The Labor enquirer., 1884-04-12
/; ! .oe,.l,.m and Politics.
lnst,oe. London England j

Justice, tiondon England.l
No better proof could be given of the
general t,pathy on political affairs than
the reception accorded to the new reform
bill. There is not the least stir about 1t
Of any srt or kind and to say the truth
universal suffrage itself, a much more
importan; matter. is not demanded with
any vigor. Still more significant OF IN
difference, the working classes do not
make full use of the voting power they
already have either in regard to parlia-
mens the school board or municipal
councils On all sides we hear of the
difficulty iii getting the workers to go to
the polls OIL any question. Surely this
means that we are in period of transi-
ton, that the old watchwords have lost
their effect and that those who wish to
appeal to their countrymen to any. good
purpose musS go straight at Social ques-
tions now ami henceforth.
This is beiIg daily made more plain.
The change in the tone alike OF workers
and idlers during the last year or two
has been very marked. In London, at
any rate, and Ia, many of the most i'm
portant towns of the country, it is no
longer possible Tor hack, liberal or tory
lecturers to get UP and patter the old
huckster economy without a check.
Questions are asked and criticisms made
which give evidence of revival of a less
slavish spirit that but now prevailed.
That this is largely due to the spread OF
Socialist ideas there can be no doubt
whatever. Even the mention of such
phrases as naturalization of the land"
or scientific Socialism" rouses thought
and the eternal truth that labor applied
to natural objects is the source of all
wealth stirs laborers to consider how and
why they are robbed. From this to an
organized Socialist party acting together
at all points, and preparing for a COM
plete revolution in our present society,
while taking advantage of existing forms
to push our theorles-from such float
ing body of opinion to an active, vigor-
GUS combination for the benefit of all is
apparently a long step and yet may be a
very short one. The chief difficulty is
due to the craving of Englishmen for
something Immediately practical" This
is really the least practical frame of
mind possible; for it assumes that we
mean to keep and tinker with our pres
ent social system. We are not to pull
down until we have built up from the
old materials. We are to whitewash the
gaol that keeps US imprisoned in short
and with the old musty middle-class
whitewash too. Now the sooner all who
work in the cause understand that this
is not only not practical, but impossible,
the better. We cannot completely rem
edy the ills directly due to competition
save by substituting universal demo-
cratic cooperation in its stead. We can
not destroy the evils which arise from
class ascendancy and class monopoly eX-
cept by universal equality and the COM
mon ownership of the means of produc-
ton. We cannot put an end to over
crowding in our cities and bad conditions
of the people in our rural districts until
we are as body in possession of the
the land and the railways. And We as
suredly cannot finally do away with
overwork until the liability of all to
labor is recognized and in the future en-
forced.
But this involves the greatest revolu-
ton the world has yet seen. Undoubt-
edly; and it is precisely because such a
revolution in ideas has already begun
around us that it is absolutely necessary
for the interests of all classes we should
look facts in the face. Economical con-
ditions which are the result of ages of
growth and decay, evolution and revolu-
ton, have brought US to our present
point. The power of man over Nature
Is increasing more rapidly than ever, yet
is not turned to the advantage of the
majority of the race. Uncertainty of a
livelihood is the result for the workers
of the very improvements which pile up
wealth for the few. And now We can
see-no thoughtful man can help seeing
that the capitalist system, the system
of production for profit for the benefit OF
a class, which necessarily creates at. the
same time excessive wealth and awful
misery, is tottering to its fall. We mus
therefore prepare for the change which
is going on, whether we wish it or not
and share with others all the knowledge
we can get ourselves, Only by thor
ough understanding of science, and the
forces which move at the very basis o
society, can we hope to comprehend how
to handle as free community the force
of the future. Here, If ever, true libert.
consists in the knowledge of necessity.
Yet are we no Utopians or phrase
mongers who sketch out empty scheme
and dream of impossible perfection
which will be realized about the tim
when line of huge glaciers mar Is tn
position of the equator. Not at al
Basing our action upon the past, upol
the effects of that pressure from with
out" which our trimming politician
say that they wait for, we endeavor t