I have read with much interest the proposal of Mr Yates Thompson about the revival
of Mr Pearson's scheme for thenew mortuary chapel at Westminster Abbey, and am very
pleased to see the note of warning which you have raised, and with which I entirely
agree. The whole ground round the Abbey is full of archaeological value, and from
this point of view it is most dangerous to tamper with it. But there are other
reasons for looking on this scheme with apprehension. Mr Pearson's scheme as
adopted by Mr Yates Thompson, decidedly means an addition to the ancient
building, I mean a new part added to it. This seems to me objectionable to the last
degree. The ancient building at Westminster is i... (From: Marxists.org.) Source: “Mr Chamberlain’s Leader” Commonweal, Vol 2, No. 31, 14 August 1886, p.153; Transcribed: by Ted Crawford. Parliament has met for a ceremonial, and done about as much as it would have done if it had met for the dispatch of business — nothing, to wit. But besides that, the two parliamentary groups that represent anything like principle and at the same time have any power in Parliament, have also met, and each has done so much at least as to announce its policy in the present state of things. The Parnellites have met in Dublin, and the Jingo-Whigs in Devonshire House; and the conclusions come to by both parties are certainly encouraging to those who wish to see an end of all parties, since they point directly to... (From: Marxists.org.) Source: “Mr Jawkins at the Mansion House” Commonweal, Vol 2, No. 45, 20 November 1886, p.268-269; Transcribed: by Ted Crawford. Lord Salisbury, in his speech at the Mansion House, did in some respects only strengthen somewhat the words of his colleague, Lord Randolph Churchill. Like him he tried to bury dangerous jingoism decently. It was pretty much the old story: ‘Sir, you have called me a liar, you have pulled my nose, you have kicked me downstairs, now beware, lest you rouse the sleeping lion!’
As to Ireland again, he, like the other, declared for stiff support to landlordism, and hinted at coercion; and his only contribution to the stock of news of Government intentions, was his assertion that no discretionary ... (From: Marxists.org.) I do not quite understand whether Mr Shaw Lefevre's scheme implies any meddling
with either the Abbey Church, or the interesting remains of the ancient buildings
near it; if it does, it cannot be too severely condemned; but your own article (of
January 26th) on this subject gives a dangerous hint, which I hope will not be
taken, for `beautifying, at a comparatively small expense, the cloisters which form
part of the ancient chapel.' I must say that part of the `expense' would be the
destruction of the cloisters themselves, and such an expense is not easily measured
in money. As to the general question of monuments in Westminster Abbey, you say
with truth that it is one of the most beau... (From: Marxists.org.) Source: “A New Party” Commonweal, Vol I, No. 8, September 1885, pp. 85; Transcribed: by Ted Crawford. It would undoubtedly be futile to prophecy as to the immediate results of the forthcoming general elections, or to wager which side may get the majority; but whichever does come uppermost in the struggle, certain tendencies in the elected and the electors are likely to develop in a manner which can fairly be judged of, without pretense to the gift of prophecy, by noting the signs of the times at present; and it is not out of place, even in a Socialist paper, to look into these tendencies, since some of our friends are so anxious to try their luck in the game which is going on at St Stephens, hoping that they may be allowed to re... (From: Marxists.org.) XXII. Hampton court and a
Praiser of Past Times
So on we went, Dick rowing in an easy tireless way, and Clara sitting by my side
admiring his manly beauty and heartily good-natured face, and thinking, I fancy, of
nothing else. As we went higher up the river, there was less difference between the
Thames of that day and Thames as I remembered it; for setting aside the hideous
vulgarity of the cockney villas of the well-to-do, stockbrokers and other such,
which in older time marred the beauty of the bough-hung banks, even this beginning
of the country Thames was always beautiful; and as we slipped between the lovely
summer greenery, I almost felt my youth come back to ... (From: Marxists.org.) Source: “A Note on Passing Politics” Commonweal, Vol 3, No. 85, 27 August 1887, p. 276; Transcribed: by Ted Crawford. The Gladstonians are very naturally triumphant at the Northwich election, and the Tories as naturally have been attempting to explain away their defeat; which, however, taken in conjunction with the other bye-elections, does seem to an onlooker to mean the extinction of the Chamberlain party, the absorption into definite Toryism of Lord Harrington and a few other nobodies, and in short, the defeat of the revolt in the Liberal party against Mr Gladstone, who seems destined to have one more triumph before he dies. To some ardent Liberals the way seems so direct to Liberal victory that the Pall Mall Gazette urges th... (From: Marxists.org.) Source: “Notes and Queries — Practical Socialism,” Commonweal, Vol 2, No. 20, 29 May 1886, p.71; Transcribed: by Ted Crawford. A friend who says that he quite understands the theory of Socialism, has some questions on its ‘practical application’:-
(1) Will there be any shopkeepers or public houses in the new state of society, and if not how are things to be exchanged? (2) Will there by any money used? (3) Who will superintend workmen in factories, etc.? ‘These’, says our friend, ‘are questions I am constantly asked, and am unable to give a satisfactory reply to; I want to see a plan as it were of the new state of Society.’
When the plan is visible the new state of Society will be real... (From: Marxists.org.) Hammersmith Socialist Record, Number 13, October 1892
[Untitled] Notes on Parliament
FRIENDS AND COMRADES,
It has not been considered necessary to call the Parliament together before
the beginning of next year and it is to be supposed that in the meantime the
country is thought capable of governing itself without the elected
representative legislative body, which indeed it probably can do pretty well
on the usual lines of real government by an all-powerful possessing class with
a machinery of law and police attached to it, whose business it is to
administer all matters on the basis of the greatest good for the greatest
number—of possessors of capital: Yet supposing that the British Empire
could receive any useful servic... (From: Marxists.org.) FRIENDS AND COMRADES,
We are hearing a great deal of the suffering in Cleveland consequent on the
miners' strike, and it is a dismal business enough; but after all, it is only
and exaggeration of an ordinary incident in the war commercial which is the
essence of our epoch and that which distinguishes it from others, and some
quite in itself unimportant change in the market has before this caused as
much suffering as this great strike has done, and will do henceforward as
long as the workers have not command of the market.
For the rest, if the Durham miners are striking with an ultimate intention
of gaining that command of the market— that is, the realization of
Socialism, this suffering, terrible as it is, is not too hig... (From: Marxists.org.) FRIENDS AND COMRADES,
The elections for the new Parliament form by this time a somewhat stale
subject, our readers may think; nevertheless, a word in season may be spoken
about them, and the prospects of the new House, before those prospects are all
muddled together by the cowardice, irresolution, chicanery, and downright lies
in action, which after a little while swamp all parliaments (with whatever
promise of better things they may have first met); under the strange
institution of party government—an institution, be it said, which would
be a permanent and striking failue, if it were the business of parliament
to do anything: but which as it 1s the business of parliament to
do nothing, must be considered a very fair succe... (From: Marxists.org.) Hammersmith Socialist Record, Number 17, February 1893
[Untitled] Notes on the Government
FRIENDS AND COMRADES,
The present Government has not had as yet any great opportunity for
disappointing those who expected much from it; but on one side it has done
worse than a reasonable expectation might have led one to believe: to wit in
its foreign, or rather foreign-market side. Affairs with Uganda might have
been settled in a way which would have commended itself, we will not say to a
Socialist, but at least to a non-Jingo Radical: we need not have made a parade
of our Khedive-baiting business, and given a little business to enterprising
alarmist newspapers. But the truth is, any approach to Jingoism however
feeble, is certain to... (From: Marxists.org.) FRIENDS AND COMRADES,
A little while ago a man brought up before the magistrates at Woolwich and
committed for burglary, put forward an unanswerable plea rather for his section
of habitual criminals that himself; asking what he was to do, and who was to
give a jail-bird employment. People unconvicted of crime, said he, found it
hard enough in these times to get employment; and was it likely that
he could get it. So it is clear that he contemplated a career of from
prison to crime and from crime to prison. The Daily News, in
commenting on this speech, heaves a sigh, and says, in effect: How true! How
sad! But at least nobody is to blame. Well, shall we not rather say "everybody"
rather than nobody; not forgetting the saw that say... (From: Marxists.org.) FRIENDS AND COMRADES,
In a sense no doubt the labor-war, of which we have had so many reports in
the newspapers, is a part of the general struggle of labor and capital; the
men have been revolting because the working of the market has pinched them;
they have been irritated by various incidents past endurance, and so have
broken out. Yet on the other hand there is no sign they were acting under the
influence of any definite principle, or that there has been any strong feeling
of the unity of labor among them. If that had been so, much greater results
would have been reached with much less violence and dramatic effect. As
things go, the only apparent results are— simply the unsuccessful strike
and the dead and wounded of vi... (From: Marxists.org.) Perhaps it may at first sight seem to some of you that ornamental art is no very
important subject, and that it is no great matter what its origins were: but I hope
to show you before I have done that it is a subject of very great importance, and
that it is well worth while to consider what its origins were, since it may lead us
to finding out what its aims are, or should be; which in its turn may lead us to
thinking of matters of the deepest importance.
First of all I must say that though the phrase is generally accepted it is not a
good or descriptive one; for all art should be ornamental, and when it is not
ornamental, and in the degree in which it is not, it fails of a ... (From: Marxists.org.) Ladies and Gentlemen, - I must explain to you that I am put, almost at the last
moment, to make a few disconnected remarks in the place of a gentleman whom we
should have much liked to see - Mr. Boni, who now holds a position under the
Italian Government which enables him to be of great service to us in stopping the
unfortunate flow of restorations in that country. He could have given to us most
interesting and encouraging information as to what is now going on in Italy.
Now as to what I have to say to you. Our Society, so far as I can make out, has two
sides to its work, which it does not always receive sufficient credit for,
especially at first sight. Its first duty is to... (From: Marxists.org.) In the days before man had completely established his domination over the animal world, the poultry of a certain country, unnamed in my record, met in solemn conference in the largest hall they could hire for their money: the period was serious, for it was drawing near Christmas, and the question in debate partook of the gravity of the times; for, in short, various resolutions, the wording of which, has not come down to us were to be moved on the all important subject, `with what sauce shall we be eaten?'
Needless to say that the hall was crowded to suffocation, or that an overflow meeting (presided over by working-class leaders) was held on the neighboring dung-hill.
All went smoothly; the meeting was apparently unanimous and certai... (From: Marxists.org.) Source: “An Old Story Retold” Commonweal, Vol 2, No. 36, 18 September 1886, p.197-98; Transcribed: by Ted Crawford. It is told of Matthias Corvinus, King of Hungary — the Alfred the Great of his time and people — that he once heard (once only!) that some (only some, my lad?) of his peasants were over-worked and under-fed. He took the matter to heart, being, as kings go, a just man, besides being more valiant than they mostly were, even in the old feudal days. So he called together such lords and councilors as he deemed fittest, and bade busk them for a ride; and when they were ready he and they set out, over rough and smooth, decked out in all the glory of attire which was the wont of those days. Thus they rode till ... (From: Marxists.org.) Source: “An Old Superstition — A New Disgrace” Commonweal, Vol 3, No. 76, 25 June 1887, p. 204; Transcribed: by Ted Crawford. As was said last week, the contempt with which all socialists must necessarily look on the idiotic court ceremony of the week has prevented anything more than a mere hint being given in the Commonweal about the jubilee. And besides this, Socialists feel of course that the mere abolition of the monarchy would help them little if it only gave place to a middle-class republic; such an one, for example, as that which butchered so many thousands of citizens at Paris in 1871 and now in 1887 grown respectable and liberal, still blocks the way to all progress in France, and holds out a hand to the corruptio... (From: Marxists.org.) The idea of uniting all sections of the Socialist and Labor movement into one
party daily grows in public favor. I am glad to say that my allusions to it at
Manchester and Liverpool were greeted with hearty applause, and that reports
from all quarters assure me of the general desire for unity of action. Only an
hour ago I got a letter from William Morris on this point. I am very glad to
hear from a man for whom I have much respect, and am the more pleased to find
him entirely with me. William Morris says:
Dear Comrade Blatchford,—l am asked by the Hammersmith Socialist Society to
write to you on the point which you have so well put forward in the Clarion, as
to the necessity of the formation of a definite and united Socia... (From: Marxists.org.) Mr. William Morris lectured on "Machinery" at Kelmscote House,
Hammersmith, on Sunday evening. It was not to be expected that the poet and the
handicraftsman should look with a very favorable eye on that important part of
the modern social system, but he indulged in no denunciations of special
machines. On the contrary, he admitted that machines might have a place in the
socialistic society of the future, but he believes that this society would not
be so much in bondage with machinery as we are at present. He said, however,
that what are called labor-saving machines ought rather to be styled
profit-grinding, as their action did not lessen the hours of labor for the
worker. He holds that any good done by machinery is largely reinsta... (From: Marxists.org.) The following letter from our comrade William Morris, in response to an inquiry from a person if it were true he had "changed his mind" regarding Socialism, will interest many of our readers :-
"MY DEAR SIR,—I am a very busy man, but on this subject I will
answer you briefly. I have not changed my views on Socialism. My view of the
point of relation between Art and Socialism is as follows: Society (so-called)
at present is organized entirely for the benefit of a privileged class; the
working class being only considered in the arrangement as so much machinery.
This involves perpetual and enormous waste, as the organization for the
production of genuine utilities is only a secondary consideration. This waste
lands th... (From: Marxists.org.) Source: “On Some ‘Practical’ Socialists” Commonweal, Vol 4, No. 110, 18 February 1888, p.52-53; Transcribed: by Ted Crawford. The study of economics is no doubt necessary for militant Socialists; the more a man knows of them in all their details the more able he is to meet not only the sophistries of the ‘educated’ anti-Socialist, but, which is still more important, the awkward and hard-to-be-answered questions which people who have never thought of these matters at all sometimes stumble on.
Of course, that he should be able to make his knowledge of any use depends on whether he has understood what he has learned, especially in dealing with inquiring ignorance. The ‘educated’ man will sometim... (From: Marxists.org.) The invention of printing books, and the use of wood-blocks for book ornament in
place of hand-painting, though it belongs to the period of the degradation of
medieval art, gave an opportunity to the Germans to regain the place which they had
lost in the art of book decoration during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries.
This opportunity they took with vigor and success, and by means of it put forth
works which showed the best and most essential qualities of their race. Unhappily,
even at the time of their first woodcut book, the beginning of the end was on them;
about thirty years afterwards they received the Renaissance with singular eagerness
and rapidity, and became, from the ar... (From: Marxists.org.) Manchester
The talk was first given in Manchester on the 21st of October 1893,
under the title Printed Books - Ancient and Modern
Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertizer
An illustrated lecture on "Printed Books — Ancient and Modern," was delivered
by Mr. William Morris, under the auspices of the Technical Instruction Committee
the Manchester City Council, in the Mayor's Parlor, Town Hall, on Saturday
evening. Mr. Alderman Hoy presided, in the absence of the Lord Mayor, and there
was a good attendance. The lecturer said books were written by the scribe long
after printing became an art, but they were more for ornament than publication.
He feared they must regard printing as a makeshift for writing. The rubr... (From: Marxists.org.) The Plutocratic Society which we Socialists are attacking, though an anarchy, is nevertheless an organized anarchy; an anarchy, too, which is sustained even by the efforts towards reform of those who are contented with it; as for instance the preachment of high morality and disinterested philanthropy among the well-to-do classes; the struggle of the Trades' Unions to keep up the wages of skilled artizans, while they admit the right of the masters to the sweating of labor, and are therefore still the slaves of the competitive market; the efforts of radical politicians to extend the franchise and improve the system of representation (?) while they are resolute to hand over the general welfare of the people to the tender mercies of laissez-fai... (From: Marxists.org.) THAT the wise speak is goodly gain,
For thereby do we win amain
Of sense, of good and courtesy:
'Tis good to haunt the company
Of him who of his ways hath heed,
And hath no keep of folly's deed.
For as in Solomon we find,
The man that is of wisdom's kind
Doth well in every deed there is;
And if at whiles he doth amiss
In whatso wise, unwittingly,
Swift pardon shall he have thereby.
Whereas he willeth penitence.
BUT now I needs must draw me hence
To rhyming, and to tell in word
A tale that erewhile I have heard,
About a King of Paynemry
A great lord of the days gone by;
He was full loyal Saracen
And of his name h... (From: Marxists.org.) Source: “Our Policy” Commonweal, Vol 2, No. 14, March 1886, pp. 17-18; Transcribed: by Ted Crawford. The recent ‘disturbances’ as the word goes, the stir in the dry bones of labor, is a strange phenomenon to most people, and even to us, who have been working towards a change in the basis of Society, is unexpected; amid the routine of our ordinary educational work we have been surprised, as it were, by something which, whatever else may be said of it, does look like the first skirmish of the Revolution.
The riot, or whatever it may be called, of February 8th, though a small matter in itself, became of importance because it has got to be a fixed idea in the heads of — well — most men, men of all classes, t... (From: Marxists.org.) Source: “Our Representatives” Commonweal, Vol 2, No. 20, 29 May 1886, p.68; Transcribed: by Ted Crawford. The past week of parliamentary and party strife has been sufficiently barren of interest to the ordinary observer. No one has expected anything new to be said about the Home Rule Bill, and no one has been disappointed. The Disarming Bill was carried, as every one knew it would be, and the votes pro and con were very much what was expected. Accordingly, the thing which usually happens in a dull interval of an exciting period has happened now. People having few additional facts to go on have been turning guesses at facts into facts, and disputing about them as vigorously as if they had really happened.
As an addition to this ... (From: Marxists.org.) Source: “The Paris Trades’ Union Congress” Commonweal, Vol 2, No. 35, 11 September 1886, p.187; Transcribed: by Ted Crawford. Mr Burnett has written an article to the Pall Mall Gazette in which he has given his views of the International Trades’ Union Conference recently held in Paris. Considering Mr Burnett’s position and that of the English trades unions at present, this is a document of some importance, and it would be well to understand what the drift of it is. He writes as a trades’ unionist, and clearly is anxious to establish the superiority of the English workman over the French, who from his point of view is more backward as being less of an unionist, and also as being worse paid than his English... (From: Marxists.org.)