New-York tribune., 1907-09-13
THE LABOR CONGRESS.
pyork of Bath Meeting-A Con-
cordaf for Political Campaigning.
Bath. September 4

ihe chief industry. Is an anomaly 1he Couh'e00
= warwick. or Comrade Warwick. as Socialist
-9v-ndrnan introduces her 10 audiences. CONSIDERS
:, a betrayal of democratic principle and a sur
s.r IN capjtaIisrr for earnest workngmen TO
-rer7,bie in SO f1ippant a pleasure resort. Where
ras,iona hle gossip has been exchanged for gem
.-a,ions over medicinal waters and where IN
--aljds and retired pensioners Of the public ser
,-ices spend their time in watching their syfnp-
,or,s and complaining of fresh ailments Ihe
,-a5e union delegates would certainly feel more
- home in some great industrial hive like Man
,aq-eY or birmingham than in fashionable
,,s.l, and not without cynical amusement they
frequent the pump room and drink the waters
,-.,b unaffected nonchalance as though there
--;,-h+ n, q screw loose somewhere in their stat-
v5a-+ frames. They have settled down 10 work
=, ,I7a asser. bly, rooms. under green and white
decorations and crystal chandeliers as though
,-,7a uuionisn were a social function ike uhe
dances and receptions ordinarily IN progress
SHIRE. and a well dressed body OF men they a'e'
--,e majority of them wear black coats many
ar9ear in jaunty white waistcoats and 'hero
.ra no signs Of the pathos of strenuous laoo'-
cray heads are almost as numerous as SI'0"
hats and when debates come on there is hahel
= rrgljeh dialects. with every sort of provincial
burr and nasal twang-
The Trades Union Congress has attained TO
=
xtreroists too old TO do useful. progressive
,-t They assert tha, little was accomplished
,--tI the AnlaIgarnated Society Of Railway Ser
wants struck out line fo- itself and proved
low much could be done If organized labor were
r. 60 into politics with cumulative force
through the independent action Of single
.rsde union the Labor party was created. and at
the last general election il suddenly became
great force which transformed the political
situation The followers of Mr.. Bell. the capable
leader Of this powerful organization. sff1rms that
there has been more progress in the last five
years than in the thirty-five years of regular
-rade union operations preceding this new
Initiative and that there can be no more salts
factory proof Of the inefnciency Of old-fashioned
methods. The Socialists go further. and ques-
ton the utility Of political campaigning unless
rorkingmen are prepared 10 repudiate all COM
promises with political parties. They reduce the
problem 10 what they consider the simplest
terms by coDtendng that workers must be pri-
rnarily Socialists and incidentally trade union
lists Both Of these views are rejected by the
majority of the five hundred members attending
this congress. They deny that the virtue has
gone cut of the old body, when il represents
about one-fourth of the population Of Great
Britain and now has larger number Of men in
Parliament than attended as delegates the first
congress. forty years ago The real vindication
Of what is sneered at old-fashioned trade
unionism lies in the fact that large proportion
Of its agenda during that long period has been
taken ur by Parliament and enacted as law.
IT is interesting for outsider to attend the
sessions Of this congress and to observe the
facility with which business is transacted 1t
IS training school for politics. AS many as
1hirty-t'To members OF Parliament are in
tendance and there are scores of delegates who
speak with equal self-possession. practical in
telgence and lucidity OF mind. Speech after
speech is made without sign Of hesitation
nervousness. There is not, perhaps, refined ele-
gance Of diction. or that panstaking elabora-
Jion of phrases which is considered effective by
university men, but there is forcible debate
with clearness OF exposition and directness OF
argument. These representatives OF organized
labor may not be neat phrasemakers or clever
rhetoricians, but they are good reasoners know
what they want TO say and make their points
without unnecessary hernuning and having. The
presiding officer, Mr.. Gill. once a newsboy and
cotton worker, now in Parliament is we'll
equipped for the orderly conduct Of the pro-
ceedings Of the delegates as the most brilliant
and experienced ex-president OF the oxford
Union; and the ma jority OF the speakers are
practised debaters. accustomed TO thinking rap
IDLY their feet and with resources for Illus
'-ating their arguments and emphasizing their
ings without being impressed with the fact that
trade unionsm is a training school for poll
ticians and debaters. workingmen acquire in
The trade unions efficiency in managing men
and conducting discussions A labor congress
becomes a picked body of representative work
who have fought their way UP, learned how
70 speak effectively and are fitted for the dis
charge OF legislative functions.
The report Of the parliamentary COMMITTEES
submitted al this congress is exceptionally
able document which discloses the progressive
tendencies OF trade unionism. 1t has got into
British politics and II has intention of
tring- Experience during the last eighteen
months has shown that political power is in the
hands OF labor The law OF combination has
been revised in the interest OF trade unions;
ne decisions of the highest courts respecting
picketiag have been reversed. and workmen's
corpenEatioa fo- accidents has been settled.
These achievements prove that much more can
ee accomplished If workmen will stand together
ara make full OF their voting power. This
he main point of the presidents address
Among the reforms which enumerated
q reduction of working hours in all trades. Old
age pensions. work for the unemployed
ralsory state insurance. legal restriction of
tine. reform Of the poor law and land national
izs.:on. only the last entry in this list smacks
= socialism. The other projects social
projects which have been carried into operation
IN Germany and are Likely to be forced upon
political parties in Great Britain. The Trades
Cnion Congress. while reproached for its con-
serratisrn. is moving rapidly and with cumulat-
i:e force. It ie training organized labor in
political work and arming it's representatives I'm
Parliament s1fh fun resources OF power.
The assembly rooms while large enough for
;ae most luxurious reveis of Bath fashion,