The Labor enquirer., 1888-02-18
LONDON LETTER
Remarkable Revolutionary
Progress In Great
Britain.
RADICALIsI IN The AIR.
Stirring Events Near The Continent
Ready 10 Blaze Notes On the
General situation.

Editor Labor Enquirer.
AT present there is a lull in the
atmosphere. and affairs generally
are quiet; most people, however,
believe that this is not likely to
last long. Already in South Lon
don the unemployed are beginning
to stir, and the great wave of agi-
tation which eliminated in the
battle Of Trafalgar square has
passed, yet there are still others
to follow.
What would strike stranger
who had visited London two or
three years back would be the diff
ference of the attitude assumed
towards socialism and socialists
by the members of various liberal
and radical organizations. A few
years ago, to these people, social
lists were a lot of visionaries,
fools, or tricksters, and socialism
an impossible dream. Now the
most advanced socialist theories
are received with respect; and So
cialism is not only deemed worthy
of discussion but even of support.
Nay, since the now historic day
of bludgeons, the mild peace at
any price" radicals have been
heard using language which the
most violent OF the socialists in
his hercest moments could hardly
outdo. For example, at Hyde
park on Sunday, November 20,
one orator produced a revolver
and advised the people to arm,
advice which was received with
the most vehement applause. And
il you desire to hear the hercest
invective against the police, you
will not go into the ranks of So
cialists. but into an ordinary radi-
cal club, These are some of the
educational results Of a policy Of
coercion.
Nor is this all. the law and lib
crty league, body far more radi-
cal than socialist, is forming itself
into a huge organization; in addi-
ton to vigilance circles which are
to do the ordinary work of the
league, the protection Of the poor
by legal means from legal injus-
tice, a task which some would
think, after the examples recently
furnished in our police courts.
hopeless and Utopian, there are
other circles forming which are
called. after Cromwell's famous
troopers, lronsidcs. The duties
OF these circles are as follows: To
attend any meeting OF which no
ticc is sent from headquarters, and
to follow the directions given; to
carry out directions as to boycott
ting, drilling. etc, that may come
from headquarters; to be willing
to face Imprisonment or personal
injury in carrying out directions.
The cards of the members of these
circles bear as a motto Cromwelrs
words, "men of a spirit-as made
some conscience ofwhat they did.
Your readers will nete that both
cards and directions hint at serious
possibilities.
The organization is simple and
effective. A local center who
must be a person of reliability and
steadiness is chosen for any given
district. Twenty captains" are
next elected, these being also
men of courage and GOODNESS, each
captain enrolls twelve men. A
circle of 24o men can thus be
formed in any part of London.
and any message relating to action
will be sent from headquarters to
local centre, and can be communi-
Gated by him to the captains who
inform their men. BY this arrange
ment it is possible to gather rap
idly and quietly at any given time
strong force Of organized relia-
bic men, who will be ready and
willing to go anywhere and do
anything. That so moderate a
body as the law and liberty league
should think this organization nee
essary is indeed an ominous sign
OF the times. When moderate