The Political Press Gang.

*THE WORKER*

BRISBANE APRIL 13, 1895.

Open Column.

For the expression of social and economic opinions with which the “Worker” does not necessarily hold itself in accord.

The Political and Daily “Press Gang.”

Yes, the Conservative daily press, including the Brisbane trinity press, has well earned the title of the press gang. In its efforts to obtain conscripts for service to Imperialism, Capitalism, and Commercial Feudalism, the press gang of our day does not resort to bludgeon and physical force, but to systematic lying, libelling, and misrepresentation. The premier past master in the ingenious and scientific use of these means is “the leading journal,” which has already opened the political campaign of the year on those lines in its articles headed respectively: “A Most Dangerous Secret Society,” “The New Man,” “The Government,” and articles in attempted depreciation of Mr. Glassey's speech at Lowood.

In vain do those articles assume the tone and role of “the superior person,” in laboured quasi-contemptuous and elephantine attempts to be sarcastic and facetious. Such attempts will not have much influence upon public opinion or the ballot box because the reasoning and conclusions based upon them are so conspicuously fallacious.

There remains no doubt of the existence of “a secret society of the most dangerous kind, ruinous to the bona fide pastoralist, and a menace to liberty and the well-being of the general community,” as affirmed by the A.W.U. the latter, however, made a great mistake in affirming or implying – as the Courier declares they did affirm or imply – that the members – or “villains,” to use the Courier phrase – of this society consist mainly or exclusively “ of the councils of the P.U. in the several colonies.”

No; those councils may comprise members of it, but membership of the society embraces a large section, and perhaps majority, of employers, capitalists, and professional men, all Imperialist and most Conservative politicians, including their organs the press gang.

It is significant that, whether the P.U. is responsible or not for the outrageous misconduct imparted to them, in the column and a half article the only specious or tangible argument adduced in disproof of the existence of the said “secret society” was the impossibility of conceiving that such Conservative and pastoralist “ doves” as Messrs. Allan, Crombie, and Cameron, could be in any wise identified with it. “Not even the Labour Party” could believe that.

Perhaps not. Neither does that party believe that “three swallows will make a summer.” Fortunately, however, the “secret” of said society is now “an open secret,” and three of its main objects are: (1) To keep wages down and if possible reduce them; (2) to augment rather than diminish the unemployed, so as to maintain a permanent needy or servile class; and (3) to continue kanaka and other alien labour, and to resume European immigration as soon as possible in furtherance of the other two objects.

The Courier seldom misses an opportunity of publishing leaders in direct or indirect advocacy of those three objects, barracking resumption of immigration of course as a means of increasing production, inflating trade and commerce, and so “benefiting the labouring classes.”

Truly the patriotism and public spirit of the press gang order of politicians are quite on a par with the patriotism which induced “the noble Brutus” to assassinate his friend Caesar.

The article under head of “The New Man” is a twin attempt of “A Most Dangerous Secret Society” article to be a sarcastic and facetious criticism of the labour leaders and party, and the one is about equally as inconsequential and puerile as the other. The public are about “full up” of such dialectic devices to furbish up old humbugs under new masks; and the press gang will have to invent a “new style” of ratiocination, or invective, to impede the progress of the Labour Party.

Barcoo TALLY-HO

An A.W.U. for Brisbane.

Action of the District Council.

At the usual fortnightly meeting of the Brisbane District Council of the A.L.F. it was unanimously decided to take immediate steps to organise an Amalgamated Worker's Union, to include all classes of labour not already organised. A committee was appointed to draft provisional rules and to convene a meeting for Thursday week, April 18, at the Trades Hall, Turbot-street, when all interested in the movement are earnestly invited to attend. Intending members will obtain all information on application to the secretary Brisbane District Council, or the general secretary A.L.F.

Supreme Court Asked For.

A deputation at Rockhampton made a request to the electioneering Ministers that a branch of the Supreme Court might be established in Rockhampton. Mr. Byrnes replied; “As things are at present there is only one circuit in the central division. That is in Rockhampton, and so far as I can see there can never be another. I shall oppose circuits in the west of Queensland, because I am perfectly certain that the juries that can be obtained there will not be the proper jurors to try the cases they would get to try in the western country. This is why I have always opposed the creation of a circuit at Hughender.”

The Hon. Tommy Swellhead is very insulting to the people of the West.