The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1942-01-22
Why Labor Fights
By MARGARET BONDFIELD
Former Minister of Labor,
Great Britain

ours. In our Trade Unions, our CO.
operative movement, our political
Labor Party, we have built by our own
efforts great and effective shield
against the worst forms of oppression
and injustice in our own country.
This struggle, beginning with the
primitive fight for bread and leading
on to the fight for political and eco
nomic equality. has taught us that life
is IA two-way track. The larger liber-
ties call for deeper sense of re-
sponsibility. Rights and duties must
march together; freedom and service
are reciprocal.
We have fought IA succession of dis
ruptive movements: by free discussions
and the loyal acceptance of majority
decisions we have in turn rejected the
methods of the anarchists, the Syndi
caliSts and the Communists in favor OF
the system of parliamentary democ-
racy We struggled with the problem
of craft versus industrial unionism ana
solved it by Il spirit of give and take.
At each stage we gained Il wider vision,
finer standard of values and an in
creasing recognition by the community
of the status which organized workers
demand i'm the life of the nation. We
are knit together, not by force or fear,
but by the conviction that we need and
can help each other.
We have known how to prevent lib
erty from degenerating into license be-
cause our working people inherited the
Christian conception of human rea-
tionships brought to them with intelli-
gence and goodwill.
The fights for better education, bet
ter housing, health provisions, etc.
have also developed in our membership
an understanding of the complex
nature of national and local govern
ment in this mechanized age.
The social education of employers, Of
politicians, of the clergy and of the
ordinary citizen has been stimulated by
every victory won by organized labor
against the forces of reaction. Today,
whole areas of local government-in-
Guiding London, the largest municipali-
ty in the World-arc administered by
labor MA jorities. 1t is with this de
yelOpcd sense of voluntary cooperation
that we take up the challenge of Il die
tatorslip which has destroyed kindred
movements in Germany, Aust IL,
Czechosloyakia, Poland and is threat
ening those of the scandinavian coun-
tries an well as our own.
It is because Of this sense of re-
sponsibility that, facing II way which
has been forced upon us, we have Il
unity OF purpose with the nation
greater than ever before in our his
tory.
In the past we have taken an inSular
view Of our world relationships. Today
our outlook is international. We have
many close friendships in all parts OF
the world with workers whose hopes
and aspirations are the same aS ours.
We workers hate war and we know
that at the end of the slaughter and
destruction we shall still have to win
the peace. So We shall strive from now
onto fit ourselves mentally and
spiritually for that fight SO that the
founda atoms of security of Justice, and
of Il new world order may be truly
laid
We demand that thc inherited riches
of scientific and cultured knowledge be
made available To all, that the art of
living shall he IL high adventure in n
peaceful world
We reject the philosophy which the
evil spirit of II brutal paganism has re-
Vived and made active.
We reject the argument that This is
n capitalist war" The "caplalisl'
count ricS are not static they are them
selves constantly undergoing modilica-
tiOnS. And the process of revolutionary
change does not require bloody up
heaSalS 50 much aS II greater effort of
mind and Will 10 reap an oVcr-iipr llar.
vest. We shall conquer the evils of
the capitalist system most qHiclly by
demonstrating our capacity To diSiin-
guish the nature of thoS" evils, and by
building in constitutional ways the
public ownership and control of essen
tial services.
We have freedom 10 criticize openly
when We do not approve of our GOV
ernment's policy. The suspension of
any right which may at this time en-
danger the safety of our country is
first Il matter of public debate. II Is
this consciousness of at least ma iority
Inut,lnl n.iIh itln,,pnrn nt