Montana news. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-191?, 1908-11-26
by GEORGE ID. HEBRON


led as To the nature of the Labor
Parry of Great Britain. when I find
Mr.. Percy Alden interviewed as an
English Socialist I confess to the
same sort of bcwilderment that ] felt
when discovering that certain Euro
pean Socialist leaders were disposed
to consider Mr.. Hearst as the only
consideration. However pleasant "A
parsonage Mr.. Alden is 10 meet. ne
comes about as near being a Socialist
as Senator Beveridge. of Indiana, or
Congressman Burton. of Ohio. Politi-
cally. he is merely the usual Liberal
member of the house OF commons,
with the addition of the conventional
Social Settlement attitude toward
labor. ! think We fall into misunder-
standings of English Socialism through
the patronage of other distinguished
visitors from King Edwards realm. A
benevolent attitude toward the uni
verse I'm general does not constitute a
man "a Socialist i'm either intellectual
understanding or spiritual courage. IL
is curious. in this connection, that
most American visitors get their
knowledge of English Socialism on
tircly outside of the ranks of tn"
English Socialist movement
| have i'm mind three or four books
which contain appar, ntly authoritative
statements of English Socialistic de-
vclopment; yet the authors OF these
books had never met, so far as
could make out, an actual English
Sosialist. Just as curious Is the gem
rral idea among the so-callcd radical
wing of British Liberals and mem-
bers OF the British Labor party that
American Socialism Is tn be found IN
the radfcalism of MIR. Bryan and Mr..
Hearst. And stranger still Is tn"
number of English Socialists and
semi Socialists who come TO America
To study social conditions. make the
rounds of Social Settlements, colleg"
class rooms and democratic politi-
clans and then go home To report on
social and industrial America With
out ever having come i'm touch with
Socialists or the Socialist movement.
| met one such just starting To
America laden with letters of intro
duction from leaders of tn" British
Labor party to divers Americans of
more or les note. but not on" of thVs"
letters was to an American Socialist
Here was AN English Socialist. or
on,, bearing the Socialist uamr AZ
least. crossing the Atlantic To learn
about American Socialism, yet depend
ing for information upon sources en-
tirply outside of the Socialist move
m.nt, most of them loftily either de-
tachrd from IL or hostile tn II, ana
some of them about as far removed
from Socialism as King Edward Is re-
moved from 81. Francis of Assist,
Though the British Labor party Is
admitted To the councils of lnterna-
tionaI Socialism on sufferancr, IL is i'm
no sense "A Socialist party; nor has
il the rcmotest intention of becoming
such. Indeed its most contemptuous
attacks are upon the fundamental So
cialist doctrines and upon the men
who have spent their lives in IN" SER
vice of English Scialism. The most
of the Labor members OF the house
of commons are as little Socialist. in
understanding or sympathy, as MT.
BRYAN or Mr.. Gompers. and they do
NOT i'm fact demand nearly as much
for the workers as Mr.. Hcarsts IN
dependcnt League. ! asked the chalr-
man of the Labor party what ms
party's program might be. Ills reply
was that the party would not be r'auS
for a program for twenty years, In
answer to my next question; What
40 you say to your people when you
go before them as parliamentary can
didatesP" | received this answer
I'VE say that labor ought To have n
larger representation In legislation
than IL now has But what tof!
| asked. To this question ] could get
no answer. -,
IN middle class i'm character and as
piration. IL is To no little extent
tolerated by English capitalism ana
sometimes even welcomed as a pre-
Ventative of Socialism. with all lts
membership there has never been
Socialist speech I'm the house OF com
mons, one who comes to study its
workings upon it's own ground, wlthln
its own constituencies and i'm its par
Elementary activities finds that the
Labor party mentions not Socialism
al all. or speaks of IL apologetcally.
according to whom II appeals.
Even the very much diluted So
cialism of the Independent LABOR
marty. with which the British Labor
marty proper affiliates. has no practi-
cal relation to the politics or poncles
of either party.
Whenever and wherever there IL
an actual Socialist standing for elec-
ton to parliament the Labor party
either holds ostentationsly aloot or
supports another candidate, or eagerly
awaits the Socialist candidates defeat
To saw nothing of the recent flagrant
examples of Bundee and Newcastle, In
which instances the Labor party was
yehemently condemned by even the
Fabians. the candidature of Mr.. Her
bert Burrows furnishes a typical IN
stance. When Burrows, whom
everybody loves ana nonoIs'' Mho 7"
ANYTHING but "A MARKHAM doctrinaire'
made his splendid Socialist campaign
i'm the Haggerston district OF London,
only the Labor party held wholly
aIoof. Trade unionists, woman sur
fragists, social settlement workers.
Church of England clergymen, and al
sorts of enthusiastic and unexpected
effort, Joined the Social Democratic
party in Its purpose TO send TINS
gracious and noble Socialist veteran 10
the house of commons. The streets
of Haggerston were as III throngeu
with some vast and glad religious re-
yival, and all London was excited as
TO the outcome. while capitalist money
was poured out without stint TO pre-
vent Burrows election. IL Is one OF
the things | shall never forget, that OF
seeing Hyndman and the old Socialist
guard. surviving from the days OF
Marx and william Morris, speaking
upon the same street corners ana
from the same platforms with women
like Gertrude Toynbee and priests IKE
Conrad Noel. all equally urgent TOT
Burrows. and for the Socialist victory
his election would mean. Worn ana
haggard men and women from the