The Labor enquirer., 1886-02-27
THE BRIT TlsnERs.
Forecasts Of the EngliI,h Situa-
ton, Since Verified hy Cries
Of Work, Work.
IN Encouraging Account Of the
Condition Of the soclalistic
Agitation, England.
The Political Move Of the Demo cratic
Federation Annie Besant and
the Fabian Society.

the Fabian Society.
ssi IContinued from last week. i
Thus does "the greatest commercial
nation in the world" treat her sens, by
whose labor her wealth has been made.
In times of prosperity just enough wages
70 keep them alive in a half decent
manner. In times of brisk trade as
much extra as will afford them sufficient
: drink to let the consciousness of their
>islavish lot pass away for awhile. And
in times of depression-relisf work and
charity soup kitchens.
~.
In the incidents of the present strug-
gle against the reduction of wages the
odds are heavily with the masters, who
seem. to know this and 70 be playing
their cards with great cuteness. Still,
the men are showing fir n front and in
some cases may succeed in maintaining
the old rate of wages for time. But
there can be little doubt thltif the de-
cline in our trade with foreign markets
goes on the wages of workers in nearly
all our great industries will come down
far below the present levek 1t is daily
becoming more clear that the struggle
for fair wage" is not species pf free
competition or free contract, but is a
class war in which all the advantages
are on the side of the capitalists.
~ VI
If the workingmen are engaged in
fighting a losing battle how is it 10 end ?
The complete defeat of the worker is an
impossible termination. Impossible be-
cause the workers who are left idle can
not remain without some kind of SUBJ
sistence and will be too numerous, and,
let US hope. too high-sFirited to be
maintained on charity. IF the capitalist
system can invent or develop 81 means
for slencing hungry men without satis-
flying their hunger, then our great COM
mercial system might be 3aved and the
reign of pruft-mongeriny Indefinitely
prolonged. But there isno evidence of
such an undesirable elnsunmation.
The only thing that we can expect will
be that as men begin to feel keenly the
pinch of the system their wits will be
auickened ard they will insist upon
some other system, in which Il will be
impossible for cunning iclers to thrive
at the expense of the Industrious work
ers. On every hand t9ere ia signs of
changes in our industrial system that
will force men to think Of the inlquities
which must c>me about when themeans
by which all are to live are allowed to be
the private property ofa few. -,
~
Englishmen are supposed 10 be too
practical and have too much keen COM
mon sense to consider UtopiaIl projects
of Socialism or Communism, but We
NAV before long find that these gifts
with which the English are credited will
be the means.of enabling them to see
through system which IS SO hopelessly
bad IN its workings as the present one.
Anyhow tits comfort to reflect that
the masses win not have, to wait for
change until some party educates them
up to new principles. The change will
come when the time is ripe--and the
rlpeni ng goes on fast-aad the logic OF
events will complete whit the Socialist
propaganda leaves unfinished.
- ,tst
This above said propaganda is pro-
crossing in a strange but satisfactory
way. Not perhaps verv satisfactory on
the face of it, but still not at all d'scour-
aging to those whose hetrts are in itand
who are not inclined to be foo hyper
critical. The ideas are being pushed
and are pushing their own way in all di-
rections; the discussion on the question
has long since passed into the serious
stage, and there is every ground for.
hope that the number of Socialists will
steadily increase.
The Socialist parties here are
now increased The Social Democratic
Federation keeps its head above water,
Its reputation has been greatly soiled by
its action in the recent elections, and
practically no efforts have been made to
remove the stains A charge was made
against it that money had been accepted
from the tories with which to promote
the parliamentary. can lidature of two
social democrats. MOI thar the tories
wanted social democrats returned, but
that they thought the votes spent upon
them would decrease the votes given to
liberals and thus Imprt,ve the chances OF
the tories. If the story istrue the tories
made a bad bargain, as all the votes
given to the two social democrats would
have made no appreciate difference in
the result of the election.
~
Is the story true? This question I am
unable to answer, Tie denial put for
ward by the Federation is qualified in
dozen different ways; any Of which
makes the denial not denial, and
all of which help to make the affair look
extremely suspicious. When the charge
,,,,r n. IL !. c.o:.l r><,,, r.,rat III, Eodor