The Cotton Factory Times. — 1901-09-20 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

KINGDOM. j  While men and women of all classes have condemned in no measured terms the horrible and Cowardly murder of President M‘liinley, and while the press of the country has voiced British sympathy with the American people and detestation of the crime and the dastardly doctrines which inspired it, it has been left for ti e Textile Mercury to make a silly attempt to assoAate trades unionism with Anarchism! In a long and laboured article, the Mercury wades through a lot of arguments, leading tip to the conclusions that Socialism dominates trades unionism, and Anarchism dominates Socialism and—there you ar,i I Were it not that the suggestion—or assertion—is such a foul calumny on the trades unionists might feel some sense of amused contempt LI the smug, self-confident style in which the writer makes up his budget of fallacies. I am not concerned to defend the Socialists, they may be left to do that themselves; but the writer asserts that " Socialists dominate trades union coanseL, olaini the adhesion of all its farces, and speak iu its name on all public occasions." Why does he not go the "whole hog," and say that the vast funds of the unions are at their disposal, and that candidates for admission to trades unions are made to swear allegiance to Socialist doctrines and methods? These statements would be equally reliable with the other,  The allegation that " all Socialists are trades unionists " is another fallacy. Granted, most Of them are, so far as the British Isles are concerned; but there are many who are not. It may be further admitted that some Socialists are trades unionists  only for the propagation of their Socialistic doctrines; but does all this go to prove that trades unionism and Socialism are identical, or that the trade union is a nursery for Anarchism? Except, perhaps, in the case of a few unions more noted for their fluctuating membership and futile strikes than for their stability or solvency, party politics are rigorously excluded from the programme or policy of trades unions; and in no organisations is this rule more severely carried out than in the textile unions of the County Palatine. The scribe goes on to assert that Whatever outrage they (the Anarchists) commit is done in the name and interest of • Labour.'" Therefore, forsooth, " Labour," as represented by the organised unions, is responsible fur the existence of such abominable scoundrels as the murderer of President I\PKinley. There's logic! There are writers who profess to write "in the interests of the employers of labour," but no sane man would be so unjust to the average employer as to credit him with holding such silly views as are sometimes set forth in " employers' " organs.  A very peevish sort of a note also appears in the Textile Mercury, finding fault with the Swansea Town Council for voting a sum of money to the Mayor for the purpose of entertaining the Trades Congress delegates during their stay in Swansea. The writer trusts that "somebody will be found public-spirited enough to challenge such s disposition of the money, and will be successful in compelling restitution." There may be diversity of opinion—in fact there is—not only among trades unionists generally, but among the delegates themselves, as to the wisdom of encouraging these " janketings," but, be that as it may, it is no uncommon thing for such action as that of the Swansea Corporation to be taken on the occasion of the visit of some representative body to their towns or cities —bodies representing scientific, social, municipal, educational, professional, or other interests, and yet I cannot call to mind another instance where the Mercury has entered a protest. But, of course, now the representatives of the despised workers have "had a look in" at municipal hospitality, ' somebody " is urged to be " publicspirited," and to oompel restitution, Of coarse, the workers' duty is to pay rates—not to be entertained out of them, and the Swansea Corporation might to have known better than treat a low gathering such as the Trades Congress as if it were a "Society for the Multiplication of Municipal Muddling," or a "Scientific Society for the Suppression of Scarlatina." The writer winds ifp with the plaintive wail that "from a constituency capable of electing Mr. Keir Hardie to represent it, anything may be expected." This is the second time in a few weeks that the Mercury has referred to Keir Hardie as the member for Swansea. Really it is time the knowing scribe was informed that the member for Swansea is Sir George Newnes, and that Swansea has not yet proved itself capable of the "heinous crime" which the writer keeps harping upon.