In spite of Irish Coercion Acts, wars against freedom in South Africa and Egypt, emigration swindles, Cobden Club dinners, and the ceaseless hypocrisy of a bogus monarchy, there still exists a Radical party in this country. With the parliamentary leaders of that party, or the phalanx of factory lords which supports it in the hope that such a party may still mean reasonable liberty - to sweat the workers at its pleasure; with these we have nothing to do, not even to warn them of the change which is coming over the face of European civilization.
But beyond and besides these there are all those whom they have led into their pinfold of so-called practical politics, wherein they were to be comfortable for ever - if the laws of supply aid dema... (From: Marxists.org.) The village of Kelmscott lies close to the Thames on the Oxfordshire side of it,
some five miles (by water) from the present end of the navigation at Inglesham,
where the Colne, coming down from Fairford, Bibury and Cedworth, joins the main
stream of the Thames.
Kelmscott lies on the plain of the Thames Valley, but the ground rises up from it
gradually, with little interruption of the rise, till the crest of the ridge is
gained which lies between Oxfordshire and Worcestershire, culminating in the
Broadway Beacon some thirty miles from Kelmscott. To the N.E. of the village lies
the nearly treeless piece of ground formerly Grafton Common, and beyond it is a
string of p... (From: Marxists.org.) By the word Architecture is, I suppose, commonly understood the art of ornamental
building, and in this sense I shall often have to use it here. Yet I would not like
you to think of its productions merely as well constructed and well proportioned
buildings, each one of which is handed over by the architect to other artists to
finish, after his designs have been carried out (as we say) by a number of
mechanical workers, who are not artists. A true architectural work rather is a
building duly provided with all necessary furniture, decorated with all due
ornament, according to the use, quality, and dignity of the building, from mere
moldings or abstract lines, to the great epical works of... (From: Marxists.org.) Source: “The Great Coal Strike” Commonweal, Vol 6, No. 219, 22 March 1890, p.91; Transcribed: by Ted Crawford. The great coal strike is ominous of coming changes, and cannot be looked on as even a great strike might have been a few years ago. The demands of the miners are so moderate, and so uncomplicated with any difficulties as to method of employment and the like, and moreover, the business facts on which the strike is based are so clear and so much in favor of the men, that it was expected in many quarters that the masters would give in at once, and in ordinary times they would have done so. The fact that they are preparing for an obstinate resistance shows that they are not so much thinking of the present strike as of their... (From: Marxists.org.) The Hackney Liberals have returned Professor Stuart by a sufficiently large majority, and the Liberal press has been engaged in singing the praises of the new member; who it seems is the very pattern of a useful politician and much advanced thinker; this may be, but if a man is to be judged by his utterances we take the liberty of thinking all this jubilant praise a little overdone. If Professor Stuart has very advanced opinions he at least did not venture to put them forward even before such a very Radical constituency as Hackney; in point of fact so-called "fair-trade" and so-called free-trade seem to have been the issues joined at Hackney; and, ably as this subject was treated in JUSTICE in a late number, we may in passing once more call... (From: Marxists.org.) The case of the Hammersmith costermongers has already been briefly alluded to in JUSTICE: it is what is commonly called a 'hard case;' a phrase however which means very different things according to the position of those to whom it is applied, meaning to some people the loss of a hundred pounds or so, which everybody can see they ought not to lose, but which loss will only inconvenience them; while to others it means the loss of livelihood; which latter loss is to be dreaded by the Hammersmith costermongers, especially if the other local boards imitate the conduct of the Hammersmith magnates. The facts if the readers have not noticed them are briefly these: the costermongers have been used from time immemorial to hold a curb-stone market in... (From: Marxists.org.) This eloquent and enthusiastic American writer and agitator has been among us for three months working hard to push what he believes to be the true remedy for our terrible social ills, some acknowledgment of which at least he has forced from the better part of the middle-classes. It is impossible not to feel sympathy and regard for a man of this kind, in whose most bitter attacks there is still an attractive kindliness, and whose earnest faith and simplicity cover over with a rude eloquence the grave mistakes which to others seem to lie at the foundation of all his teaching. It is indeed refreshing in days like these, when cynicism and contempt for all self-sacrifice are so often taken as the test marks of the higher culture, to find a man ... (From: Marxists.org.) A correspondent having written to our Committee informing us that the Charity
Commissioners had agreed to a plan for pulling down and reconstructing the
buildings of High Wycombe Grammar School, we deputed one of our members to visit
and report on them: the information we have received from him seems so important
that I venture to address you on the subject.
The building that originally stood on the site was a leper hospital, founded in or
before the twelfth century; at the Dissolution alterations were made in it to fit
it for a grammar school. What building was then done was modernized in the present
century, but there still remains a late Norman hall, of about 64 ft. by 3... (From: Marxists.org.) To give anything like a history of the art of pattern-designing would be impossible
within the limits of one lecture, for it would be doing no less than attempting to
tell the whole story of architectural or popular art, a vast and most important
subject. All I can pretend to do at present is to call your attention to certain
things I have noticed in studying the development of the art of pattern-designing
from ancient times to modern, and to hint at certain principles that have seemed to
me to lie at the bottom of the practice of that art, and certain tendencies which
its long course has had. Even in doing this I know I shall have to touch on
difficult matters and take some facts for ... (From: Marxists.org.) Source: “Home Rule or Humbug” Commonweal, Vol 2, No. 24, 26 June 1886, p.100-101; Transcribed: by Ted Crawford. It would be but waste of time to go through all the election addresses of even the principal leaders of parties which have been put before the public during the last few days; but those addresses, and the reception of Mr Gladstone on his journey northward, seem to foreshadow the nature and issue of the coming contest, and a few words seem desirable about it. Mr Gladstone has definitely given up his Bill, and takes his stand on the principle of a parliament for Ireland. It is clear that this may mean compromise — that he is prepared to accept something less like independence than the Bill intended; but it may not ... (From: Marxists.org.) Source: “Honesty is the Best Policy 1, Commonweal, 12 November 1887; Transcribed: by Ted Crawford. [A Dialogue between Mr James Brown, a business man, and Mr Olaf Evans, a kind of artist and literary man; neighbors.]
Scene — A Suburban Highway, tending townward.
Evans (turning round as Brown catches him up on the road). Well, Brown, you look in a deuce of a hurry this morning.
Brown (sulkily). And you look as if you have no need to hurry.
E. No, I haven’t — because I must write my own books and paint my own pictures myself — but don’t be in such a hurry, old man; its a long time since I have had a talk with you, although we live next door but one to each other.
B. (testily) No, no, its all very well ... (From: Marxists.org.) Source: “Honesty is the Best Policy 2, Commonweal, 19 November 1887; Transcribed: by Ted Crawford. [A Dialogue between Mr James Brown, a business man, and Mr Olaf Evans, a kind of artist and literary man; neighbors.]
PART II
Scene — A Room in Mr Olaf Evan’s house, a good deal littered with odds and ends of art and literature; pipes and tobacco, and materials for grog on the table; in a conspicuous place a rather large bundle of MS.
Brown. Well, you see I've come.
Evans. Yes, and thank you for coming. Do you know, this morning you were very nearly quarreling with me. However, let us hope the Bruce will mend all that.
B. (hastily, and looking furtively at the MS.) Oh Yes, I was glad to come and have a talk with a neighb... (From: Marxists.org.) 'And the men of labor spent their strength in daily struggling for bread to maintain the vital strength they labor with: so living in a daily circulation of sorrow, living but to work, and working but to live, as if daily bread were the only end of a wearisome life, and a wearisome life the only occasion of daily bread.'--DANIEL DEFOE.
I know that a large proportion of those here present are either already practicing the Fine Arts, or are being specially educated to that end, and I feel that I may be expected to address myself specially to these. But since it is not to be doubted that we are ALL met together because of the interest we take in what concerns these arts, I would rather address myself to you ALL as representing the ... (From: Marxists.org.) So when they heard her voice they came thither flockmeal, and a great throng mingled of many kindreds was in the Hall, but with one consent they made way for the Children of the Wolf to stand nearest to the dais. So there they stood, the warriors mingled with the women, the swains with the old men, the freemen with the thralls: for now the stay-at-homes of the House were all gotten into the garth, and the more part of them had flowed into the feast-hall when they knew that the fire was slackening.
All these now had heard the clear voice of the Hall-Sun, or others had told them what had befallen; and the wave of grief had swept coldly over them amid their joy of the recoverance of their dwelling-place; yet they would not wail nor cry a... (From: Marxists.org.) Let us on this matter be sure of one thing that as long as there are poor people they will be poorly housed; those of our philanthropists who have really dealt with the subject practically have no doubt about that; and consequently all their endeavors are turned to one end, trying namely to get the "poor" a little less disgracefully housed than they are at present; what they hope to accomplish is very little indeed, and they are so well aware of the difficulties of their accomplishing even this little, that they are terrified at the expression of any hope of realizing a higher standard of comfort in this matter of housing than their most miserable palliation of the evil; because they cannot help feeling that the hope of Revolution must cons... (From: Marxists.org.) I am asked by the Editor to give some sort of a history
of the above conversion, and I feel that it may be of some use to do so, if my
readers will look upon me as a type of a certain group of people, but not so easy
to do clearly, briefly and truly. Let me, however, try. But first, I will say what
I mean by being a Socialist, since I am told that the word no longer expresses
definitely and with certainty what it did ten years ago. Well, what I mean by
Socialism is a condition of society in which there should be neither rich nor poor,
neither master nor master's man, neither idle nor overworked, neither brain-sick
brain workers, nor heart-sick hand workers, in a word, in which all men ... (From: Marxists.org.) What I have to say to you relates to matters that may be discussed among
Socialists, mingled or not with their declared opponents, but
is can not be altogether a matter of
controversy among Socialists. I want to give you my personal view
of the Promised Land of Socialism, with the hope of eliciting an account
of the views of several of this audience; and I do not think the hour and
a half so employed ought to be waste time if we tell each other honestly and as
clearly as we can what our ideals are, if we have any, or confess to our having
none if that is the case. We are engaged in a common adventure for the present,
the destruction abolition of the individual
ownership or monopoly of the means of production; the attainment of
th... (From: Marxists.org.) The word Revolution, which we Socialists are so often forced to use, has a terrible
sound in most people's ears, even when we have explained to them that it does not
necessarily mean a change accompanied by riot and all kinds of violence, and cannot
mean a change made mechanically and in the teeth of opinion by a group of men who
have somehow managed to seize on the executive power for the moment. Even when we
explain that we use the word revolution in its etymological sense, and mean by it a
change in the basis of society, people are scared at the idea of such a vast
change, and beg that you will speak of reform and not revolution. As, however, we
Socialists do not at all mean by our ... (From: Marxists.org.) By the ideal book, I suppose we are to understand a book not limited by commercial
exigencies of price: we can do what we like with it, according to what its nature,
as a book, demands of Art. But we may conclude, I think, that its maker will limit
us somewhat; a work on differential calculus, a medical work, a dictionary, a
collection of statesmen's speeches, of a treatise on manures, such books, though
they might be handsomely and well printed, would scarcely receive ornament with the
same exuberance as a volume of lyrical poems, or a standard classic, or such like.
A work on Art, I think, bears less of ornament than any other kind of book (NON BIS
IN IDEM is a good motto); again, a ... (From: Marxists.org.) Source:
The Decorator and Furnisher, Vol. 13, No. 5, Feb. 1889 Transcribed: by Graham Seaman, May 2019
CARPET WEAVING is somewhat of the nature of tapestry; it also is wholly
un-mechanical, but its use as a floorcloth somewhat degrades it, especially in
our northern or western countries, where people come out of the muddy streets
into rooms without taking off their shoes. Carpet-weaving undoubtedly arose
among peoples living a tent life, and for such a dwelling as a tent, carpets
are the best possible ornaments.
Carpets form a mosaic of small squares of worsted, or hair, or silk
threads, tied into a coarse canvas, which is made as the work progresses.
Owing to the comparative coarseness of the work, the designs should ... (From: Marxists.org.) Source: “Impressions of the Paris Congress” Commonweal, Vol 5, No. 185, 27 July 1889, p.234; Transcribed: by Ted Crawford. We delegates of the League met as agreed at London Bridge Station, and found an enormous crowd of people going our way. We got stowed into the carriages somehow, and whiled away the time in singing songs and selling a few numbers of Commonweal to divers good folk who had only a glimmering about the events that the French were going to celebrate on the morrow. Getting to the boats at Newhaven, we found that the clerk of the weather had provided us with a sell in the form of spring tides, so that the boats which were timed to start at 11 pm did not stir from the harbor till close on 3 am. And even then there w... (From: Marxists.org.) Source: “Impressions of the Paris Congress: II” Commonweal, Vol 5, No. 186, 3 August 1889, p.242; Transcribed: by Ted Crawford. On the Wednesday, after the introduction of a delegate from the far-off country of Finland, who was received with much enthusiasm, Bebel began the reading of the reports with a history of the German movement in more recent days. This took two hours in the delivery, I should think, and of course could not be translated; a short resume was all that could be given in French and English, but even from that it was plain that the original was able and exhaustive. I should mention that most, if not all, of the reports have been handed in in writing and will be printed; so that we shall have the benefit of noti... (From: Marxists.org.) Source: “In and About Cottonopolis” Commonweal, Vol 4, No. 153, 15 December 1888, p.396; Transcribed: by Ted Crawford. On Sunday the 2nd, I delivered my annual lecture to the Sunday Society at Ancoats to an audience larger than usual. These lectures are not followed by questions and discussion, so there was not much opportunity for finding our what the audience thought about Socialism. The audience seemed, as usual, much made up of the ‘lower middle-class’ and the ‘aristocracy of labor’. But there was sprinkling of our comrades of the SDF, with whom to help I engaged in a good private discussion at tea (which followed the lecture) with enquirers and carpers, which is also a usual feature of these gatherin... (From: Marxists.org.) Source: “Independent Ireland” Commonweal, Vol 2, No. 16, April 1886, p.36; Transcribed: by Ted Crawford. Mr Gladstone’s measure has at last seen light, and it must at least be said of it that under the circumstances it has been accepted joyfully by the people whom it was chiefly meant to serve: the Irish at least are pleased. This is an improvement on the character of most measures of reform, which usually rather err in defect than in excess of that ancient vice and modern virtue, cowardice; and which consequently discourage friends while they fail in conciliating enemies. To find the irreducible minimum has been Mr Gladstone’s aim, and according to the verdict of both friends and foes he has succeeded. A simple-mind... (From: Marxists.org.) To a Socialist hoping for a speedy change in the basis of society a visit to on, picture exhibition is not altogether lacking in encouragement, though to a serious artist who has not conceived hopes of revolution it would surely be most discouraging: for here also are signs of that coming bankruptcy of our present society, tokens of which are forced upon us so plentifully from the economic and the political side of things; it is with a certain exultation that one walks through the wild jumble of inanity that clothes the walls of the Royal Academy to-day, when one thinks that the dominant class the commercialist, noble and non-noble, who have deprived the people of art in their daily lives, can get for themselves nothing better than this for... (From: Marxists.org.) I am afraid after all that, though the subject is a very important one, yet there
are so many of you present who must know all about it, that you will find what I
have to say is little better than commonplace. Still, you know there are occasions
and times when commonplaces have to be so to say hammered home, and even those who
profess the noble art of architecture want a certain sort of moral support in that
line; they know perfectly well what they ought to do, but very often they find
themselves in such an awkward position that they cannot do it, owing no doubt to
the stupidity of their clients, who after all are not so stupid as they might be,
one may think, since they employ them. N... (From: Marxists.org.) Source: “Instructive Items” Commonweal, Vol 2, No. 21, 5 June 1886, p.79; Transcribed: by Ted Crawford. The eight hours movement in America has not been the failure it is so loudly proclaimed. It is found, by actual computation, that nearly half-a-million have gained the eight hours system; that another half-million are working under the nine hour rule, and that not less than a million besides have succeeded in shortening the hours of labor in one shape or another. The fourteen and fifteen hours men have cut off two or three hours; the Saturday half-holiday men have largely gained their object, and the early closing and Sunday closing movements have been successful in most places.
‘What should I go to see in Europe?&rsquo... (From: Marxists.org.) Source: “Insurance Against Magistrates” Commonweal, Vol 3, No. 98, 26 November 1887, p. 377; Transcribed: by Ted Crawford. The meeting held is the Memorial Hall on November 18th will do good service if the protective League inaugurated by it keeps to its promise (as I see no reason for doubting that it will) of helping all persons without distinction of opinion who ‘get into trouble’ in their endeavors to defend freedom of speech. Stewart Headlam in his speech on that occasion said nothing less than the bare truth when he said that no poor man had any chance of obtaining justice in a magistrate’s court, — in which, by the way, he would doubtless have included the Middlesex Sessions if he had had any exper... (From: Marxists.org.) I found my old friend Morris surrounded by the books and drawings he loves so
well, and after the usual civilities I plunged at once into the subject upon
which I wished to get his views.
"What do you think," I asked, "of the Anarchist outrages; this epidemic of
bombthrowing?"
"Well," said Morris, handing me a cigarette and filling a well-used brier pipe,
"I have no doubt that you know pretty well what my view is, what the view of
any Socialist would be, upon the subject. I regard it as simply a disease — a
social disease caused by the evil conditions of society. I cannot regard it in
any other light. Of course, as a Socialist I regard the Anarchists — that is,
those who believe in Anarchism pure and simple —... (From: Marxists.org.) INTERVIEW WITH WILLIAM MORRIS.
BY QUINBUS FLESTRIN.
It was a dull night. Even the electric lights burned blue. Everybody knew
or had heard of William Morris, yet I couldn't find his residence - Kelmscott
House. I was directed down the Mall. I went down. I found a narrow murky
passage, as directed. I turned to the left over the Creek bridge as per
instructions; then turned to the right, and, after walking briskly for half an
hour, found myself in the Hammersmith main thoroughfare, closely adjacent to my
starting-place. This was not encouraging, but I took heart of grace, plunged
into the Mall once more, but this time turned to the right, and in the fullness
of time brought up on Hammersmith-bridge. Then I took a seat and moved ... (From: Marxists.org.)