The Labor enquirer., 1884-06-07
DENVER, COLORADO SATURDAY. JUNE 4, 1884

anti-perpetual- -pensionism. and in his
profuse endeavorz to make him
self generally useful NJ P. To-day
Mr.. Bradlaugh is hailed by all bourgeois
Journalists, liberal. .adical and conserva-
tive, as the champion Of individnalism,
as the defender Of the rich against the
poor, as the defender Of legalized fraud
against the wisherfng power of justice
and truth.
i But to those who have closely observed
fMr. Bradlaugh's career, there Is little
occasion for surprise. In political mat
tiers he has been 3 arepnblican until his
desire for "a continuation of accidentally
obtained popularity made him cool into
lukewarm radicalism When he has
had to address himself to social ques-
tions he has displayed themost ludicrous
incompetence to deal with them. His
scheme of landlaw reformiis the tamest
piece of radicalism imaginable. Itwould
merely injure the ar}aocracy q little. and
help the 1speculator good deal His
crusade against poverty is a still more
damuing example of his superficial
knowledge of social questions. IT,,
Bradlaugh has somehow got hold of the
idea that the people are poor because
they are too numerous. If he had any
knowledge of economies he would see
that Britain is capable of supporting
far greater population than she has at
present if social arrangements we're sd
justed. For is there not plenty of idle
land, plenty If idle hands and plenty of
idle capital? And, what other than
these three are required for the produc-
ton of all that the people are dying for
want Of? frankly confess, that the
only name can bestow upon man who
breaches restriction of population while
there are thousands of idle acres waiting
for the idle hands to till them, is-fool.
If Mr.. Bradlaugh really wants to devote
himself to the general good" he must
endeavor to remove the barrier which
separates the laborer from the means of
production, and cease his superficial cant
about over-population. Mr.. Bradlaugh
has now gone too far against the social
movement to retreat, and his pretensions
to real patriotism are doomed. He may
call Socialis a chimera, utopian, i'm
practicable, he may rail against it with
ever so much eloquently expressed mis-
representation, but when the air has
been cleared of the dust which has
arisen from the first shock of contend
ing parties, he will find that it is
mighty cliff that would save the smiling
lands and homes of the people from the
devouring waves of class greed, and class
oppression; he will find that against
this mighty barrier the butfeting of
bourgeolsie tyranny, and the battering
of his own puny head will prove totally
Intellectual Socialism is the cause of
the Just against the Unjust, of the robbed
against the robber, of the oppressed
against the oppressor, and all the powers
of fraud and interested" opposition
shall not prevail against it.
The Secularist general is bitter enough
against Socialism, but his lieutenant is
fairly fanatical in her hatred of the party
that is championing the cause of the
people. Week after week Mrs. Besant
pours forth her sDlenetic TRADES against
Socialism and Socialists in the columns
of the National Reformer." If she con-
fined her remarks to attacks upon our
ideas, we could respect her, and believe in
the honesty and disinterestedness of her
opposition. Butwhen she pours forth
her venomous hatred in the shape of
calumnies upon our felloW-workers we
are quite entitled to accuse her Of being
actuated by motives which are far from
creditable to her. Miss Eleanor Marx,
the daughter of Karl Marx, is the OBJ
ject of Mrs. Besant's particular dislike;
every opportunity has been seized by
Mrs. Besant to vilify this woman who is
doing so much good work for our cause.
Mrs. Besant's rage is rendered more
furious by the fact that all her attacks
are left unheeded, and fail to harm the
object against which they are directed.
Since the debate Mrs. Besant has been
displaying a most astonishing activity in
slandering Mr.. Hyndman. The burden
of her cry against Mr.. Hyndman is that
he was at one time conservative. tits
quite true chat Mr.. Hyndman and some
more of the prominent Socialists have
come from the ranks of the bourgeoisie.
But, the fact that they have had sufficient
independence of mind to shake off the
cobwebs of class distinction, and join
the proletariat in their fight against in
Justice, is surely more deserving of
praise than blame. 1t is very much to
their credit that Hyndman and Morris
and other men like them, (there are
plenty have left their luxury and easy
life behind them, and made a manly
effort to improve the condition of their
less fortunate brethren. In doing this
they have showed themselves truly capa-
BILE of "devoting themselves to the
general good"
Mr.. Bradlaugh and Mrs. Besant are
only supported by one among the Secu-