The Washington herald., 1908-02-23
OF LUXURY
Noted Socialist Refuses to
Live in City's Slums.
DECLINES TO COURT MISERY
Famous Novelist Secs No Reason
Why He Ought 10 Miss the Good
Things I'm Life-Takes HIS Holidays
AbrOad-LOses $4,000 Through
SoeiaIism-TraveIs Seeond-cIass.

London. Feb. 22.-H G. Wells, the noted
novelist. having been assaiIed by his
less successful Socialist comrades for
living luxuriously. defends himself thus.
1T is quite true that live IN my own
house with servants and a gardener on
fair and pleasant terms, and that I have
a tennis lawn. garden study, a rock
garden and other luxuries. hardly ever
give s2.6e for a dinner. but I don't see
why should not II I chose. take hoIi-
days abroad
But my chief luxury is Socialism
This has cost me IN time. in energy. and
in damaged sale of books. loss in the
last four years OF at least $1,000. and
is merely the beginning OF the damage IT
viii do TO the solidly worldly success
within my grasp. But IL is quite worth
IL
4 travel second class because I am
not crowded and can read and write let
ters and arrive al my destination better
III for work than II I Travelled third class.
would travel first class II I could af-
FORD II. ! live In comfort and as pleas
antly as possible because so 1 can think
and work without stress. All the think
Independence and leisure.
I mix with all sorts Of people-Peers
pluct0crats. playwrights, bathchalr men.
cressmakers, work girls. and clerks. They
are worth knowing. want 10 go about
freely with and taste the way of living
Of all sorts Of people. want everybody
10 have at least as much ease. leisure
and freedom as myself. That is why I
am a Socialist
No Sense In CourtIng Misery.
But I see no sense in making myself
and my wife uncomfortable and inef-
fcient, cutting myself or from associa-
ton with any but the impoverished class
riskiG the lives and education of my
children by going to live in some infer
nal slum az s. per week. don't believe
in any one living like that, and why
should I set an example7
I think the militant Socialists viii
have to drop this q:leer. unreasonable
idea that every one who becomes a So
cialist has to abandon security. leisure.
and comfort. When a social organization
Will provide young women with a way
Of living more wholesome and interesting
than domestic service. and me and my
wife wiz municipal electricity at a ra-
tional price. and domestic conveniences
and arrangements that will dispense with
hired help. l am quite ready 10 alter my
way of living. But not before.
Socialism is clear sound business
proposition for destroying poverty and
dependence. I don't believe # will be ad-
vanced by fasting and abstinence. but by
talking and writing luminous common
sense TO ordinary, sensible people
mean TO so on working in what l think is
The right way to the best of my ability;
meantime having just as good a time
and as many pleasant things as 1 can.
II other militant Socialists don't Ike my
frank, independent help on these terms
I'm sorry-they will have It Just the
same"
Leaders Have Wealth and Leisure.
Most Of the best-known Socialists here
are men Of wealth and leisure. who never
had evinced any special desire TO divide
up with the rank and file of their com
rades. Bernard Shaw makes 100000
year. has two country houses-one IN
Hertfordshire and another in Cork; has
two fats in London, has motor cars. and
mixes freely in plutocratic society. He
married a woman with a handsome for
tune.
Sidney Webb. another Socialist propa-
gandist, also married a well-dowered
woman II. NJ. Hyndman is q most sue
cessrul mOneymaker by speculation.
Ramsey Macdonald. NJ. P. the secretary
Of the Independent Labor Party. aIsc got
a wife with good income. Philip Snow
den, NJ. p, another feroci0us Socialist,
did likewise. and augments his income
by writing for capitalist newspapers.
The Countess OF Warwick has explain
ed that she would divide her worldly
goods with the poor If there was enough
TO go around. She certainly is not now
among the wealthy Socialists.