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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (June 17, 1894)
THE OMAFIA DAILY A V. .TTTNTC 17 SOCIALISM IN ENGLAND Discussed by the Leader of the Irish Parlia mentary Party. TRUE EASTtRN QUESTION FOH ENGLAND A Itrlllunt I'trt for l. rKcr 1'rUllrRr * for tlio IrtliorlnR rlu i The Present ( 'omllllon of thn Poor 1'co- ple of London. , . - . , . . . . - < I ! l liy the living Syndicate ) . " \Vt- are all socialists now , " Sir William Harcourt said , or at all events Is reported to have said the other day. Very likely ho did say It. The declaration describes fairly well a remarkable change In public feeling. Of course It will not be supposed that Sir William Harcourt meant to * ay that here In England we are oil In favor of the theory that property Is robbery , or that there ought to bo a general redistribution of goods or that thu capital should be divided among the working men , or even that the land HlioulJ be nationalized. Sir William liar- court Is a man who understands very well what ho Is talking about , and who has a quick faculty to apprehend and appreciate the gradual changes , the advances or re. actions In English public opinion. He Is one of the very ablest public men In England , and ho has been often accused of Incon sistency and even of mere self-seeking be cause he was privileged to see much sooner than others of his class when an old politi cal or social creed was played out , and when a faith adapted to the altered condition of human affairs must como Into existence. I can quite understand why he Bald that we arc all socialists now. Wo are all , or nearly all of us , willing to accept the fundamental principle of what seems to me the true creed of socialism , that the govern , ment or state , however -you dpfine cither. Is bound to take a direct and active Interest In the well-doing of the citizens. Edmund Burke laid down the famous doc- trlno that the whole business of government and of legislation Is to see that twelve honest men are got Into every Jury box. That Is to say that the whole business of the state Is to see that Its citizens nre protected by honest legislation and by honest men to administer It. Now , I have an enthusiastic admiration for ndmund Burke. I am con vinced that he was one of the greatest politi cal thinkers that ever lived. But , although ho was said to sec everything and to foresee everything , he certainly did not foresee far enough when ho thus defined the duty ot the state. The growing socialism of Eng. land to which Sir William Harcourt must have be alluding , was the growth of that public pplnlon which la willing to admit that the state has much more to do for the citizen than merely to make It sure that he shall have Justice awarded to him In the civil or the criminal courts. My first intimate acquaintance with English politics was formed during the reign of what was called the Manchester school. The faith ot the Manchester school was In free competi tion. Abolish all legislation which Interferes with free competition and trust to human energy and human nature J < nd the produc tiveness of the earth for all the rest. The Manchester school accomplished some great successes. It. abolished numbers of legisla tive restrictions that favored one class , or what was called "one Interest , " at the cx- penso of another. Its work was decidedly a work of advancement. But Its dogma was all too narrow , and curiously enough Its faith at the same time was too fanciful. Its main belief was that free trade with foreign nations and free competition at home would remove most of tbo mountains that stand as a barrier between man and his happi ness. Some of the enthusiasts of the school were at one time for having the postal service itself left open by competition to prl- vato contract. GRIEVANCES AND WRONGS OP LABOR. Then there came an Inevitable reaction which the Manchester school had Itself di rectly helped to bring about. For the Man chester school had fought hard for the exten sion of the political franchise , and the ex tension of the franchise gave power to the working class. The worklngmen soon made U known that they had grievances and wrongs which could not be left to the opera tion of free competition and the widening beneficence of human nature. They Insisted that they had grievances and wrongs which only legislation could remove. The first of what I should call the great socialistic measures of English legislation , before work lngmen had much share In the franchise , was the factories act carried by the late Lord Shaflesliury In 1844. There was a previous measure passed by the same phil anthropist In 1842 , but that act only con cerned Itself with .what related to the working of women and children In mines. The factorlos act of 1844 was cleaily based upon the principle that the state had a right to Interfere with what was then erroneously and absurdly called the fre'cdom of con tract between employer and employed. On the ground , among other grounds , that It did thus Interfere with the freedom of con tract and freedom of competition the Manchester - chester school opposed the passing of the factories act. Nobody ever questioned the sincerity and the public spirit of the men who on behalf of the Manchester school opposed that legislation. Nobody could have questioned the" motives of men like Cobden nnd Bright. But Lord Shaftesbury tri umphed , and every one now admits that his triumph was a public benefit and a pub lic blessing. THE TENDENCY TOWARD SOCIALISM IN ENGLAND. * Now , I hold that when a state comes to Interfere with freedom of contract , even In the case of women and children only , that state has gone a good way along the path ot socialism genuine socialism. Since the passing of the factory acts , England , under whatever government , has been mov ing farther and farther , faster and faster , along teat pith. What has become of the prlclplo of contract as between landlord and tenant In Ireland ! Tory governments as well as liberal governments have decreed that Its day Is done. I have Juit said that the phrase "freedom ot contract , " as it was once used , is erroneous and absurd. Between the English capitalist and the English working man , between the Irish landlord and the Irish tenant , there was In the old day no freedom ot contract. There could bo none. There is no freedom of contract between a fasting man and a full man. The full man can wait ; the hungry man cannot wait. In the elder Dumas' famous romance , "The Count of Monte Crlsto. " the wicked banker , Danglars I think was his name. Is captured by a bri gand chief and held to ransom. Poor Danglars grows very hungry and asks for food. He la told that he can have food , but ha must pay for It. fie says he Is willing to pay for It , and asks what the price of a fowl would be. He Is told of some enormous sum many thousands of francs. Ho angrily demurs , but he Is po litely assured that It Is all a matter for himself ho need not cat , and If he does not cat he will not have to pay , but If he de cides to rat he must hand over the stipulated price. Now. that Is not by any means an unfair illustration ot what used to bo called in the old days "feedom of contract. " A hungry workingman - man with a wife and children depending upon him applies for employment and Is told ho can have it It ho Is willing to work , twelve or fourteen hours a day. Ho has no alternative such was freedom of cent - t tract. Against that principle all the social legislation ot modern England has set Its face. Only the other day I voted In the division lobby of the House ot Commons In favor of the second reading of a measure to limit the working hours ot miners to eight hours a day. The second reading was car ried by a largo majority. Parliament , ban taken upon Itself to watch over the housing ot worklngmon aiulujf the poor In general. There are acts to govern the management ot common lodging houses. There are acts to regulate the employment of women and their hours ot work in ordinary shops where dressmaking and millinery business are car ried on , The air Is full ot schemes for the establishment ot some system of old ago pen- elons. Wo hear of Rome sort of universal state life assurance for all people a prin ciple that , It will bo remembered , found great fator at one time and probably still nnds great favor In the eyes of Prince Bis marck. We have abandoned the old waya altogether. Tbo man who would at the pre nt tlmr > venture to preach the doctrine ot lalRiez falro In England would be n fool for his pains. lie could only make himself em more of n fool by presenting himself a * a candidate for some parliamentary con- stituncy at a contested election. The day * aie utterly gone , far the present at least , when 4 man like Lord Macaulay could talk of the "odious principle of pattrnal govern ment" and be gtr.tfrally applauded for the ut terance. NO RUAL POWER BUT TUB HOUSE OF COMMONS. But then , let It be remembered , that If we have got bacVat for the time we certainly have got b.ick. to the principle of paternal government , we have quite passed away from the era when government was In the handset ot a despot or of a privileged class. Wo ore certainly very likely to ha e for some time to conic n growing Interference on the part of the stain with the organization ot capital and labor. But then by whom la that state Interference to be Initiated and regulated and controlled ? By a house of commons which contains nmong t Its members the represen tatives of the 11borer as well as of the capital ist : of the employed as welt as ot ih em- plojer ; of the Scottish crofter as "oil as of the Scottish laird ; ot the Irish tenant-farmer as well as of the Irish landlord. We need not fcpl alarmed about n despot power driving us on. There It no real leglslatl\e power In England but the poxter of the He use ot Com mons , and the House of Common' Is now as nearly as possible a legislature representa tive of the whole p pte. all classes , all ranks , all Interests ; and It will become more strictly and coir.prelienjholy to representa tive as the next fpw years grow on. We have clearly then altogether given up , for the time al least , the doctrine that the state can do nothing to help the poor , ts enable the poor to help themselves , to enforce proper system * of labor , to Insist that those who work for dally bread shall be enabled to work under decent conditions and with.due regard to health and In fact to assert the right of Interfering , for thf good of the whole community , between these who em ploy and those who are employed. I quite admit that we have not yet hit upon any system by which .the curse of growing poverty can be removed ( torn the land. I du not myself know how to state a scheme which should make the gulf be tween Increasing poverty and Increarlng uealth become narrower and moro and more narrowing in England. But I do Insist that If English statesmanship were to turn Its attention In full earnestness to th.'s question the principle of legislation * could bo found , If It Is possible , as I believe it Is , to find In human affairs such -principle at all. In England we expend far too much of our statesmanship over foreign affairs. At pres ent we are In a terrible scare one of our periodical scares which return like a well ordered comet to Us place In the public vi sion. We are going to spend millions many millions of pounds sterling In the strengthening of our navy against the Imag inary schemes of some foreign powers to make a piratical descent upon our coasts. Now I am entirely for our keeping up a good navy , but reasonable precaution Is all that any state can be expected to take. THE TRUE EASTERN QUESTION. I have said more than once In thc'House of Commons and at English publ.'c meetings that In my solemn conviction the true east ern question for England Is the condition of the poor In the eait end ot London and In the similar regions of all the great provincial cities and towns of these Islands. After all. It Is Just barely possible that the Russians or the Germans or the French , or all three combined , may not attack us. It is also a possibility , conceivable at least to English men certainly conceivable to me who am not an Englishman that even If thus attacked for no apparent reason whatever , England might manage to hold her own. But it Is absolutely certain that the condition of our poor In our great cities Is a source of the most alarming national weakness. I am therefore In favor of English statesmanship turning Its special attention to the condi tion of our poor. If It would give but half the attention to that subject \yMch It has given through generations to foreign policy I think It very likely Indeed that some rem edy for the evil ( could be found. Do not tell me that In such matters statesmanship can do nothing. I ask how we know that , and when has statesmanship ever seriously and persistently tried what It could do ? I know no better defense of England than a prosperous and a contented people. I remem ber what the Antiquary , who is the hero of Scott's Immortal novel , says to Edle Ochll- tree. the chartered beggar who declares that If the rumors of French Invasion are true he will fight , old as he Is , for the country where he has always lived , and where every body has been kind to him. "Bravo , bravo , Edle , " the Antiquary exclaims. "The coun try's In little ultimate danger when the beg gar's as ready to fight for his dish as the laird for his land. " I am quite In accord with the Autlquary. Therefore and for many other reasons I draw comfort and hope from the spread ot genuine socialism In England ; from the recognition ofthe fact that the state is bound to take account of the con dition of the he'jpleas , and that statesman ship is not limited to a concern with foreign affairs and a pedantic aloofness to the con dition ot the bulk of the English people. In that sense , as Sir William Harcourt says , we are all socialists. The state , at least In England , has acknowledged that It cannot any longer afford to fold Its arms , to look down upon the seething and weltering strug'- gles of the country's social life , and compos edly wait for the survival of the fittest. JUSTIN M'CARTHY. London , England , May 15. IXDVSTllT.lf , XUTES The finest grade of matches is made of cork pine. Bermuda farms bear three successive crops In one year. Nevada Is second In gold production and fourth in silver. The manufactured product of Great Britain amounts to about $4,100,000.000 a year. The fastest shorthand writer In the world Is a young Dublin man , George Bunbary , He can write 250 words In a minute. By on English Invention camel's hair cat- ton plant and chemicals are telng substi tuted for leather in machinery belting with conilderable success. Krupp of Prussia claims as the result of experiments tint while only 10 to 15 per cent of heat units are utilized In the modern steam engine , If the coal is powdered to an Impalpable powder and exploded la cylinders , after the manner of an ordinary gas engine , 75 to SO per cent of the heat units may be realized. The new Atlantic cable which Is now being laid In sections between Balllngskelllngs Bay , Ireland , and Canio , N. S. . for the Commer cial Cable company , Is in many respects a notable piece ot work. The cable Is about 2,100 miles In length ; Its conductor contains more than 1,100,000 punds ot copper and Is armored with over 10,000,000 pounds of steel wire. Copper must have been one ot the earliest metals known , worked and valued In human Industry. It ranks second to'silver In mal leability and ductility , or third as compared with gold , which Is the most malleable metal known , and ranks next to Ircn In tensile strength , and , being an abundant metal , native In many parts of the world , It often lies at or near the surface ot the earth. * A new steel cantilever bridge Is to be built across the gorge at Niagara Falls , Juit below the cataract. It will ba owned by a syndi cate of New York capitalists. In form It will be a combination of the arch and canti lever principles , with a span of 1,000 feet , or 200 feet longer than any arched bridge In ex istence. It will have accommodations for trolley cars , railroad cars and foot passen gers. gers.A A railroad which the Germans have built In Asia Minor , extending from lunld , a hir- bor about sixty miles east ot Constantinople , cast by south 309 mllea to Angora , has as little wood In It , perhaps , as any In the world. Not only the rails and bridges , but the ties and telegraph poles are of Iron , nine- tenth } of tt furnished by German works , Chiefly by Krupp. Probably the largest pteco of cut glass ever made In America Is on exhibition In New York City. It weighed seventy pounds before It was decorated and lost about twenty pounds In the cutting. The piece la a punch bcwl eighteen Inches high and twenty-four Inches In diameter. The actual cost of pro duction was nearly 1100 , In the treasure room of the Maharajah ot Barnda Is fit.rod s carpet which cost 11.000- 000. It Is only ten by six feet , but Is woven from strings of pure pearls , with a center and corner circle of diamond ! . It took three years to make It. and was Intended as gift to a Mohammedan bciuty. i'HRTKXnKIt TO UK It.Ml OfTltEM. . Q How a I'rofcMtonnl .tllilcte Won Unco nt n I'arinrr'n BREWSTCRS , N. J. , June 1C. Al the games of the Brewsters Athletic club the contestants were the ) oung farmers of the neighboring ( towns. The games nerc Just about to be started , when a tall , smooth- shaven man Inquired of Ihe starter If ho could take part. Ho said he worked for a farmer nwr one of the neighboring towns and he looked the part , wearing blue overalls , a soft hat and appearing quite Innocent. The young man was allowed to start and In a halt-milo race for which there w rc fourteen contestants. He Just barely won. When questioned privately by one if the spectators , "I used to run after the cows on the farm , " was the best he would answer. The "farmer" started In the sack r ce and won easily. The big event of the day was the three-mile race. The Brewsters people had a man who had never been beatn and they bet on him as though the race was all over but to collect the money. The "farmer" tet the pace from the start atd none of the others could get near him. He won by ten yards. Then the countrymen began to become suspicious. The next event was the swimming rice. The "farmer" started In that , too. Ho nas In magnificent condltlbh. his muscles ahxring with every movenunKlj * made. He won the swimming race.nr That settled 1U Tb/ countryman wanted to mob him , but he 'just smiled and put on his clothes , collected hts"wlnnlngs and waUcd away. He proved to1 ' 11 * Ke'ly ' , an uld..lme athlete , now a New YqrU policeman. He was on tils vacation. a it Atr , < i.v'riVw ' T.V/.VO. ( jciero Thunderstorm In Chicago Narrow i : rnpo from rqllliiR ( ininllr. CHICAGO , June > . -j-A severe electrical , rain and hall storm/ passed over this city yesterday , doing * conslilerabla damage. Light ning struck the top Of" the Teutonic building , which Is ten stories high , and knocked a fifty-pound piece of granite from the cornice to the pavement , where It narrowly missed two policemen. The thunder and noise of the falling stone caused several horses to run away. Gottlieb Gotskl , n 'laborer , was In stantly killed by lightning niul several houses on the nest and north sides were struck and damaged. DU QUOIN , 111. June 16. The most de structive hall storm In years passed over this city yesterday afternoon. Hall stones covered the ground several Inches deep. Corn , wheat and oats and all kinds of fruits ind vegetables are ruined. Many windows ere broken. Htwornntsn FKOM TIIK Kirxrr Hirer Knlllng Itnpldty nnd ItnllrontU Ko-KMntilUliln ? C'onmimilntlon. VANCOUVER. B. C. , Juno 16. Reports from the Interior state that the river Is still falling rapidly. At New Westminster the mills arc now able to resume ( fporallons , although the lower part of the city Is not entirely free from water. It Is reported taht the Fraser made tome considerable change In Us course. Soundings will have to be carefully taken all along the river. At Chilli , wack the water has fallen four feet. Farm ers will soon be able to take stock and esti mate losses. The freshet has washed away a large amount of land at the mouth of the river. On Tuesday the Fraser river fishery mess house took a slide Into the river and sailed Into the gulf of Georgia. Wednesday morning part ot the cannery went , and a large number of cans nnd salmon boxes were lost. Yesterday the Great Northern re sumed service between South Westminster and Seattle. The Canadian Pacific also dls. patched a train yesterday. TACO.MA , Wash. , Juno 1C. The Northern Pacific has established through connections with St. Paul by way of the Coucr d'Alene branch , trains to be run over the Union Pa. . clfic branch from Spokane to Wallace , I Idaho. Slight repairs remain to be made be- ' twcen Desmet and Wallace. The Overland which left St. Paul yesterday will come through , arriving Monday. The first cast- bound through train left Tacoma last night. , i/.n omit nut r/rrr m.ius. Governor Flower 8 y Tnrlff Tlnkercr * V ill Now llo Killed flight Off. ALBANY , N. Y. , June 16. Govornof Flower , returning to Albany from the Adi rondack * , talked to a large number of pcopls at the aiovcrvlllo depot yesterday after noon. Ho spoke of the financial troubles nnA said : "The undoubted cause Is the tinker * Ing being done with the tariff. In thirty days the agony will bo over , and the question settled. If In the succeeding fifty years any body attempts to tinker with the tariff he'll get killed. The times will Improve now av once , and your old prosperity will be In. creased a hundredfold. " Why I.rwrllltiK t : | > cct to Win. LUAVENWORTH , Kan. , June 1C. Gov ernor Lew oiling attended a meeting of the Mystic Slit iio here. Speaking to nn Associ ated press reporter regarding the populist possibilities In this state ho said ho expected the ticket to win on account ot the enthu siasm for the party , and because the demo crats must vote and are tired of their party In this fltate and would not vote the repub lican ticket. Ho also expects the sultrig * amendments to tnko many rotes from the re publican party. and thinks the pcoplo of the state arc well satisfied with his administra tion. Nortlmr trrn itcrntor : TACOMA , Juno 1C. Frank Orbln and J. T. Rlbb , composing the Tacoma Grain com pany .have purchased of the receiver of the Northern Pacific Elevator company th ( hlrty-nlno elevators , with a capacity ot C , 000,000 bushels , located In Idaho and In Spokane , Lincoln and Whitman counties ot this state , and also the Terminal elevator , 75,000 bushels , located In Tacoma. Last year these elevators shipped 2,900.000 ccntnU of wheat , which loaded thirty-six ships , and thU year they are expected to ship 4,000.000 centals. The total price paid Is reserved. flnnnlltii ; llrrlrn i with n Shotgun. COV1NOTON . June 1C. The Drolllnge * poisoning case at Foster Is creating much excitement. The husband stilt refuses to let the authorities rxhumo his wife's body , and guards her grave with n shotgun. Ho la strongly suspected of having caused her death , as n former wife died very suddenly In the same manner. The body will be ex humed by the authorities. Th s Co. Retiring from Business. You know it everybody knows it No one doubts it when once inside the store Business could not be continued and such prices quoted You never saw anything like it Your fniends were here this week Such crowds Your last chance for bargains--When we are gone nothing will ever be worthy the name of bargain in comparison with our great closing sale. Dress Goods Silks - Notions Carpets Draperies at atr at at at own your yourbown your own your own your own price. price. price. price. price. . .sre i U'r. Here Is thoplacoyoucan realize the . .in it S I' LHtto things that cost but little at difference between the old This department overflows with All new , this season's styles , S35,000 The most elegant , stock ot silks In any time are now going for price and the prlco that pees magnificent bargains. Ail the woith to be sold. Got your ' this western1 * . \ country going at worse than nothing. A couple now. You can buy a Brussels newest things in silks and dra dress while you can get it at , ' < any price yhatsoovor to close of dollars will buy moro no carpet cheaper than you used peries go in at the going out a price without profit. ' them out.Ji ' tions than you can carry away. to pay for an Ingrain. of business prices. rp Hosiery and Underwear - ' " Men's Furnishings Laces , Gloves , Ribbons = . at at at your own your own your own price price price Neither ladies ncr gentlemen can very , The gentlemen should lay in a supply of The most beautiful , the most perfect , the well afford to let this chance go by , for neckwear , collars and cuffs now that latest styles in laces , ribbons and at no time in the wildest , excitement have hosiery and underwear gone at they have an opportunity. It won't gloves , all go in at way-down prices at such pricer. . occur again. Remember that. this great closing out sale. Chinaware x Gloaks " * 1 and Suits Handkerchiefs Boys' Clothing at . at at at own your own your own your your own price. price. price price Summer , Spring and Fall Wraps You can save moro money probably - On the second floor by far the Handkerchiefs for every possible . all go in all must go. It's hot . bly hero than anywhere else , for largest and most complete stouk taste at every kind of price. The . nowbut winter will como and you no matter how much you buy the in the city. Coat is not considered lacey , fleecy kind go as cheap as horo. can't buy half as choup then as ' boy will manage to near them all the plain white ones used to. . - now. out. Any price whatever goes. Dress Trimmings Toilet Articles Muslin Underwear at at at your own ' " - your own your own price. price. price. * : As complete as this stock was it is no wonder Always the lowest on soaps , face powders , Good seasonable wear , perfect goods , the der it is a center of attraction , now and other toilet articles , we now cap most radical cuts in the store are ri that so little money is required to get the climax by letting you take away more than you can carry. the goods at your own price. here. Try and see , HI/ . Retiring Retiring' ' Retiring Retiring- - Retiring from from from from from I 3 I business. busjjiess. business business. business Mall Orders should'bo accompanied No . goods charged. ? J by draft or money ordor. No ( roods sent on approval. Where amount is not known Goods for all seasons , Spring , , No goods laid aside or sent No purchases that amount to 4 . ' . send at least No rnonoy.ro'undod. one-half and ' C. O. D. unless half amount less than'$1.00 will bo doll Summer , Autumn and Winter goods will bo 'sent 0. O , D for No goods exchanged. balance. of purchase is paid. ll vo red. ter on sale. mm FROM Ho Goods Charged THE MORSE DRY GOODS CO No Goods Exchanged