THE CONFLICTS OF CAPITAL AND LABOUR HISTORICALLY AND ECONOMICALLY CONSIDERED. BEING A HISTORY AND REVIEW OF THE TRADE UNIONS SHOWING THEIR ORIGIN, PROGRESS, CONSTITUTION, AND OBJECTS, BY GEORGE HOWELL, M.P., FELLOW OF THE STATISTICAL SOCIETY, Author of the "Handy-Book of the Labour Laws," etc. etc. SECOND AND REVISED EDITION, BROUGHT DOWN TO DATE. "Be just, and fear not."-Henry VIII., Act iii., Scene 2. "Nothing extenuate, nor set down aught in malice."-Othello, Act v., Scene 2. London: MACMILLAN AND CO. AND NEW YORK 1890. 1-9-47 E V W Economics 12-17-46 PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION. THE first edition of this work was published about twelve years ago in 1878. In revising it for reissue I have been forcibly struck with the enormous changes which have taken place as regards industrial questions. So great have they been that the work has had to be practically rewritten. Then trade unions were denounced in the press, on the platform, in the pulpit, and in parliament; not occasionally, but constantly, persistently, and virulently. Many of the attacks to which allusion is made in the text appeared during the year in which the book was being written. One specimen only is preserved of the rancorous onslaughts on trade unionists so common in 1877 and in previous years. Now trade unions are bepraised and commended by all sorts and conditions of men. Their influence is sought socially and politically, and combination is preached as the one great panacea for all kinds of social evils, even by the Lords' Committee on "Sweating." 66 It might, perhaps, be thought egotistical were I to claim some share in effecting this change in public opinion. Yet this somewhat singular coincidence happened, that attacks |