The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1909-05-20
EDUCATION THE SECRET VAN QEAVE QUITS lob
THE LABOR MOVEMENT IN EUROPE
Workingmen in Politics.
Bv the Rev. Charles Stelzle.)

(IiN the KEY. ndlIp~ StCIIIC.
There is more interest and greater ac-
tivty in politics in England among
working people than there is in any
other country that ! visited and they
are making good. Already the labor
party in Great Britain has in the house
of commons 81 members, but in addition
to these, the miners union has elected
20 members These labor members co.
operate in all legislation which affects
the interests of the MASSES of the people.
The appointment of John Burns to the
cabinet was a recognition of the labor
wing in parliament Even though they
are in the minority in the house of com
mons the labor members are often in
position to dictate legislation favorable
to labor, because they frequently hold
the balance of power. Il was due to the
entrance of workingmcn into the politi
cal life of the nation that the Iafl-Nalc
decision was reversed.
While probably two-thirj- OF the la
Dor members are socialists. only one
member of parliament was elected on the
socialist ticket The labor members were
elected upon a bona file trades union
ticket. They are not drcamcrs. these
men of labor. They are not working for
the passage of resolution which will
sweep out of existence all the prevailing
ills in human society meanwhile spend
ing their time simply in agitation, but
they are opportunists. accepting the next
thing. 1t is in this way that they are
making very decided progress. The bud
get presented by the prime minister of
England and passed last week by parlia
ment, which provides for old age pen
sions, opt-of-employmcnt benefits and
many other reforms, is largely the result
of the political agitation of the working
men in Great Britain. The liberal policy
adopted by the sociHlist trades union
lists in parliament of seeking TO OBJ
tain these reforms, one by one, has
aroused considerable autagonism on the
part of the extreme socialists who are
led by Victor Grayson, the representa-
tive fthe socialist party in parliament
These EXPECTED the representatives
the labor party who are socialists to
fight exclusively for socialist measures
and they resented the friendly relations
which have been maintained with non
socialist labor NJ. P's and with the lib
eral party generally. As a result of this
lack of confidence in that policy of the
socialist trades unionists the ablest
leaders of the party, j. Ramsay Mac
donald, Keir Hardie Philip Snowden and
Bruce Glasier, within a month resigned
from the council of the independent la
Dor party, which is the socialist wing of
the labor party and represents about ID
per cent of the trades unionsts active
y engaged in the political propaganda
In Germany the political movement
among the worliuemcn is distinctively
socialistic, although | was told by the
leaders of the trades union movement
That only about Is per cent of the or
ganized workingmcn are members of the
social-democrat party, This is about the
same percentage of socialists, therefore
that is found among the trades union
lists, although the difference in the sit
uation is that the Germans elect social
lists as such to represent them in the
reichstag, while in England the repre-
sentatves of the Workingmen are bona
fide trades unioni-iS and the question
as to their being socialists or not be-
ing socialists is not insisted upon. The
matter of the Englj-hmen's socialism is
purely personal, as l. the question of his
religion.
Belgium contains me of the most ef
feotive political organizations among the
working people in my part of Europe.
I.aboring under many disadvantages on
account of the previous strength Of the
opponents of labor the Belgium trades
nionists the co-op,ratives and the mu
tual insurance societies are organized
into a labor party which, however, is
practically socialist movement.