The Irish standard., 1915-10-30

The supreme contentment OF the
heads of British corporations in
thinking that they had the labor
ing man we'll in hand was alarm
ingly true to the extent that the
economic situation was remark
able in that British fortunes were
made at the expense of British
labor. England's important situa-
ton as commercial center to-
gether with the fact that she re-
lied so strongly upon importa-
tons, mainly Of foodstuffs, gave a
sense of security and a source of
power to the employers i'll Eng
land not possible in any other
country. There was no one period
of time better than any other dur
ing which the english laborer
could assert his rights. But as
soon as the opportunity came, the
germ that had been planted
through labor organizations as
serted itself. 1t flourished beyond
the expectation of labor leaders,
until, at the present time, what
political leaders were pleased to
term in a sort of peculiar way as
English democracy, was not de-
mocracy atall. 1t was an industrial
revolution, the laboring men of
England were clamoring to take
advantage of an opportunity to
assert their rights, an opportu-
nifty such as had not been given
to any class of people in the Brit
ish Isles since Daniel O'Connell
demanded the removal OF restric-
tons placed upon Catholics dur
ing distressing period in Eng
lish history. The so-called Eng
lish democracy is a combination
of party groups, class associa-
tions, and trade unions for politi-
cal purposes that are considering
first, last, and all the time, the in
terests of their own particular
situation. Their ideal of democ-
racy represents the swing of the
pendulum in an extreme direction.
They think of constitution in
which the state is to do much for
the individual. while the obliga-
tions of the individuals to the
state are no other than moral.
This state of affairs is but the
natural conclusion to the other
extreme which has existed in the
social and political organization of
British society. The mind of the
English laborer is satisfied that
the citizen of the state as he con-
ceives it to be is no longer one of
mutual relationship. The obi
cations may be ended and neg
lected without civic penalty. The
old ideals have been discarded.
The ostentatious trappings of
monarchy no longer overawe the
subjects. This new conception of
citizenship is sapping the founda-
tons of English patriotism, as it
has been defined by English mo-
narchial institutions. British de-
mocracy was put to the test. As
such it has failed. 1t has failed
because it had to grow and attain
prosperity by struggle. 1t has
made its growth in spite of the
government, in spite of the House
OF Lords, in spite of the conserva-
tive party, and now it vents it's
spite upon those who sought to
crush it in its early stages. The
so-called British democracy is not
serving the state in her hour of
peril. The burden of the war was
put upon the laboring man and
upon his family, first because
from this class the army was to
be supplied with soldiers, second
because upon the shoulders of the
laboring man fell the burden of
the war taxes. A Protestant
bishop, speaking to his English
fellow citizens, declared that 'the
selhshness of trade unions, the
apathetic cowardice in rural dis
tricts, the mischievous cant and
political agitators are a real mem
ace to the national safety of Eng
land" The English definition Of
English democracy has failed be-
cause it was not comprehensive,
because it was hemmed in on ali
sides by monarchial institutions
and monarchial traditions. Its
growth was confined to classes it
represented. The classes are
those who needed democracy
most. Their English situation adj
nlts of but one conclusion, the re-
turn of an absolute conservative
policy which has ever been the
master hand in British politics, so
tar as nationalism is concerned,
In England and the British Isles
the government must either Weld
to the broader basis of sympathy
OF the class which make up the
so-called British democracy or re-
turn to the old practices. The war
drew the attention of England
from internal social strife to ex-
ternal political strife. But the