New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-04-14
Civil War in England
London, March IL.
tcopyright, 1912. G. W. smalley.l

London, March ID.
Brt for q moment, let us accept the
miners point of view and treat their
resurrection as strike. | think
rointed out in my last letter that the
,,,ners are the best paid laborers in the
United Kingdom. Mr.. ID. A, Thomas
GAYS they have higher wages than any
ether body of men in the Old World.
Their leaders admit that the minimum
wage they now demand would not IN
crease the earnings Of the miners as
rbole At the most, It might benefit
one-fourth of their number-say TWO
hundred thousand For that nominal OBJ
;ect the leaders are willing to throw the
pinedom into confusion and forty mill
TONS of their countrymen into DISTRESS
ar TO infict on them grave hardship ana
loss Their own comrades are the hrst
n suffer. and suffer worst OF all MI
Winston Churchill said lately in DUNDEE
.he Scottish city he represents in Parha-
ment. that a general strike was the most
formidable instrument of coercion yet
invented. but was an instrument oil SUI
eide. They who use it perish by H. no"
accurate his prediction was may even
now be seen If the revolt lasts niue
longer. the effect of ii may well be what
Mr. Hartshorn. the Syndicalist leader
following President KRUGER foretoid
trumphantly, to stagger humanity
II is, even from the strike point OF
view. not in the interest of the miners
Int Of the Trade Unions that this scheme
Of rapine was devised We are 'he
government said one of the Trade Union
leaders. They are doing their worst 10
make good that boast. In the presence
nj a resolute government they Wouiu
have had no chance. But tIis govern
ment. shaken by repeated deled'S !"
important constituencies and terrlneu ny
&c greatest reverse Of all-last week IN
Manchester. where a Radical maJorlt!
Of $500 was turned into UnlonlSl ma
,oritv Of 900 and the seat of Minister
Ioet--is fighting for its life. Because the
miners have struck il coerces the own
ers. The votes of the owners are " w
counted by hundreds; the votes Oh 'no
miners by hundreds of thouSahuS' III
che House Of Commons itself the sltua-
,iop NJ the Ministry is precarious. Ihere
are fortv-two Labor members III INC
House They are on the point OF revolt
I'D ,boir revolt is a certainty II the
Ministry attempt 70 pass an cmerSehOS
bill dealing with the sltuatioh as
ought TO be dealt with In the lhtele0'
Of tbe whole nation. Mr. Ramsay Mac
Donald the leader of the Labor parry
:, parliament. speaking this week at
podcIiffe made a bitter attack on lhe
~ Prime Minister. He, says MT MAJ
Donald is the true author OF the oeau-
,ocl The strike goes on because the
Government has bungled." VI collpui
sorry arbitration he will not near. Ais'eH
% this oracle Of labor:
IF any bill were introduced whlch IN
The opinion Of the Labor party "ouiu
hammer the operation of trade uhioIiisni
or lead to compulsory arbitrator 'he
abor marty would oppose that DILL anu
he ventured to say that long before lhe
hill went through the House OF Coli-
mons the strike would be settled by
sheer exhaustion.
Mr.. Macdonald must know how empt!
that threat is. If, in the interests OF the
neopIe as a whole! Ministers ana inc
leaders Of the Opposition agree on
.,,,ossure of relief, it can be passed at
o,co The Prime Minister is an expert
N the use Of the closure, proCeuuIe
,or,r,orIv known as the gag ana gulilo-
zinc The Obstruction practised by MT
pIgoar and Mr.. Parnell is dead a MIN
,ster with a majority, no matter ho"
made up. can do as he likes
Tho arrogant tone of Mr.. Macdonald
- duo 10 a different cause. He is the
labor leader in the House OF Commons
INT not outside Of it. 1t is long since ne
or his marty in the House has been apie
10 control the Trade Unions IL is some
time since the leaders OF the Iraue
Unions have themselves been able %
lead. AS / said lately. it is the Synol-
caIists who are in the saddle, ana the
evndicalists do not want settlement
Tho, want a surrender. Under their
,r,r,,se 50 do the officials of the Miners
Federation. That is the secret OF the
attitude Mr.. Enoch Edwards and his
three colleagues in their negotiations
with this Government have taken up.
That is why they now refuse to nego-
RfstA as 10 the amount of the minimum
wage. but insist that their own schedule
shall be accepted down TO the last half
pennv. That is what makes it impossi-
HE for the Prime Minister 10 introduce
the minimum wage bill which he holds
In ferrorem over the heads Of the owners.
do not suppose he wishes to insert the
miners schedule in the bill or that any
pressure would induce him to do so.
But II he did there arc men OF his own
following in the House who would turn
against him: enough Of them, 1t is be-
lleved. TO convert his majority into
minority.
This is, To some extent. political
view, but YOU cannot now discuss the
strike. as a strike, and leave politics out
Of it. The economical view will not
stand alone. All economy in great public
affairs is political economy. 1t has never
been otherwise. 1t cannot be otherwise.
But let us look az II as If If were ques-
tion between the owners and miners
and just an ordinary conflict about
wages.
One OF the owners to whom l referred
Is an owner in the Midlands. That is a
part Of the country like Northumberland
and Durham. where the men did not
really wish to come out. It Is never TO