The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1907-02-09

ats truth from the accounts of the cot
ton mills of New England, from 1890
r to 1880. Adam Smith anticipated il
s in his statement OF the relative share
OF the tenant Of English land from
the Middle Ages onward. 1t is the
great law Of social progress, which has
been operating With fair degree OF
uniformity for millenniums but never
SO rapidly as during the last fifty
years.
Nor is it in Germany only that the
workingmen are revolving against So
cialist leadership. The overwhelming
defeat of Socialism in the Trades
Union convention at Belfast almost
czfncides with the German election.
/Arr. Keir FIardia and his faction OF
labor members in parliament worked
hard TO bring the unions into line Will,
the Socialist party. Once more they
have tailed. as they certainly ought to
fail. There aye no bodies OF men i'll
the world who have such strong rea-
these unions They have achieved all
their victories in defiance OF Socialis,
assurances that they We're lighting q
losing game: that strikes We're an utter
folly, and that so Tong as the wage
system lasted they were nothing but
domestic cattle. fhery failure OF a
strike has bsen greeted with a Sub
lime satisfaction in the Socialist news
papers. They have declared that the
unions aye foolish waste of time and
energy. Which would be FAR better en-
sNstem.of industry. Yet now they ask
that the trades unions shall take their
place i'm the Socialist column. and
swell the ranks of their enemies. After
a wel-won victory in the improve
ment of their position. they are asked
10 adopt principles Which declare that
their SUCCESS is nothing but 4; vain
illusion, and that they have been play
ing the fool for almost century of
co,lra ge6ns and strenuous activity
Both these results in Europe will be
beneficial iii America. 1t is true that
our trades unions are even less dis
posed to adopt. the Socialist colors
than are those of the British Islands.
The declaration of Mr.. Gompers as
to his own estimate of Socialism would
be subscribed to by many thousands
OF his associates in the ranks Of or
ganized labor. But it is we'll that
those who are always looking across
the Atlantic to find some new fad to
copy should 1be shown that this par
ticular fad is out of fashion. and has
no future.
Apart from any possibility Of its
success in America. Socialism Is doing
a great deal of harm by diverting in1o
this channel much talent and sym
pathy which might be more usefully
employed. Mr.. and Mrs. Phelps Dodge
We're at one time Jealous workers
among tile Immigrant population OF
eastern New York. Tie met her in that
field. They now announce that they
have turned their backs upon bcnevo-
lent work of that or any kind. except
working for the Socialist revolution,
as they despair of achieving any good
for their fellow citizens Until the pres
emit industrial system is overthrown!
This reminds me of the shift made
in the temperance reform, when the
business Of. converting individual
drunkards' was given up. and the en-
ergy of the friends Of that cause was
concentrated upon the enactment Of
prohi'bitory laws. From the time OF
that change the temperance reform
lost ground. the consumption of strong
drink has increased, and prohibition
is not actually in force in a single
state. The magnificent gains of 1896
& 1850 have been alndone. and the coun-
try seems likely to fall back upon its
condition in the opening quarter OF the
nineteenth century If the example set
by tile Phelps Dodges We're to become
infectious there would be a general
4 abandonnent or benevolent work
among the huge mass Of hopeless pow
erty: which flows in from central and
southern Europe. Tie touch Of SYM
patlly and courage which now greets
these poor people would he withheld
and they would be left to shift for
themselves until the reformcrs had fiji
& ished their ioo OF making the stat
.nnlnipotent.. IT all OF this misery We're
Eaof our making there might be some
ii excuse for pleading for q revolution
in our social order. But it is the
outcome Of European acknowledgement
4 and oppression; and those who loole at
b America, through its squalor and its
4 clleerlessness, are not doing Justice to