Montana news. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-191?, 1909-01-21

anee is the bill conferring the right to
work. (Applause.) We were told in
the House of Commons recently, when
discussing this question, that the state
does not recognize the right to work.
We knew that before, but we also know
that the state never recognizes any
right until il has been forced upon it..
(Applause.) There was a time when
there was no right to vote, but our
fathers in Scotland, England and Wales
suffered and endured until the right of
citizenship had been won, and in like
manner we now claim that the state es-
tablish the right Of every man and
every woman who is able to work to
have the means Of working placed with
in their reach. (Applause.)
We regard the right to work as be-
ing the foundation upon which the
right to live exists (Applause,) and
when the state Processes to guarantee
the protection of life we ask that it
shall carry the doctrine 10 its logical
conclusion and place the means to OBJ
tain the wherewithal to live within the
reach of every citizen.
For Human Freedom.
Well; these then, indicate the lines
upon which the party works and the
objects for which we are striving. But
tho aat;y;t;a, anl ;n+aro.t. - A. ,.~&..
don I end there. We realize that il
labor is to become, as we intend ii shall,
the ruling and dominating power in the
state, it must touch life at every point
in its policy, and so when our own coun-
try or other countries are oppressiffng
subject or weaker races abroad we
never fail to enter our strongest pro.
test.
We stand by the people Of India In
their claim for a controlling influence
over the affairs Of their own country.
(Applause.)
When King Edward was about to pay
his visit to the Gear Of Russia we. who
had been horrified and still are horri-
fled by the brutalities and atrocities
perpetrated by the Russian government,
entered our protest from the floor Of
the House Of Commons. (Applause.)
Labor Against Militarism.
When war estimates are being discus
sed we stand for their curtailment.
You, DIR. Aked, have said that we of
the labor movement are the products of
Christianity. Would to God that the
Christian churches had as clean a record
In regard to militarism as we Of the
labor party havel (Applause.)
We regard war and all the burdens
of war, not merely as being an obstacle
to progress and an injustice in itself.
but an outrage on every principle of
Christianity. (Applause.)
Just now we are hearing, and you
here are also hearing, about the diff
fieulty which the government will en-.
counter in raising the f7 100000 neces-
sary to pay for the old-age pensions,
but you never hear of any difficulty in
raising all the money necessary either
for the conduct of war or preparation
for war. In every country of Europe,
and-I regret to have TO admit it-in
the new countries which are growing
up in other parts of the world, the bur
den of militarism is an increasing one.
Take the following figures as illus
trative:
In the year 1888 Germany spent g.
100000 pounds on its navy. In 1908
she spent 100000 pounds on her
navy. In 1888 Great Britain spent upon
naval armament 100000 pounds ster-
ling. Last year we spent 31,00O,O0o
pounds sterling upon the navy, and still
the cry is for more money and more
ships of war. What applies to the
navy applies equally to the army.
But there is growing up in Europe
and in America power which shall
forever make wars impossible. What
ever else the labor movement may fail
10 accomplish, this much IL shall do. by
welding the peoples Of the world into
ono great fraternal brotherhood, put an
end TO war and all that pertains to war.
For woman's Enfranchisement.
The Labor party also strongly sup
ports the agitation for the political en-.
Of women. (Applause.)
Being a labor party IL is necessarily
and am-Iregret to have
to say-old enough to remember the
time when IL was seriously argued in
Great Britain by responsible states
men that the working class were not
endowed with sufficient intelligence TO