Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1888-01-07
ANNIE BESANT
Tells Why She Is a Socialist-A Good
Name.

IL pO' ldllst. Uu uOI ultdll W
say you are Socialists :" Such is the
exclamation with which any one who
adopts the much hated name of So
clalist is sure to be greeted in "polte
society,"" A Socialist is supposed to
60 about with his pocket full of
bombs and his mind full of assassin
ations; he is a kind of wild beast, to
be hunted down with soldiers if he
lives under Bismarck; with snecrs,
abuse and petty prosecutions if he
lives under Victoria. The very
wildness of the epithets launched at
him, however, shows how much
there is of fear in the hatred with
which he is regarded; and his oppo-
nents by confning themselves to
mere abuse, confess that they find
themselves unable to cope with him
intellectually. Prejudice and pas
sion, not reasone,. arguments, are
the weapons relied on for his destruc-
ton. Once let the working classes
understand what Socialism really is,
and the present system is doomed;
it is therefore of vital necessity that
they shall be prevented from calmly
studying its proposals, and shall be
so deafened by the clamor against it
that they shall not hear The "stiIl
small voice" of reason. | do not
challenge the effectiveness of the
policy-for a time. 1t has been the
policy of the governing classes
against every movement that has
been aimed against their privileges;
radicalism has been served in exactly
similar fashion, and now that radi-
calism has grown SO strong that it
can no longer be silenced by clamor,
it is the turn of Socialism to pass
through 4 like probation. There is
always an ugly duckling in society's
brood; how else should be maintained
the succession of swans?
With a not inconslderabIe number
of persons the prejudice against the
name of Socialist is held to be valid
reason fol- not adopting it, and it is
thought wiser to advocate the the
thing without affronting theantagon-
ism aroused against the name. With
such a policy have never had any
sympathy. 1t seems to me the wiser,
as we'll as the franker course, to
boldly wear any name which express
es an opinion held, and live down
the prejudice it may awaken. The
name Socialist is in itself a fine name,
denoting as it does the social union;
it is the recognized label of the
school which holds as its central
doctrine that land and the means Of
production should be the property
of the social union, ard not OF the
privileged individuals in it; it is the
one name which is recognized the
world over as the name of those who
are opposed to political, religious
and social tyranny in every land;
of those who look with brotherly
sympathy on the efforts of every na-
ton which is struggling for its free
doom; of those who are on the side
Of the poor and the toiling every
where; of those who recognize no
barriers of nationality, of class or of
creed, but who see a brother in every
worker, friend in every lover Of
the people. Every political name is
of the country in which it is born;
but the name Socialist, like the name
atheist, is Of no one land; 1t is valid
IN every country; it is whispered on
Russian steppe, in German field, in
French city, in Italian vineyard;
wherever it is heard the chains OF
the captive for a moment seem light
er, for hope has lifted them, and the
careworn faces of the toilers brighten,
as the CLEAN from asunnier day gilds
the tools over which they bow.