The Labor enquirer., 1883-11-24
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IS IS iuunsauded lloan ma Pss&I
s te nost npfeme contempt by the
! iI6tohia( = uho uish fof complete Amor
! IL =. md declare Il to b ! crime even
s diecun the form Of society Of the fu-s
su1o, Jbffesearches Of this sort prevent
ntt6r destruction, and impede the sd-
vancs of the revolution.
We should imagine that the repressive
lavi which are enforced in Germany
aeain6 the Socialists must beextremely
ussfuI to the Nihilists, in fhs way Of
bringing IN recruits. For instance. Herr
Most, who was peaceable Socialist in
his native country, was converted by
their operation into an expatriated Anar-
chist; while England, to complete the
transformation, has repeated the dose Of
persecution, and driven him across the
Atlantic, from the other side Of which
be transmits encouraging messages to
the Old World. to the effect that he can
allow no more coronations of any kind
10 take place in any country. Unless
instead Of persecuting Socialists, we can
devise and adopt some system OF secur-
ing to every man the full reward Of his
hbor, We may look forward to q rapid
spread Of the principles Of the Anarchists,
With their comfortable doctrine that de-
struction itself is Infinitely preferable to.
the existing social order. For their de-
votion aud courage are quite as strong as
their opinions. Their own lives are
never allowed to weigh feather in the
balance. and this partly explains their
indifference to the lives of other people.
Every official hand is against them. Their
life is one long act of running the gaunt-
let, and immense is the yearly tribute
which is yielded by their ranks to Si-i
IBERIA or the scaffold, while, faster than
these can claim their victims, new re-
cruite are converted to the cause.
Do we want further proofs of the as
sertion that Socialism is permeating all
classes, even in our own country2 We
find them provided to our hands in two
consecutive numbers of the Nineteenth
Century. In one, Mr.. Samuel Smith in
forms us that the last Liverpool election
was fought and won largely on the lines
Of Social Reform" !" and that mere party
politics have ceased to possess the inter
est they once had for the mass of the
British people. In the other, the Rev.
s. A. Barnett declares himself a Christian
Socialist, and advocates measures of
Rracticable Socialism," which though
timid and tentative only, are yet suffi-
GENTLY significant signs of the times. He
suggests new assessment of the land
tax, the abolition of sinecures and waste
in every public Office and the utilization
Of wealth at present uselessly locked up
in many of the endowed charities. With
the funds thus realized, the poor are to
be provided with libraries, music halls
and flower gardens, - an excellent scheme
as far as it goes, but hardly reaching the
, root of the matter The main scope of
Mr.. Smiths argument is to the effect
that "our only hope lies in rescuing the
children" There is great truth in this
remark, but when he learns that his
plan resolves itself into one of the an
nual expatriation of from fifty to hum
dred thousand children of the poor, we
cannot help asking why Mr.. Smith does
not unite with those Socialists who wish
utterly to abolish the present system Of
competition, seeing that it has finally re-
suited in the desirability of such a scheme
as this. He evidently realizes that the
competitive system stands self-condemn-
ed. Let him then accept straford's mot
to of Thorough" and help the Social
lists to abolish its principle.
-. Even in the pages of Good Words, we
cdme upon another sign of the times, in
thetshape Of sermon preached by the
Rev. G W. stubbs, before the University
of Oxford. The subject of the sermon
is Progress and Poverty" and the
preacher discusses the merits of the book
in no qualified terms of praise. Our
space is limited, but we cannot refrain
from presenting to our readers an ex-
~ cellent couplet which he quotes in his
discourse:
New occasions teach new duties; time makes
ancient good uncouth;
They must upward still, and onward, who
would keep abreast of truth"
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