THE LABOUR FERMENT.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2013, 21 March 1914, Page 8

THE LABOUR FERMENT.

REVIEWED BY THE DEAN OF St. PAUL'S. "STRIKES ABE CIVIL WARS" [The Dean of St. Paul's (Dr. W. fi. Inge), whose regent utterances ou the tendencies of the day have attracted . wide notice, st&tcs in tho following article in tiff "Manchester Guardian." liis' standpoint towards the jireisat labour ferment ii»4 its possible da- . vdopments.] JVly views ere thoso'of an outsider, who has never''boon brought into porsenal contact with strikes atid lookouts.. -Like most . others who have thought about the. subject, f have boon impressed by .the great change- "which has com© over these, quarrels within thp last few -years, Formerly the Strike was a contest of endurance between the masters and the men in a ■particular firm, or at widest in a particular industry. 'fho : general public was wily indirectly concerned. But lately we have seen wealthy• associations of workmen c-oni-mand-ing largo eorporate funds Jevyiaig what is really private war. against the ciomwunitj-, ant}, basing : their hopes of success not on tho ox- : huustion of their owa employers but : on the intolerable loss and suffering which a croitiimanco of tlio strike must inflict upon the. -nation at,' large. In tho ease, af- tho London transport strike, i where there was no ftccamuJatian of funds in the. hands of the strikers,' a i deliberate, attempt was made to btefikade the- capital by depriving it of the necessaries of' life. Weakening of Authority. 'Plies© 'strike's are civil war's,, and'in 'toy ppi.ii.ioil no civilised. State ca.u alto-rd to tolerate thorn- The fact that they are tolerated, seems to inc. a. mat* te.r of sinister significance. The his-torian-cf tho future will probably find BO' phenomenon of' our time- more remarkable- than' tho' weakening of the powers" of the State. A hundred years ago revolutionary movements were promptly, suppressed 'by tho execution of thtt ringleaders. -Now-the Govern* meni is retraced to tlie degrading positron of bargaining' with any group of persons-, however contemptible, who havo.shown themselves ready vo. resort to terrorism and. violence. Justice is afraid'to draw Her sward,- anarchy is ready to use the bjudgean and the Isonifl.' ,'lf tlio- criminal association called the- Xn-tcrnattoial' Workers of theWoi'lii carries- out -its threatened : sion of this country, (and I lioar on very good authority- that ..a- '.certain noterious agitator was sent to prepare ■tlie way tor.' them)/ wo shall find out whetlwr tlie forces of htw'and- order liavio -still- any- coercive pow : e.r in, England, .'.''"■ OHlloofc lor Democracy afiii SeclaUsitiV If" five present shilly-shally . policy i which'3ms brought ail. authority into contempt is duo'to the, pusillanimity of : individual Ministers-j there is. hope that: it may cease wWi'-the-h^p-laees^aro--fill-ed by stronger men; JJut if it-means; .that" tlio ' force's.' «f; tho Eseciit'ivtf are ■ paralysed/ their it. See-ms \te- ffic' tb&t,, both'' democracy anil-Socialrshvire lost ■causes.' The justification of democracy is not that it-,s rule- is very intelligent, ; ' which is seldom tlie'case, but tljat, since it rests ex hypothesl.oil the wfll-of the majority, it can, act firmly mi fearless-. Jy in the .interests of the ecjmniqij weal, AriJ' : SQC.ial ; isn\-.as .-.a-' .passible orgaiUsa-if-on of society presupposes an almost: cmn'i.pi)tettt..-,c-xecutiYe,.. and:'rests <u L , theory of 'the State' which .Can only" tol■erafi*subortifaate 'as'so'eiations, sae-h as.' churches and trade Unions, if. ttMy are impotent to raise- a hand against tlio ; central • auth&rjty. " At : present.' tlie. servants of'■'tl'lCr State- ate as ready strike .as • th-o : employees of a private' company- The- sectional ana.rcrtfeuj : ei tie last £W years-seems tq ino -to-have wredW fe calculations and annihilated She prospects of the Socialists. Lessons of History. / Between Syndicalism a-ftd Socialism there'can be. no reconciliation; one- or the other must. perish* . Nor. do the signs ■ seeni .ninth inore- hopeful fair a long continuance of democracy. A de--1 mciefaey tliat cannot keep f;be peace among'its citizens is doom;ed._ 1 can r-ecali' no instance in liistor.y in _which ' anarchy has' not -ended by pu* t wrg.._a eouiitry under the heel of the soldier. Revolutionary France ■ signed awa:y her newiy-won riglits .and Kbertics to, .N'apalcen by a. vote n*iaiHn»iis—3-§ miiHous' against : 8O0O.« There is no price ..wl-iieh.a-harassed people will not pay.for.the ros-tefatiou- ofptfftUe orßfif, .with seeu-rity for life and * The peoplo of-this country are lifft'&ictrinalfe deinwrats., aiv4 they . witl not long tolerate a- system.'.under wulcn their supplies of foott of flOal niay i be cut off every year -and their houses ■ burnt without redress. '