New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-05-09
A CONSER VA1IYE NOVEL.
SOCIALISM AND ROMANCE.
DEMOS, A Story Of English Socialism. Pp 104.
Harper a Brothers.

lll9 DOCK mas CauSbu u LusiIbu htoi"
circles, and not without reason. 1t is powerfu
story, on o subject just now OF general interest.
exhibits q remarkable knowledge Of the habits Of
Thought and action of the British working classes
and also of tho bomgooisie OF middle class. The
story follows the fortunes of family in thu
working class, the head Of which, Richard
Mutimer is socialist. BY the supposed intestacy
of an uncle this family is suddenly raised tc
afIluence Richard resolves to put his socialist
theories In practice by establishing extensive
works the employees In which are to be treated
philanthropcally, and the profits Of which are to
90 in aid of the socialist propaganda The effect o.
the change of fortune upon this family Is very
slllfully developed. The youngest brother, AIRY
being naturally without pith, goes promptly and
hopelessly to the bad The pretty daughter Alice,
learns to read silly novels and from bright Cir
becomes q vulgar young woman. The poor mother
too old to change, and wise enough to foresee the
danger OF the situation, propheses evil and ciings
stubbornly to her old habits as far as is possible.
The most disastrous change, however, passes upon
Richard Mutner. He had the abilities to secure
for himself respectable position in his class With
tho sudden widening of his horizon ambitions
appear which wreck his moral character. He had
been engaged to Emma Vine, young seamstress
and beautiful and noble spirit in fact one of the
strongest creations in the book. He sees Adela
Waltham, the daughter of a reduced gentewoman,
and his loyalty to Emma vanishes. Step by step,
deuding himself constantly with the pretence that
he is somehow helping the cause" he descends to
the utmost baseness. He jits the poor girl to
whom he is promised in the most sneaking and I'M
manly way lie marries Adea, who does not love
him. but who is trallicked away by her weak, mis-
chieyous but we'll meaning mother The results Of
this marriage, the futillty of the attempt to ANAL
gamate the upper and lower classes, the steady
deterioration Of all the people who have been
dragged from their natural sphere and given
wealth which they have not the knowledge to
expend wisely, are strikingly exhibited.
Incidentally much light is thrown upon English
socialism. 1t is seen in several aspects. There is
the so-called socialism of the working classes
which is represented little else than willingness
to 20 to assembly rooms and listen to ranting
speakers whose abuse of capitalists tickes the
ears of the audience without suggesting to them
any change in their habits Of life. After these
speeches they adjourn to the public houses and
over a social glass criticise the orators freely,
laughing among themselves at the revolutionary
sentiments and not affecting to regard them as any
thing but claptrap. The conservatism OF the
British workingman is well illustrated, and the
superficial character of his dalliance
with socialist doctrines. Then there is the philo
sophie socialism Of Mr. Westake possibly meant
to represent William Norris, who edits socialist
journal of sem-esthctlc character, and has
young wife whose exalted ideas fascinate every
one. but are at the same time thoroughly i'm
practical. Finally there is the small band of ex-
tremists who swear by The 7ocsin, sheet of The
Freihet type which approves assassination, advises
the worKngmcn to arm" and INDUCES in all the
lncendIarlsm that can be ventured upon without
an Indictment The Tocsin is read with a
certain relish, for your British workingnan likes
plenty of SAVIOR in all his food. both physical and
intellectual, and whether eating picked whelks at
a street stall or purveying his Sunday literature he
insists on hot and spicy provender; pepper and
vinegar ia abundance.
So he reads The Tocsin and approves the hard
names il applies to tho bloatcd capitalists" But
when it comes to leaving the work that brings him
bis weekly wages, in order to parade about the
streets to get in collision with the police, this
ukewarm socialist will none OF it, AS to The Tieru
Cross, Mr.. Westlake's organ, it naturally tends
more and more to deep philosophic argument, and
being above the heads of the masses, becomes a
sort of exercise-grcupd for young university men
who have read Lasalle and Marx, and think they
hold advanced" views Richard Mutimer, by
he discovery of his unce's will, loses his fortune
md drops back into the ranks of labor. lie
lspires to be great leader of the new movement,
,ut his comrades have really ceased to trust him.
When he became q capitalist, suspicion of his
motives crept in and besides this the story of his
reason to poor Emma Vino had been bruited
,bout and made him many enemies He conceives a
lew scheme for employing tho savings OF working
men, and persuades many to entrust small sums to
lin for investment In this his intentions are
honest, but he is made the dupe of Adventures. a
errible scene occurs at a neetng called to explain
L ALTERS and in a rot.whch follows Lie IS killed.
The story. of which very imperfect outline only
here given is full of sound reflection and vivid
description. But 1t is ESSENTIALLY English in the
bought that underhes il, and though the nature of
hat thought does not seem to have been perceived
~ the native critics. to an American reader 1t is
"Demos teaches the mmutabilty of
lass distinctions, and consequently, the futilty
Il the socialist. nay, of the democratic movement
t is not the lack of knowledge, of education, that
wrecks the Mutimers git Is the want of that
ubte, indefnable superiority of character which
assumed to be incapable of attainment save
through generations of the higher culture. Every |
where the theory is indirectly impressed upon US
hat there exist moral class atmospheres, to
peak, which can neither DO changed nor elimin |
ted. Richard Mutimer, we are made to feel |
ould never have become a gentleman. The faint |
# his descent must cling to him to tho last. Adela
lis well-born wife, on the other hand, could never |
% less than lady. and her social superiority IS as
apparent when she Is cooking her husbands dinner
n a musty London lodging house as when she Is
Presiding at her own table in the manor house.
The philosophy of Demos " is in fact an old
ashloned Tory one. 1t is uttered by Hubert Eldon
nd Vicar Wyvern very plainly toward the end of
he book. 1t involves the belief that modern
progress is all wrong that the masses are really
lot unhappy at all; that possessing lower sensbil-
ties and desires and aptitudes, they can enjoy life
mite as much as their social betters do; that work
nd wages sufficient should satisfy them and
would but for the pernicious chatter of philan-
hropic and ,cialist writer's that the really I'M
ortunate class to-day consists of those who are
ducated beyond their positions and opportunities,
rocu rear are doomed to hopeless poverty.
In short the story is protest against democratic
rogress quite rs much picture OF the socialist
loyement in England 1t is written with rare
orce and still depth of reelection 1t exhibits
18th pitiless clearness many of the evils which
scm inseparable from modern civilization. BIT at
alto II Ia an pxnrpSsion of that at m |