Evening star., 1908-01-26
QUESTION FORCED EARLY
Country Is Not Yet Ripe for the
Radical Program.
LEADERS REALIZE THIS IS SO
If a General Election Should Be
Called Now They Would Go to
Certain Defeat.


Special Cahlegram to The Star
LONDON. January 25.-America and
he rest of the western world is as deeply
concerned as Great B itan itself in the
great campaign which opened In this
country during the present week. A pow
erful political party has raised the red
Gag of socialism and all the other issu :
will dwarf into insignificance until the
social revolution succeeds or is defeated.
1t is a good thing that the issue has
been forced upon the British people thus
premaiutely No one regrets so much
the vote of the labor party congress in
favor of out-and-out socialism so much
as the shrewdest socialist leaders them
selves Converts OF their tremendous;
propaganda of the past eighteen months
got out of hand at the Hull conference
and, despite the protests of their more
canny leaders. they nailed the red banner
10 the mast Their demand is for the
socialization of the means of production
which. of course, is the tull program of
collectivism. 1t means government land,
government crops. government manufac-
turers, government railroads, government
commerce and government employment
except in domestic service. In fact, So
cialism. pure and simple.
Masses Are Unaffected.
The conference which voted that pro-
gram represented membership of about
million voters. They expect to add
another half million next month. when
tire miners union will vote on the ques-
ton of joining the labor patty. They
represent also great body OF socialist
sentiment of the country outside of those
officially identified with the movement
Nevertheless, they do not represent the
majority OF Englishmen as it would b.
recorded if they could declare it at the
polls in the near future.
Socialism has become. however a great
aowe-' in the land and it dominates tn
present government. 1t is not a case of
he tail wagging the dog, but it means
the death of the dog. The liberal
party can no longer exist as at
present constituted. The party contains
many members to whom socialism is an
anathema. Protection and other unionist
doctrines are trifling abhorrences COM
misrepresentation. They will desert the
liberal party in thousands. They have
shown this already in the. Mid-Devon
election.
Mid-Devonshire Reverse.
A constituency which never before
elected a unionist member threw over
board the liberal candidate by decisive
majority. The unionist press has been
oil tl.;.
full victory .or tariff reform 1t was
nothing of the sort, and both sides have
been too blinded by pa.tisanslrip to see
its true significance. Mid-Devonshire
simply recorded it's protest against the
rising tide of socialism as shown in paria-
Inent and throughout the country. The
great middle class, which, when it unites
controls this and most other counties, has
not become dangerously infected with
the political poison which thus far has
had for Its victims certain so-called in
teilectuals and the great body of the less
masses.
There is reason to hope that the alarm
has been sounded in time thanks to the
OF the too headstrong con
yerts. 1t Is not even certain that the
whole body of trades unionism will abide
by Wednesdays declaration at Hull. The
rank and Tile OF many unions have SUI
iicient knowledge OF human nature and
political envy TO realize that the social
istic theories have no better chance OF
practical success than in their long his
tory of failures. They are sufficiently nu-
lne.ous to cause serious split in tn,
labor party. which is already anticipated
by some socialist leaders.
Mine Federation Is Alert.
Another argument which appeals to
them and especially to the members of
the miners federation who may hesitate
long before throwing in their lot with the
new program of the labor party is that
the unions have large funds which, ac-
cording to socialist ideas. they would be
to throw into the common cause.
Some of the socialist leaders appealed
in vain to the Hull conference TO defer
its socialist declaration until the miners
actually joined them. Several
prominent leaders of the miners are al
ready warning their followers not to vote
for amalgamation. On this account the
unionists party naturally rejoices that the
hand of the socialist party has been
forced.
Many of it's members are patriotic
enough not to seek to turn the situation
merely to partisan advantage. The emer-
gency is serious enough to induce them
not to use this opportunity to force un-
willing allies to accept partisan meas
ures while combating a greater national
danger.
Point to America.
The Generalization of the liberals is, of
course, widespread. 1t is, announced to-
night that Premier Campbell -Bannerman.
who has just returned after his holiday,
is Ill, and will be unable to attend the
meeting of the privy council at Windsor.
This Is believed to foreshadow his early
retirement. The socialist leaders them
selves are apprehensive because they
hoped that their sympathizers in America
might take the field first in making social
ism a national issue.
They are fond of telling their followers
that the movement in the United States
is in an advanced stage. and is almost
ready to sweep the country. They know
now that England is to be the first battle
field and they know also that decisive
defeat here will mean deadly blow to
the cause throughout the world. Their
apprehension is we'll grounded, for Eng
land will not at their bidding plunge
herself into social revolution.