Montana news. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-191?, 1909-01-21
Britain'S Grand Old
Man i'm New York.
ker Hardie State Historical nsr., Msands at Carnegie Hall
Tells Audience of Awakening of Toers on the POlti-
cal and Industrial Field Across the Ocean,

Men and women in all walks of life
and Of diverse social movements filled
Carnegie Hall Tuesday night to hear
Keir Hardie, member of the British
Parliament and leader Of the Labor
party, relate the struggle and aspira.
tions Of the workingmen of Great Bri.
tain. Held under the auspices of the
Civic Forum the meeting was attended
by an audience that was a truly repre-.
sentative one. Yet to nearly every.
body, the story of the awakening of
the masses of England and throughout
the civilized world was inspiring as
well as interesting.
Dressed in plain clothes, his face
wrinkled and hair grey, Mr.. Hardie was
the picture of grizzled veteran of the
industrial struggle. Short of built and
with massive head, the speaker stood
in the center of the stage and faced the
large audience, which was partly OPP
positional, partly indifferent and part
" sympathetic, and in steady and clear
tones gave utteranees 10 the voice of
the depths.
Mr.. Hardie told of the practical
achievements of the Labor party Of
England, of the fight they are vigor-
ously making for other measures to
ameliorate the conditions of the toiling
masses and of the goal of Socialism to-
ward which they are striving. In
simple yet powerful words he pointed
out to the American working class the
lessons 30 be learned from the expert.
ences of its brothers across the sea.
Keir Hardie's Speech.
Mr.. Hardie spoke as follows:
DIR. Aked, Ladies and Gentlemen
Ny task was none too easy before, and
the words from DR.. Aked have not
lightened it. 1t recalls to my memory
an incident that occurred when / first
visited your shores some fifteen years
ago. On that occasion / had as a fel-
low passenger the Duke Of Marlborough,
who was coming to the United States
on a certain business which was at the
time entirely successful (Laughter), and
the morning following our landing one
of your great daily papers informed its
readers that upon the previous day two
distinguished Englishmen had come to
the United States. One was "the
famous Duke Of Marlborough and the
other "the notorious Keir Hardie." T"
daughter and applause.) / should not
be at all surprised if the reputation for
notoriety still fingers in good many
minds.
/ am very glad to have the cpportun-
ity of speaking from a neutral platform
to tell what is happening on the other
side of the Atlantic in connection with
the labor movement. | was rather
pleased than otherwise TO hear that
there are no Socialists among the di-
rectors of the Civic Forum. j feel like
a missionary among the heather
daughter and applause), and it would
NOT have been worth my while to come
and speak, nor yours to come and listen,
If we had been of one mind. Whether
people agree or disagree with the labor
movement, it is at least wei that they
should understand il.
The Old Doctrine Passing.
IL has been subject for comment that
a revolutionary change is coming over
British politics, that the old liberal and
free trade doctrine concerning the state
and its functions is passing away. Dur
ing the greater part of the last century
the State was almost regarded as an
unclean thing. II was an essential part
of the doctrines Of the great leaders OF
liberal thought that that was the best
state which governed least; that the
business Of the state was to protect life
and property and not seek to interfere
in the relations between employer and
employed, or between citizens and the
consequences of their own acts.
"The greatest good for the greatest
NUMBER was the form in which the
doctrine was usually summed mp, and 1t
is recorded that on one occasion Lord
Palmerston, at dinner, on being asked
what was emant by the "greatest num-
ber," replied "Number One" Laugh
ter.)
The Rise OF the New Party.
Now, however, all that is being
changed. Legislation is being enacted
In everincreasing volume which vio.
lates every canon of the doctrines I
have been enumerating. For a quarter
of century the working class in Eng
land, In Great Britain had been In pos.
session Of political power and had used