The Slaithwaite Guardian and Colne Valley News. — 1897-04-09 (Slaithwaite, West Yorkshire, England)

THE GUARDIAN  FRIDAY, APRIL 9TH, 1897.  Is the Independent The I.L.P. and Labour Party a socialSocialism. istic organisation ? D i oes t exist to advocate certain economic ideals made in France and Germany? We believe the fairest answer to these questions is in the affirmative. Thorough going members of the I.L.P. are to all intents and purposes Socialists. Our readers will remember that various attempts have been made to give the Party a more distinctive socialistic name ; but for prudential and technical reasons the majority have 'pronounced against such a change. Some are either afraid or ashamed to be known as Socialists, though they do not object to advocate socialistic doctrine under what may 'be called an assumed name. This is not very creditable to them. But after all, what's in a name? A Socialist is a Socialist even if he calls himself Liberal or Conservative. A man most truly reveals himself, not in his name, but in his opinions and principles. The I.L.P. is only a wing of the Socialist army; there are other organisations devoted to the propagation of revolutionary, social and economic doctrines. During the past ten years especially, Socialism has made mote or less progress, not only in Great Britain but on the Continent of Europe and in America. It thrives best, and naturally so, among the poor, the oppressed, the disaffected. The promise of the social millennium, which some of the orators of this cult make with all the confidence of infallible prophets, impresses the imagination of these classes, and some look for its dawn almost at once, only, of course, to be greviously disappointed. Professor Flint says in his penetrating work on Socialism : "In Spain and Italy it (Socialism) has taken a strong hold on the peasantry, who are, in many districts, generally oppressed by excessive rent and taxation, and the result has been seen in various local insurrections. . .  In Belgium, which has a dense manufacturing population, and where labour is very poorly remunerated, Socialistic doctrines and schemes are probably more prevalent than in any other country." These facts prove our statement. Socialism appeals to the poor and the oppressed, because it goes to them with promises of social redemption. But it is our opinion that the ultimate re-organisation of society will not be accomplished by the moderm Socialism, or on its lines. Its ideals are too much in the air, too visionary, too Utopian. But Socialism has done so much for humanity, it has indicated some of its sores, it has proved that there is great unrest and oppression among certain classes, and it has given statesmen and politicians a pretty broad hint that these social ailments should be seriously, promptly and effectively dealt with. Having accomplished this, it has little else to do except to keep the facts before the country, for we canoot imagine that Socialism—the Socialism of Marx and Bax and Nunquam—will ever be established either in these lands, or in the world at large. This Socialism, we believe, is being found out. Men want something more rational and tangible and possible, something that takes cognisance of their whole nature and needs. We will regale our readers with a few quotations from Mr. Bax in justification of our assertions. He opposes Socialism to patriotism. " For the Socialist," says this prophet, "the word frontier does not exist ; for him, love of country, as such, is no nobler sentiment than love of class. The blustering 'patriot' bigot, big with England's glory, is precisely on a level with the bloated plutocrat, proud to belong to that great middle class ' which he assures you is the backbone of the nation. . . . The establishment of Socialism, therefore, on any national or race basis, if out of the question. No, the foreign policy of the great international Socialist l'arty must be to break up those hideous race monopolies called empires, beginning in each case at home." The italics are ours. Will the above ever be the faith and programme of the majority of the electors at home or abroad? This prophet of a new era has a , theory of justice, which, we think, will not be generally adopted for some centuries, if ever, land he sets it forth in the following remarkable sentences—" The Socialist idea of justice is crystalised in the notion of one absolute right of the community to the possession or control (at least) of all the wealth not intended for direct personal usel, hence the abolition of the individual possession and control of such property, or, in other words, its confiscation, is the first expression of Socialistic justice." He passes to an inquiry as to the ways and means of acquiring this new fangled justice, "and the only answer is how you can " ; and "one would like it to come as drastically as , possible." Such is one phase of the ethics of modern Socialism. We are not astonished, therefore, to find that Mr. Bax identifies Socialism with Materialism, and in this, as in other matters, he has, unfortunately, a , considerable following. " It (Socialism) I utterly despises the other world' with all the stage properties—that is, the present objects of religion." All we can say is that a system which despises the present objects of religion, either does not understand what those objects are, or is guilty of advocating  social, moral and spiritual suicide. We could give more from this point of socialistic dogma, but enough has been said in justification of our assertions. Our sympathies are with the poor and oppressed ; our hope is that their wrongs and grievances may be speedily redressed. But we have no faith in such sentimental sophisms as delight the average Socialist. Castles in the air give pleasure to the imagination, but it is folly to wish to live in them. The ultimate social redemption of the masses will be achieved, we believe, on such lines as Trades Unionism, Co-operation, Temperance, individual selfrespect, and the application of the golden rule. That a change in our social organisation will come is certain ; that it ought to come is the deep conviction of thousands who are not Socialists ; and if the working classes have half an eye to their own material, as well as higher, advancement, they will identify themselves with reliable principles.