Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1913-01-02

contrlDuted single new thought orr
doctrine that was not a part ofthe philo-
sophy of this early Utopian- Socialism 4
Low dues, organization by industry. the
gathering together of all Workmen in
one big general union, the injury of
one is the concern of all, the decen-
|tralization of power, the General Strike.
the entire reorganization of the world
in the interest of the workers, and the
conduct of all industry by Industrial
unions-everysi idea of modern .syndis
caism was embraced in. the move
smept led by Robert Owen. =
1t spread like a conf1agration
throughout England. It flared. up in
manner that brought terror to the
ruling classes; and, after binding
flash of light. it was smothered out
and trampled into the dust by two sim
pie weapons ofs'the employing class
the lockout and the courts. ~
" The employers organized their. op-
position, and every man connected
with the new movement was locked
out and every leader was black-listed.
Instantly the new union was over
whelmed with the demands for aid
from its Impoverished members. The
General Strive was converted into a
lockout, and the lockout into a COM
plete rout of the enormous masses of
utterly helpless and impoverished
Trade Unionists. The leaders were
arrested, tried and convicted. Some
of them were sentenced to seven
years transportation. Enormous sub
scriptionss were raised by the General
Union; stapendous petitions were cir
culated. Boycotts, strikes, and riots
were resorted to, but "by the end of
the summer" says Sidney and Beat.
rice Webb at was obvious that the
ambitious projects of the Grand Ma
tionah Consolidated and other Trades
Unions, had iaended in invariable and
complete failure. In spite Of the riss
ing prosperity Of trade, the strikes for
better conditions Of labor had been
unit orm1y nsuecessful. In July, 1884
the federal organizations all over the
country were breaking up. The great
association Of fralf million members
had been completely routed. .-..
| OF the actual dissolution of the or
ganization we have no. contemporary
record, but the impression which 1T
made on, the sober Trade Unionists
may be gathered from, the following
| description, which appeared In work
ing class journal seven years after
wards eve were, present. says the
editor of the Trades Journal, at many
| of the meetings Of the Grand National
| Consolidated, Trades Union, and have
a distinct recollection of the excite
ment that prevailed in them-of the
apparent determination to carry out
Its principles in opposition to every
obstacle cot the enthusiasm exh1D1ted
| BY some of the speakers-of the noisy
appreciation Of the meeting loud
cries of "hear, hear" ''bravo!s "hur-
rah,o union forever!' etc. It was
the opinion Of many at that time that
little real benefit would be effected by
this union, as their. proceedings were
indicative, not of calm and dispasslon-
| ate Investigation of the causes OF exI
| isting evils, but Of an ,over-excited
state Of mind, which would Noeedlly
eTaporate, and leave them in the same
| condition as before, The event proYee
| that this. opinion was not ill=founded
a little mole-hin obstructed their on
| ward progress, and rather than com
mence the labor of removing so pun!
| an obstacle they chose to turn back
| each taking his own path, REGARDLESS
Of the safety or the. interests OF nj
1 neighbor. 1t was painful to see tn
tdeens modification of the generals ant
Headers of this quickly inflated army
kwhen left deserted and alone upol
the field. - -, (History Of Trade Ur
! ionism, Webb. PIP. 1S71SS.)