The Irish standard., 1914-04-18
ENGLISH CATHOLIC
TRADE UN|0N|STS
Strong Lesson Taught by Recent
Convention of Catholic Workers
in England
Many Important Questions. Includ-
ing Education, Parental Rights
and Socialism Discussed

ing Education, Parental Rights
and Socialism Discussed
sl'f
Lessons that should be brought
home to Catholic trade-unionists Of
America are contained in the report
of a meeting Of the Catholic Trade
Unionists of Corkshire. England, re-
Gently, Mr. Thomas F. Burns. secre-
tary. National Conference of Catho-
lie Trade Unionists, said that:
The Catholics of England discov-
cred the Catholic trade unionist IN
1906. Before that time he was an
unknown quantity and the term was
an unknown term. That term now
conveyed definite meaning and de-
scribed an organization. What was
the nature of that organization? He
would first say what it was not. 1t
was not trade union In any sense OF
the term. AS a matter of fact. men,
bership of the National Conference
Of Catholic Trade Unionists presup-
uosed membership of q trade union
outside that organization. 1t was an
association of Catholic trade union
lists formed for the purpose of pro-
tecting the Catholic interests OF the
Catholic members of the trade I'M
ion and labor movements. They
stood for all that trade union1sm
stood for. They were not prepared
to ieopardize labor representation
and they advised their members to
vote for securing labor representa-
ton in the ballots that were taking
place. Their position was thorough
" understood by the leaders OF the
democratic movement. On the otner
hand. the Archbishops and Bishops
of England and Wales were their
patrons, and the Cardinal was their
ecclesiastical superior. Their mem
hers must be active trade untonists'
and must do their share OF the WORK
in propagating trade unionism. Tney
wanted a branch in every parish. at
f,liated to the National Conference OF
Catholic Trade Unionists, sending
delegate to that conference, and pos
sessine a social study class affiliated
to the Catholic Social Guild.
Catholics. Trade Unions, and Secular
Education.
Their organization was brought IN
to being by the advocacy OF secular
education. It was we'll known that
thew have succeeded in eliminating
secular education from the agents OF
the trade union congress and labor
party conferences. That elimination
did two other things. It prevented
labor leaders in the House OF COM
mons during the discussions on the
various Education Bills. saying that
the democratic movement wanted
secular education. It heartened the
Catholic body by showing Cathol1cs
what could be done by fighting MI
nority determined not to compromise
where principle was concerned. But
they were only beginning. Secular
education would return Immediately
their organization was disbanded. II
might return in any case. AT all
events they stood prepared for the
possibility of its return.
Parental Rights and Duties.
The trade union congress had de-
handed the state maintenance OF
school children. The Catholic trade
unionist did not want the state to
maintain his child. He wanted suffi-
Gent wages to enable him to main
tain that child himself. They had
pointed out that they agreed that
the child should be maintained ade-
auately If the parent was unable or
unwilling to support that child,
but that the demand put forward
meant a different thing altogether.
Their position was then met by the
abandonment of the demand for
state maintenance, and the substi-
tuition of a demand for adequate
maintenance. They would continue
insisting that the state. whenever 1t
approached the child, should ap-
preached the child, should approach
the child through the parent, and
with a full and frank recognition OF
the prior right of the parent.
Socialism and Trade Unions.
There was the question of Social
ism. Socialists were engaged in the
process of watering down Socialism
because they knew that the people In
this country would not drink it neat.
It was their business to compel So
cialism to stand forth in its naked
ness. and to force Socialists to say
II they had abandoned the generally
accepted definition of Socialism. Ac-
cording to that definition. every IN
diyidual surrendered his right OF dis
posal over any means Of the pro-