chill
dren. national ownership OF railways. an eight
hour day, payment Of Members OF Parliament
an act empowering the state TO purchase lan1
cornpulsory for municipal and national pur-
poses and the abolition of the House OF Lords
y convinced Free Trader. the young Socialist
has no method of financing reforms except in
come taxation directed more sharply against
wealth and property than the existing system
He does not explain how the money IS 10 be
obtained for carrying out his vast schemes OF
uationaIizinE land. railways. mines, factories
and all the resources of production Attendance
at Westminster for c few sessions will probably
tend 70 make him more conservative in all these
matters. but meanwhile he has brilliant talent
for interesting working audiences in social re-
forms bv which he is confident that their re-
generation can be accomplished While rot an
orator like MI SnowCeH nor an organizer IKE
Mr. Hardie he is a fluent debater, with all the
devices Of an agitator. all the cOmbat1venesS or
the przering. q true instinct for leadership
and genuine mastery OF the art Of persuasive
speaking.
The three candidates in Colne Valley united
in advocating old age pensions: but there were
characteristic differences of method IN discuss
ing the subject. The Liberal had rec 1'irSe %
vague generaIizatiOns. Mr. ASIulth was % pI0-
vide the money somehow and had alTedO\ eVS-LI
by e&rmarkins portion OF the next surplus
The Conservative talked ariab!y about eonleF--
ing the workhouse wards into comfortable aims
cottages for veteran workers. end sUSseSleu
tentatively the reimpoSitiOD Of the coat liN-
Neither Liberal nor Conservative was tNpiicl-
IN recommending q universal system "- pr'N''h-
ing ard both reserved judgment c1 tire question:
OF contributions from workers tbe0Se Ives - IL
srlrance against Disability and oil age When MI
GraysOn approached the subject pensions tsa'ei
To he vague and indefinite Every one an ie'i,1-
ing the aSe limit was have one IS an i' t-ieil-
able right. just as tFN state wa 'rder "' -
tion 20 provide him with work 7t good vas
Nor ought there 70 10 any difficulty in 0r''i'l@
th, money when capitalists were 0attsuiHS 'i'
huge dividends and idle landlords were taNr-
annually $50 nONnNsD I'm rents There V'''t -
money enough Tor uarsioUiU% II worn-ou- "'tN-
erS when land and yGe means "F pFoduc'i''
natioualized, II cannot hS al eIfh 'NeS
which method Of promising old q < pe''$-ls , 80
the most popular among the iu "
Of the Yorkshire district. ,. -
Tho risa and r,rngreSS Of this young s'uie"~
from Manchester cannot be regarded Without
gross exaEgeration as an epoch-I''NllS -,
The social millennium. i'm Whch ne IeI 80
believes is not nearer than II was 1''s ''U
pension system. when il comes VIII o7 -.
stricted scheme for the relief Of the ehal..
he