The Labor enquirer., 1885-01-31
WILLIAM MORRIS.
The Socialist Poet of England Creates an
Interest I'm Social Science Among
the Bourgeois.

Interest in Social Science Among
the Bourgeoise.
A writer in the Daily News relates an
interview with William Morris, the lead
Ing Socialist of England, and devotes
two columns of that paper to a recital of
the conversation. The article concludes
with the following extract:
This is only rough and abbreviated
summary of my conversation with Mr..
Morris, In the condensed form in which
l am obliged to put it, 1t necessarily loses
all the fire and the eloquence of the
speakers own words. His countrymen
may regard his doctrines impracticable
and visionary, but there can be no doubt
as to the purity and the loftiness of the
aspiration. II hold" he says, that the
abolition of classes would tend to the
general elevation of all society would
be for the good of the upper as we'll as
the lower would destroy the precarious-
ness of life now felt by the middle classes
as we'll as Others" Whoever wishes to
understand Mr.. Morris must bear this in
mind: his socialism is an educational
instrument. He would subject every
man, woman, and child to the highest,
the widest, and the most liberal culture
which society could supply, and of which
the recipients were capable, Though, as
you may think, his views are good only
tor the world of ideas, there can be no
doubt that he is wholly in earnest about
them. During the two years that have
passed since he declared himself So
calist, he has been lecturing about the
country, in public halls, pot-houses.
barns, stables, wherever he can find
room to stand in, and anybody to listen
to him. His lecture room at home e-3
Upper Mall, Hammersmith, quiet, half
rustic spot, within a few yards of the
placid, turbid Thames-is an old stable,
which he has comfortably fitted up and
completely transformed for its novel pur-
pose. There is more room there for an
audience than elsewhere on the prem
ises. Having undertaken his Social task,
he enters into it with all his might. Not
only IS he an indefatigable lecturer, he
is an Omnivorous student of his subject.
He has the literature of Socialism at his
fnger-ends. He is the Socialist even in
such formalities as the disuse of merely
conventional titles. For instance, if you
or l should ever become members of
some Society we should drop the "es-
quire" in writing to him through the
penny or half-penny post, and address
him simply as William Morris. In the
Socialistic system there is no room for
esqures, or barons, or grand dukes, but
only for "citizens," brothers." "com-
rades."
Referring to a report that sChism had
just taken place in the Social Democratic
Federation, asked Mr.. Morris if it was
correct EYES," he replied, there has
been split, am sorry to say. Some of
us felt that there was an attempt to rule
the Social Democratic Federation arbi-
trarily, and to drag it towards political
opportunism tinctured with JinGOism.
The rent in the body produced bv this
could not be plastered over, and verv
unwillinglv | have been compelled to
take sides, and am one Of the seceders.
We have formed new body called the
Socialist League and shall have paper
of our own. We uphold the purest doc
trines of scientific Socialism, and shall
educate and organize towards the funda-
mental change in society of which have
spoken. Once more. ct me impress this
upon you The working classes must IN.
derstand that they are not appendages
of capital. When the change comes 1t
will embrace the whole of society, and
there will be no disconnected class left
to form the elements of fresh revOlu-
ton. This is what meant when | began
by saying thatI did not want a mechani-
cal revolution-such as would happen if
only small minority were to overthrow
the established government, and attempt
to rule by the permanent exercise of
mere brute force"