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A "JONAH" OVERBOARD.

Newyddion
Dyfynnu
Rhannu

A "JONAH" OVERBOARD. THE meeting of the Welsh Miners' Federation of last Saturday was a significant landmark in its history. It put its stamp upon the determination that it must command unity; unity among the leaders, unity in the branches. It authorised its approval of the golden principle that it will no longer allow individualism to run wild and to display itself to the injury of the consolidation of all the forces of the Labour Party in South Wales. This proves that the late five months strike had cairied with it a wholesome lesson to the rank and file. The Federation to-day has a roll call of 81,000 members—it is the only recog- nised union which will hold within its power the destinies of the labour movement. Before the strike we had two distinct parties, the Scalist-s and Federationists. Mr David Morgan was a partisan of the latter and from his own bat did a great deal of opposition work. But, the fusion of the two sections into one solid phalanx lias clipped the wings of those who delighted in flights of criticism against their fellows, the role of a free iance is a lost vocation. It is pninful to note how blow Mr jNj.org:m ieurns the lesson of o falling into line with his comrades. We grant our hieud every motive of sincerity but insinuations of infidelity hurled at his colleagues are not weapons which recommend themselves to the expert warrior and, therefore, in the best interests of the labour cause in South Wales, we are glad to find that unless Mr D. Morgan acts with dis- cretion and judgment the miners are determined to do without him. It may be great and grand to call traitors, etc., upon his colleagues and inferentially to pose as the 11 glomen wen of the party. But it is not statesmanship and the person who indulges in such freaks of ungoverned charges is not up-to-date enough for the modern needs of the industrial war. Mr David Morgan probably is honest, but we believe that he is not more honest that the eleven colleagues whom he accuses of "selling" the cause for money considerations. As Mabon said, the simile used by him is open to no other translation. If Mr D. Morgan gives much more nourishment to this conceit he will soon reach the silly conclusion that the sum total of this world's goodness is encased in his own sweet self. We concede to Mr D. Morgan that we do not disbelieve his sincerity of motives, but the other good and strong men elected by other districts are likewise equally pure, and certainly more dis- cree, in the promotion of the cause of the worker. The Conference, there- fore, did rightly in directing the work to go on without Mr D. Morgan. And go on it will. It has been too long obstructed by disunion, jealousy and distrust among the leaders. We have come to the point of 11 men in absolute concord, and one still con- tinuing the old fashion of individualism. The democrat law of majority government is sufficient sanction for the action which the conference took to settle the matter in the way they did. Any impartial man reading the account of it can form no other conclusion than that a charge was made which cannot be substantiated. The quibble about a proper tribunal made by Mr Morgan was insulting to the Conference. If such a representative gathering were not a tribunal and a body to which any labour leader could appeal, another better than it will not be easily discovered. The truth is Mr D. Morgan was completely cornered and he was confronted on this occasion by an audience that would not be bedazzled by fireworks which, un- fortunately, go off too well in a mass meeting. In these days mere words or phrases will not suffice. The intelli- gence of delegations is on higher level and mure and more demands leadership of substance and broad reading. Mr D. Morgan has had his day. He did" e1 when the blunderbuss vrsis the leaning weapon, an 1 h, will not bo forgotten for it, but h experience of industrial warfare caT- for ti:e mors delicate instruments of argument based on industrial and economic laws.