The Socialism of to-day

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Monograph

Identifikator:: 835096955

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-28834

Document type:: Monograph

Author:: Laveleye, Émile de

Title:: The Socialism of to-day

Place of publication:: London

Publisher:: Field & Tuer

Year of publication:: 1884

Scope:: 1 Online-Ressource (XLIV, 331 S.)

Collection:: Economics Books

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310 SOCIALISM IN ENGLAND. tion given to social subjects in the Church Congresses, the revival of guilds and of religious communities in the Church of England, most of which are Socialistic in principle, and many of the latter—the brotherhoods and sisterhoods—even Com munistic in practice, seem to bear out Mr. Headlam’s statement. Among the various Dissenting communities, too, Christian Socialism appears to be gaining ground, though they have no such organized Socialist body as the Guild of St. Matthew, nor do they share its peculiar views as to the nature of theft. Dr. Parker, in opening the autumn session (1884) of the Congregational Union, said, “ The land could not always be held as it was in England to-day. But the rearrangement of its tenure must express in its altered and popularized terms the moral preparedness of the people, and therefore have no taint of injustice to proprietors.” He is also stated to have said that he and his party “ would abet and sanction no public burglary,” and to have bidden his hearers beware lest “ the word Christian be only the handle with which the knife Socialism is worked.” I have now to notice a socialistic movement conducted by a group of men who differ widely from all other sections of Socialists in England : a group of men in whose eyes Lord Salisbury is a “ marauder,” Mr. Chamberlain a “ slave-driver,” and the leaders of the Trades Unions—that “ aristocracy of labour ”—the hireling tools of the capitalists ; a group who think that Mr. George is “ tilting at windmills,” and look upon him as, except on one point (the “ windmills ”), “ a typical middle- class reformer, believing in the virtues of free contract and com petition ; ” who sneer at the Christian Socialists, and “ utterly despise the other world with all its stage properties ; ” who have accepted Das Kapital as their Bible, and who look for a new world “ presenting itself,” as their ablest writer, Mr. Belfort Bax, says, “ in industry as Co-operative Communism, in politics as International Republicanism, and in religion as Atheistic Humanism,”—a world which they fondly hope will be brought forth “after the agonized throes of Revolution.” This group of persons, of whom Mr. William Morris, the famous poet and artist,* and Miss Helen Taylor, step-daughter of J. S. Mill, were * Mr. Morris has written, in his usual charming style, a little pamphlet

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