The Labor enquirer., 1884-11-22
sARr AID soclALnn.

[Concluded from FIRST Page,]
Or. will you say that here, in this quiet,
constitutionaily governed country of
there is no opportunity for ac-
ton offered to us. If we were in gagged
Germany, lin gagged Austria, in Russia
where word or two might land us in
Siberia or the prison of the fortress of
Peter and Paul why, then. indeed
All my friends, it is buta poor tribute
to offer on the tombs of the martyrs of
liberty, this refusal to take the torch
from their diving handsl Is 1t not of
Goethe it is told, that on hearing one say
he was going to America to begin life
again, he replisd, Here is America, or
So formy part | say, Here
is Russia. or nowhere"
To say the governing classes in En-
gland are not afraid of freedom OF
speech, therefore let Sus abstain from
speaking freely, is strange paradox to
me. Let us, on the contrary, press in
through the breach which valient men
have made for us. If we hang back we
make their labors, their suferings, their
deaths of no account.
Believe me, we shall be shown that it
is all or nothing ;or will anyone here tell
me that Russian moujik is in a worse
4. n
case than sweating tailor's wage-slave? !?
Do not let MS deceive ourselves. The
class of victims exist here as in Russia.
There are fewer of them? +? May be-then
are they of themselves more helpless,
and SO have more need of our help.
And how can we ofthe middle-classes,
we the capitalists, and our hangers-on
help them BY renouncine our class
and on all occasions, when antagenism
rises up between the classes. casting in
our lot with the victims; with those who
are condemned at the best to lack of ed
ucation, refinement. leisure, pleasure and
reDown; and at the worst, to life lower
than that of the most brutal of sayaees
in order that the system of eompeti-
tive Commerce may endure. - -
There is no other way. And this way,
/ tell you plainly, Will in the long run
give us plentiful occasion for selfsacritice
without going to Russia. l feel sure that
in this assembly there are some who are
stepped in dlscontent with the miserable
anarchy of the century of Commerce
To them offer means of renouncing
their class by supporting a Socialist
in joining the Democratic
tederation, which l have the honor of
before You, and which be-
lieve is the only body in this country
which puts forward constructive Social
ism as its programme.
This, to my mind, is opportunity
enough for those. of US who are discon-
tented with the present state of things
and long for an opportunity,of renuncia-
ton. And it is very certain that in ac-
cepting the opportunity you will have at
once to undergo some of the inconveni-
ences of martyrdom, though without
gaining its dignity at present. You will
at least be mocked and laughed at by
those whose mockery is token of honor
to an honest man but you will, l don't
doubt it, be lOoked on coldly by many
excellent people, not all of whom will be
quite stupid. You will run the risk of
losing position, reputation, money
friends even losses which are certainly
gin pricks to the serious martyrdom l
have spoken of; but which none the less
do try the stuff a man is made of-all
the more as he can escape them with
little other reproach of cowardice than
that which his own conscience cries out
at him.
Nor can l assure you that you will for
ever escape set-free from the attacks of
open tyranny. 1t is true that at present
Capitalist society only looks on Social
ism in England with dry grins. But re-
member that the body Of people who
have, for instance, ruined India, starved
and gagged Ireland, and tortured Egypt,
have capacities in them-some ominous
signs of which they have lately shown
for openly playing the tyrants' game
nearer home.
So on all sides l can offer you a posi-
ton which involves sacrifice position
which will give you your america" at
home, and make you inwardly sure that
you are at1east of some use to the cause !;
and l earnestly beg you, those of you
who are convinced of the justice of our
cause, not to hang back from active par
in struggle which-whoever
helps or whoever abstains from helping
must beyond all doubt end at last in
Victory!
Policy OF the Labor Movement.