The Bee-Hive. — 1874-06-20 (London, England)

LABOUR. If there is any fact coming more fully into light than another, and destined to determine the fortunes of society in the near future, it is that of the solidarity of lalmir. That those -who labour for their daily bread, wheresoever,  have interests and necessities in common, and all that is true in the modern phrase, "the solidarity of peoples," "the solidarity of i nations," means this, and this only if t means anything. The working classes, wheresoever doing daily labour for daily bread, have identieal interests, and the same neeessities. They all need regular employment, and regular payment; all have the same interests and same necessities for peaceful industry and its rewards; all have the same interest in multiplying the produce of their labour in promoting arrangements for beneficial exchanges and a general commerce for mutual advantages; all have the same interests and necessities for peace and goodwill towards each other, peace for their daily industry, peace to save some store, and peace for plenty ; goodwill to each other to prevent war and its devastations, spilling of blood, and spoiling of fields; to prevent war which for them always brings murder, rapine, and ruin, but never glory. Nations and peoples are convertible terms, but, except amongst those who labour for their living, there is no solidarity of interest, or identity of lot; community of purposes, objects, and necessities; the same sympathies, affections, and aspirations; these require only freedom and peace, to be let alone and allowed to work peacefully, free from oppression, interference, and disturbance of any kind, to be allowed to perform their daily task, so as to fulfil the contracts of labour, or engagements of industry with diligence, regularity, and punctuality. Almost all other classes have separate interests, some conflicting one with another, some contrary and even intriguing against the general welfare. The non-productive and combative classes; the privileged and official; the place hunters; the loafers and the danglers ; the parasitical, who hang by the skirts of greatness and rank, have diverse interests; some vested and prescriptive, others corrupt and moult. These interests are not homogeneous in any sense— are generally in rivalry to each other, and always are separable from the common weal of community, if not antagonistic. Yet, it is at the bidding of these, and their begging, that international jealousies and hatreds are stirred, and feuds kept open; at their instance that armaments are increased and rumours of war are propagated. For them alarms of war and agitations mean business, promotion, and glory; for industrious toilers, the laborious classes, these mean difficult times, sufferings, and sorrows—at least. Solidarity of labour is a wholeness and oneness of interest, a jointness and severalty of fortune and fate, distinctive but not separable, wherein each possesses and enjoys his own, or suffers and is despoiled, deprived, arid wronged, as the whole may or may not be protected, defended, and secured. Labour can only protect itself, defend and seoure itself, by being enfranchised with rights and liberties as freemen, thereby to enjoy independence and exercise its responsibility. To secure the one and discharge the other, labour must be united in its interests, and acting harmoniously in the several regions, so as to exert the homogeneous force of corporate bodies; it must act and be represented as trades or vooation unions. Labour must organise itself, so as to be selt-supporting and independent; assured against all contingencies, vital and industrial; against sickness, disablement, or death; and against want of employment, and the vicissitudes of trade. In the sphere of politics as enfranchised citizens, labour will protect, defend, and secure itself, by willing it; willing to be peaceful for its own interests, and willing to be reasonable for its own honour, as humanity. Labour, being arbiter of the situation, the sacredness of life and industry will be obvious enough, and the honour and welfare of humanity will be religiously guarded and secured. For the solidarity of labour is such that it has but one interest—industry, and one necessity—peace; for the first it requires freedom from all restrictions and unimpeded intercourse between the nations; for the latter, wise and reasonable conduct, and good faith and good will towards each other. Free trade amongst natiens, free communications, free exchanges of benefits, goods, and ideas, will commence the solidarity of labour. When this is understood, known, and felt, recognised, then the power will be stricken from the hands of kings, principalities and powers, as rulers, to make war; and not till then will the vital part of Christianity as brotherhood be entered upon. A. C. MA.