The Northwest worker. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1915-1917, 1916-03-16
Old War Horse
Grows Reminiscent

l. 49, - n IA n n u n ~ ~ N - -
ior because their tactics in parlia-
ment were bad, and we thought that
| If they had been more vigorous and
more Independent they would have
done great deal better. Perhaps
we were right; but | am not Trry
confident about It. rather incline to
think that parliament is no good, and
that we wasted our time fighting to
get our men in. | think A. NJ r. will
agree with me that we expected too
much of the Labor M.P.'s and of par
liamentary action | think we shall
agree that It would have paid the
movement great deal better to 90
on teaching Socialism and making
Socialists.
but WHILE these events were I'M
folding thtre were several occasions
upon whijh | came into collision with
some of HE factions of our hetero-
geneous farty. One of these was the
Boer war, when my patriotism Of
Tended the pacifsts and cosmopolitan
sympathizers with the Kaiser and
Kruger plot | need not reopen that
old fued. 1t was a trying time, and
we fought according to our lights.
Another occasion was when | thought
1t necessary to protest against the
pedantry of superstition and the or
ganized forces of professional relig-
ion. Later came the German menace.
There IS no doubt that right up to the
outbreak of war the pacifists had a
support of the majority of the nation
and that | was very generally regard
ed as a militarist crank of n mis-.
chlevous kind"
THE REAL BLATCHFORO
/ In his second installment Batch
ford reveals the fact that he never
has understood and accepted the
principle OF the class struggle De
spite his long years of experience in
the party, the author of "Merrie Eng
land" is still a mere utopian dreamer
a genuine nationalist. Says he:
81 want a kind of happy commun
ity, kind of Merrie England, based
upon conception of common.sense
humanity. | want Britain for the
nil oh no no Ii Of Nov
RE England is only possible by the
adoption of some form of national co
operation, which / call Socialism.
believe that those who feel as / fee
can do no better work than the work
of educating the nation, all classes
and sects, in the principles of com
nonsense humanity, which l call So
cialism. never was revolutionar,
Socialist. That is to say, ! never be
Iieved that Socialism could be estab
lished by revolution, nor that i
could be maintained after revolu
ton. The change can only be made
possible by education. | mean by tn.
education of all classes in the prin
cples of sensible Socialism. Educa
ton will work the change withou
violence and without bitterness. Edu
cation of the kind | mean will Kill
capitalism and competition just al
surely as education killed slavery ant
witchcraft and religious massacre ant
murder. If forty millions out of forty
seven millions understood Socialism
nothing could stop Socialism. 1t woult
establish itself. 1t is, m fact, estab
fishing itself under our eyes, and il
the midst of war.
"The old individualist theory tina
every Briton should be free 70 grail
all he could and use it as he pleased
is a theory that has a wide appea
amongst the British, who are a yer.
individualistic race. But it results il
divided and disorganized nation un
prepared for collective action in com
merce or in arms. Even Liberia
can see that now. Even the mos
cerulean Tory can feel it in his bones
To save our Empire and win the wal