The Washington times., 1916-09-21
Socialists Discuss
Work of Trade Union
AtSherwOOd Forest
Meeting of intercollegiate Socialist Society Develops
Brisk Debate as to Attitude Socialists Should
Assume Toward Organized Labor
and Its Methods.


their attitude toward TIE iesisiatiye
method OF securing the shorter work
ar. Boudin criticized the trade union
press and Socialist press and labor
leaders generally for their continued
declaration that the eight-hour law
has secured the eight-hour day for the
rs I,esS r., trsin amen He denied that 4
an eisht:hour day that the law Sc
cures. II does not secure any kind
OF day. The so-cailed eight-hour law
has no more to do with an eight-hour
day than has a eugenic marriage"
Predicts Disillusionment.
"The workers win awaken to the de-
ception that II being practiced upon
them" concluded Mr.. Boudin. They
will want TO know from the trade union
leaders and the Socialist leaders why
the railroad trainmen continue to work
nine. ten. and eleven and more hours
a day after the so-called Neight-hour
law becomes effective on January 1.
The resuh will be that the masses OF
leaders,"
Mr.. Boudin. in addition TO being a
Socialist lawyer and writer. II also one
teemen from the State n Of New e %orR.
The millionaire Socialist presiding Of
ficer then called John Spargo to the
platform to tell what he thought about
the the trade fs union moyeTent. Il. policies
them.
spargo supplemented Boudn's criticism
with some Spargoisms that pleased his
collegiate admirers.
Explains Early Anita gonism.
He said that In the early stages of
'the British SociafIst movement tho
Socialists printed crimson leaflets con-
tanning the Inscription, ITO hell with
trade, unionism." Spargo explained this
militant attitude Of the early Bditish
Socialists as spripging from the con-
viction that patching up, the social sys-
TEN defers the process OF revolutionizing
society in the direction of socialism.
In those days. he said. the general
idea among Socialists was that social
ism would progress In direct proportion
as the misery OF tho working people in
creased. Therefore. they scorned every
reform and all ameliorative measures.
This attitude, he said. was Incorrect.
and was not now held by modern Social
lists. The proletariat In the worst
element In which to develop the ideas OF
socialism. II II to that clas that Tam
many Hall goes to secure It's recruits,
and In the early days Of the Socialist
selves by trying to obtain supporters
class
Mr.. spargo amused the audience by
watch the changing attitude Of Social
lists toward the trade unions. ~
unions. The they flew TO me other
extreme and refused to criticixe them.
, hoping to win the support of the
unions through flattery and cajolery.
To-day. there 10 a tendency to tie
the socialist movement to the trade
/ union movement"
Denounces Selfish Policy.
spargo did not believe in the tying
| process, at least not until certain
changes had taken place In the trade
union movement. The union policy Of
| keeping men out of the unions
through prohibitive imitation dues he
denounced az absolutely vicious"
The union policy of neglecting to ed
ucate and organise the unskilled was
likewise shortsighted and unwise and
tended to split DIP the workers into
two classes when their interests
should unite them In one body.
| AS for myself" said Spargo, until
the trade union movement lives up
to its opportunities and more fully
expresses the needs of the working
people. will not consent to keep
silent and shall not refrain from
criticizing the American Federation
| Of Labor.
Chairman Stokes then opened the
session TO questions, admonishing the
auestioners that II was a quarter to
10 and the meeting must close at 10
sharp.
DR.. Harry Ladder thereupon flung
a series of questions at Arthur
Holder. covering the objections to the
trade union movement raised by Bou-
| din and SparRo.
Holder threw down the gauntlet to
the socialists by declaring that Bou-
| din and Spargo had based their In
| dictment OF the American Federation
OF Labor upon transformation, and
added that their statements Were alb
/ solutely untrue. He told the col
legians that the organised labor
4, movement numbers two and a quar-
ter millions OF men and women in its
ranks. and that those millions or
workers knew what they wanted and
knew how to get II.