The Labor enquirer., 1884-06-07
BRADLAUGH. !:
Secularism and Socialism in
Britain, as Compared by
Comrade Mahon.
Bradlaugh Not So Popular a Mar
as Some Think--Beginning
to Understand Him.
EDINBURGH, BRITAIN, 49 Arthur ST.,
May IL, 1884 !

! EDINBuRaH, BRITAIN, 40 Arthur ST.,
| May IL, 1884.
Editor Labor Enquirer.
| MY friends of The ENQUIRER will hav
heard of the debate ON Socialism be
tween Charles Bradlaugh and b. N
tHyndman, and suppose they will b
/ interested IN an account of the relation
between the Secularists, whom MI
Bradlaugh leads, and the Socialists
whom Mr.. Hyndman represents. Th
Secular organization is called the Ma
tional Secular Society; it consists nomi
nally of several thousand members, bu
in reality of Charles Bradlaugh. Th'
leaders are a far from friendly group
they occasionally abuse each other in NJ
measured terms; any lull in the wa
between them, and the lower class o
Christians with whom they battle being
seized as an opportunity for the renewa
of internal hostilities.
The exact meaning of Seeularism &C
cording to the Secularists is very difficult
to understand. In their principles anc
objects" we find this statement: "That
in order to promote effectually the i'm
provement and happiness of mankind
every individual of the human family
ought to be we'll placed and well in
structed, and that all who are Of suit
able age ought to be usefully employed
for their own and the general good.
And again, we are told that Secularlst
is one who "devotes himself to the
GENERAL good" (the emphasis is mine,
and vet we have Mr.. Bradlaugh's dec
laration. 81 urge that the only sufficient
inducement to the general urging on Of
progress in society is by individual effort
snurred to action by the hope of private
gain" Is Mr.. Bradlaugh not Secularist!
If he is Secularist he ought not to have
used these words. If he is not a Secu-
larist he ought to resign his presidents
chair in the n. S. S.
If Mr.. Bradlaugh misunderstands his
principles, his followers are not much
more careful than their leader. Mr.. G,
W. Foote, who has just served term OF
u months imprisonment for blasphemy
lin FREE England) seems to think that
the best way of "devoting himself to the
general good" is to caricature Gcd
Almighty wearing a pair of patched
pants. 1 would be far from saying that
l approve of Mr.. Foote'S imprisonment,
unless it be for the outrage upon
astheticlsm contained in his pictures)
still cannot evince much feeling for a
man who seems to think that the best
means of promoting the general
good" is by periodical outbursts OF
fanatical blasphemY.
But it is more with the people who
are said to represent the Secularists, than
the Secularists themselves, that l have
to deal. The great mass of the young
and intelligent Secularists will yet
become powerful body of recruits for
the Socialist ranks. Mr.. Bradlaugh will
find that his individual enterprise" in
organizing a host of hero-worshippers,
will only have temporary success; and
that his adorers to-day, will be students
and propagandists of Socialism to-mor-
row; having got disgusted with their
"priyate gain" god, resolved to uphold
their principles instead of following their
leader, and devote themselves to the
general good"
There is, however, little to wonder at
in Mr.. Bradlaugh's position towards the
Socialists. In London there are large
number of workmen's clubs. When Mr..
Bradlaugh was SO uniustly excluded
from his seat, these clubs came forward
and assisted him in his agitation; he at
once imagined that they were under his
influence, when greatly to his disgust
the Socialist lectutes began to sway their
sympathies in a direction winch was
likely to do much more for their general
good" Where before the staff Of the
National Reformer" were almost the
only speakers, Hyndman, Morris,
schea, Champion, Lemon, Clark
Helen Taylor, Williams, Belfort Bax,
Frost, Fitzgerald, and many Others
found eager listeners. In fact, one very
powerful reason for Mr.. Bradlaugh's
fierce antipathy towards Socialism is
that the Socialists are likely to expel
the superficial ideas of political reform
which Mr.. Bradlaugh has humbugged
the people with for the past few years
and substitute a sound healthy desire
for social revolution. Mr.. Bradlaugh
while he had to fight on the side of g
small minority against large majority
behaved himself with commendable
ability and sincerity. But he has now
attained certain amount of popularity
this popularity he does not care to lose
indeed. he has plainly shown the mos
unmistakable signs of desire to retain
even at the expense of his honest CON
y1ctions. It is difficult to critieise Mr.
Bradlaugh just now as he has gooe
excuse for his inactivity, being wholly
taken up with his parliamentary Struggle
Still, anyone whose sight is not obscuree
by the mists of hero-worship, can plainly
discern a desire to sink into the comfort
able cushions of respectable whiggery il
II n-alannh,a frantin annnoition II