THE A WEEKLY REVIEW OF POLITICS, LITERATURE, AND ART No. 740 [series Vol. IV. No. 2 THURSDAY, Nov. 12, 1908. [R+~~$&\~$,;oj ONE PENNY CONTENTS. PAGE PAGE NOTES OF THE WEEK . 41 BLOODY SUNDAY. BY R. B. Cunninghame Graham . **- 49 FRAGMENTS of POLITICAL HISTORY. By Victor Gray- A LITERARY SUPPLEMENT. son, M.P. *a* 43 A SONG OF THE MIDDLE CLASS. By E. Nesbit... 51 THE ADVANCE OF FABIUS ‘*.... :: . .-. *a* 44 BOOKS AND PERSONS. By Jacob Tonson... 1.. 52 LABOUR PARTY OR S.R.C. ..- 45 BOOK OF THE WEEK: PICTURES FROM DICKENS. By Edwin THE NEWS OF THE WEEK . ..’ 1:: 1:: 1:: 1:: . 46 Pugh . *** 53 THE HERMIT : A POEM. By Beatrice Tina . ’. 47 DRAMA : DOLLY REFORMING HERSELF. By W. R. Titterton . 54 RAND MAGNATES. By Douglas Blackburn . **a 47 MUSIC: SOME ENGLISH COMPOSERS. I. By Edward Agate 55 CORRESPONDENCE . , . SOCIALISM AND THE CRANK. By W. L. George . l *a 47 56 THE WORLD FROM BLACK MARIA. By Stewart Gray . 48 CONCERNING “ THE NEW AGE.” By the Publisher ::I ::I 59 NOTICE TO CORRESPONDENTS.- All Business Com- branches of the I.L.P. are- to be allowed to run Socialist munications must be addressed to Publisher, “ New Age,” 139, candidates independent of the auspices or consent of Fleet Street, E.C. ; communications for the Editor to 1 & 2, the Labour Party, on condition that if such a candidate Took’s Court, Furnival Street, E.C. should be returned he must join the Labour Party and take a salary from its funds. These are the very terms that Mr. Grayson is refusing. The local So- cialists are to find the money and do all the work of NOTES OF THE WEEK. the election ; the electors are to be led to suppose that A FORTNIGHT ago the attention of the whole country they are voting for a man who will make an indepen- was riveted upon the question of Unemployment. The dent stand for Socialism in the House of Commons ; political atmosphere was electric. It was one of those and then when success has crowned their combined rare golden moments when Governments may be in- efforts the Labour Party led by Mr. Arthur Henderson is to step in and absorb the new member-and silence duced by proper pressure to introduce measures en- him through the purse-strings. It is a pretty idea, tirely against their own wishes. Another such moment but not exactly what we are aiming at. We also occurred three years ago, immediately after the Man- understand that a circular has been addressed to I.L.P. chester unemployed riots of 1905, when Mr. Keir branches from the head office summoning a special con- Hardie forced Mr. Balfour to bring in and pass the ference of divisional areas. The most important item Act which is now in force, and which, ineffective as on the Agenda is “ General Policy of the Party. ” We must point out that the divisional areas of the I.L.P. it is, amounted at the time to a positive outrage upon exist only for purposes of organisation, that such a Conservative sentiment. To-day Mr. Hardie is still conference is not competent to deal with General Policy, in the House of Commons, but with the difference that and that the delegates may refuse even to discuss it. he now has a. party at his back. Yet the great oppor- General Policy can only be considered at an ordinary tunity of 1908 has been allowed to pass. The atmos- General Conference or at a Special General Conference phere has become almost normal again. Men are talk- convened for the purpose The meaning of this irregu- larity is obvious. There is wire-pulling to be done. ing of other things, and there seems no hope for the * * * out-of-works during this winter but in private charity. The recent Municipal elections have resulted in a net But who can blame the public? For the Labour Party decrease of Socialist representation on local authorities. itself is talking of other things. The “ Nation ” attributes this, rightly as we think, to + * * the reaction towards Toryism, which always takes place We are almost inclined to wish that Mr. Keir Hardie during periods of trade depression. It points out that stood alone in Parliament. For so he would probably it is in times of prosperity and security that the workers have achieved more for the unemployed. The Labour are inclined to turn towards an ideal like Socialism. Party has unwittingly been a positive obstacle in the To-day the working classes are turning towards the party which puts an ostensibly immediate cure for un- way of immediate relief measures. Inside the House employment in the forefront of its programme. They the Labour members have asked a few questions, will not support Liberals because of the apathy of the received their answers, and sat down. Outside the Government, and they will not support Socialists or House they have only been referring to the subject of Labour men because of the confession of impotence im- unemployment in a deprecating fashion, as if to say plied in the Labour Party’s acquiescence in the present “ keep cool : look at us, we are not in the least delay. Nothing but a dramatic protest in the House of Commons or a really great and stirring anti-liberal excited, ” And thus they have actually poured oil on campaign in, the country can re-establish the reputation the troubled political waters and smoothed the path of of the Labour Party and convince the unemployed-and a Government which fears agitators but cares not a jot the class who live in constant fear of unemployment- for working-class statesmen. There is not the that the Tariff Reformers are not their best friends. smallest doubt that the Labour Party could have driven If the Labour Party continues to drift along its pre- Mr. Asquith to better his proposals out of all recogni- sent lines, the set-back of last week may well prove to tion if it had only made the most of its position a fort- be but a prelude to annihilation at the next General Election. night ago. But since the men on the Labour benches * * * are not excited, why should the men on the Treasury bench inconvenience themselves ? The Committee stage of the Licensing Bill was con- * : * cluded on Monday. Only one change of importance We understand that the N.A.C. has come to an was made during last week’s discussion, and arrangement with the Labour Party by which local strange to relate that change was a real concession to 42 NOVEMBER 12, 1908 public opinion. The section giving power to local to gain nothing in any event. Besides, it was clear justices to abolish barmaids was withdrawn, not with- from the very beginning that the operatives’ chances of out protest of course from the temperance wing. It success were practically nil. Morally they were in the is not to be supposed from this however that Mr. right, of course ; but morals have always been treated Asquith has repented of his policy of flouting the as irrelevant in the highest business circles of people’s will. He will never do that, for he is a true this Christian country, and it is only the incorrigible Liberal at heart. It was simply that “ the Grundys idealist who persists in trying to introduce them. and the Chadbands of the House,” as Mr. G. Roberts The question for a Trade Union to consider before it happily called them, were less to be feared on this par- enters upon a struggle is not “ Is our claim just? ” but ticular occasion than the other party. Perhaps, too, “Are we strong enough to enforce it? ” And when it the prospect of giving the suffragettes a new and very forgets to do that it must expect to suffer defeat as the effective weapon against the Government had some- cotton operatives have just done. thing to do with it. In any case barmaids are to * * * remain, and those who fear the effects of the “ tainted The fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of the atmosphere ” upon women will now, perhaps, join us direct authority of the British Government over India in working for the only solution that remains, the was doubtless a suitable occasion for the King to removal of the taint by making public-houses as “ re- address his Indian, subjects and claim their loyal devo- spectable ” as tea-shops. We note, by the way, that tion. But nothing can excuse the bombast of the Mr. Mackarness is trying to get a new clause intro- language employed in the Royal Message, It is true, duced into the Bill making it illegal for brewers to that the Indian people constitute at present a subject “ tie ” public-houses. This would be a really valuable race, but we certainly have no reason to be proud of addition. * + * that truth, still less to emphasise it in our dealings with them. The chief blot on English rule in India We congratulate Mrs. Drummond upon her speedy during the past fifty years is that we have done abso- release from gaol, and we hope she may soon be joined lutely nothing to change a vanquished and servile by her two fellow prisoners. But how Mr. Gladstone can justify his action in the matter it is impossible for people into self-respecting and independent citizens of the Empire, us to guess. The reason given for Mrs. Drummond’s The Civil Service to-day is notoriously release is that she was ill.