Evening star., 1938-12-28

He retorted with "Golywog," which
took the crowds fancy and they de-
cided to listen.
BY II. G. WELLS.
CHAPTER XVIII.
Sound and Fury.
Listen to me, brother GollyWog,"
said Rud intensely. And thank
God for those very big ears he's
given you. -. No! Don't start talk
ing till you've heard what I'm going
to say to you. For if there's plat
form worth listening to, today here,
it's this platform I'm on. You don't
know what this popular socialism
means. You never have known.
You're going to know now"
I'VE know right enough" said the
Gollywog "Anti-Red and all that
balderdash! We've heard it a hun
dred times from your trained purple
parrots"
You've heard nothing. You've
Just bawled as you're bawling now.
Listen, I tell you"
Listen to him." said bystander,
and an expert in anti-Bohun tactics
said, Freeze him out"
But there was no freezing out for
Rud. "Good!' he said. Now don't
make mistakes about me, and don't
make mistakes about what's on the
platform this afternoon. You think
I'm one of Lord Horry's paid men.
I'm not. You think I'm sort of
anti - I'd rather be dead"
Horny said" began the Golly-
wog.
All Talking Anti.
II don't care a rap what Horny
said. When Horny talks to you, you
answer Horny. But when I talk to
you. you listen to me-"
But how about -"
Rud raised his voice. 'Listen!" he
shouted.
Look around and listen. Here's
score of platforms and scores of
speakers and what are they talking?
Anti! They want to stop somebody
doing something, but what they want
to do themselves Heaven only knows.
They don't know. Turn out some
body from government, from di-
rection, from ownership and put
them in, and they'll show you. Open
your month and shut your eyes.
That's the dream of all these gentry
who are shouting themselves hoarse
on these platforms. They want to
set you against something. They're
all against something. Up against
something. But what they're for
ah! Wait and see. They want you
to clean up the men in possession,
. and then they will be the men in
possession. And hell OF a lot of
difference that will make to you!
Like your blessed old Labor party
which started out for Socialism in
Our Time and ended in the House
of Lords. You've had that game
played on you often enough. Do
you want it played again?'
We'll, wots yer difference? You
and your Lord Orry!"
Who's talking of Bohun here?"
said Rud.
Well What are you?"
"The common-sense of politics;
that's what we are!"
And what's that?"
Unity! Not 20 platforms all
shouting away through the after
noon to advertise 20 different gangs
of political pushers and welshers,
but One Common Platform to ask
for the things that every man needs.
In spite of that noisy buzzer over
head. Augh! Shut up-up there!
We want one great popular move
ment for social justice wherever the
English language is spoken. That's
what Popular Socialism means.
Certain things are as plain as
pikestaff."
Lordship's Platform.
But Lord 'Orry-"
"Oh damn Lord Horry!" said Rud.
"Here!" said the tall man. You
can't say that"
Shut up" said Rogers with his
beefy shoulder against the chest of
the tall man. Let our man speak,"
But this is his lordship's plat
form. Confound it, mani"
Does it look like that to you? Go
on, Rud, never mind this"
But boys!" said the tall man,
appealing to his stalwarts. He made
a move toward Rud, but he found
Rogers, Steenhold, Bodisham, Figgis
and Redwood intervening. Swift
and venomous undertones passed.
Let the man speak," said the crowd.
Leave him alone, jeans. Damn
Lord Horny! Right you are. Go on
mister What next?"
= We'll, get sick of all this raking-
up of what Mr.. Gladstone said SO
years ago, or what Lord Horatio
r said last spring. Damn this abusive
style anyhow. Do let us talk, for
once, about what all of us want and
all OF us want said now. Now!"
You hear?" said Rogers, still
leading slightly against the tall man.
Don't you know us?" said Irwell.
you've seen us times enough. Can't
you trust your own men?"
But this new chap"
LET him go on" said Steenhold
at the tall mans ear.
1t seemed the easiest thing to
do. The crowd about the platform
was taking notice and growing.
let him speak," they shouted. The
little chap with the big facet"
"He's got to talk our stuff, mind
you" said the tall man yielding.
I'm in charge here"
"Obviously," said Rogers, still
Tending him off, go ahead, Rud."
And Rud went ahead.
Party Of Common Man.
''We've been christened Popular
Socialists and I suppose every move
ment must wear a label, but if I'd
been in at the christening, boys,
should have said the Party of