\ ({ u/UIIJ \ (~ (/:- ~ \ 7 \ =- \ - - - -_ .~-- PRICE- ONE PENNY. Reformers' Bookstall Propaganda Pamphlets (No.2). galfour ofgurleigq ana (50. WHY THEY OPPOSE SOCIALISM. By W. STEWART ( .. Gavroche"). P rinted by CIVIC PRESS, LTD., 164 H oward St reet , Glasgow. P ublished by GLASGO W REFORMERS' BOOKSTALL, 126 Bothwell St.reet.; BALFOUR OF BURLEIGH & CO. HIS pamphlet is written specially for Scottish people. English, Irish, and Welsh are not prohibited from T reading it. It will do them no harm. Scottish folk are specially addressed, not because of their superior intelligence, which is of course taken for granted, but because in this pamphlet an effort is made to do justice to an eminent and highly respectable Scotsman. Lord Bal­ four of Burleigh is modest as well as respectable and emin­ ent, and his modesty has hitherto prevented him from tak­ ing his countrymen fully into his confidence. He has told them that he is opposed to Old Age Pensions, Free Meals for Hungry Children, and Socialism, but he has never yet told them the true reasons why he is opposed to these things. He has indeed implied that he wants to preserve the self­ respect of the Scottish people, and to save Scottish children from being pauperised, which latter is in his opinion a greater misfortune than being starved. But these are not the chief reasons for Lord Balfour of Burleigh's Anti­ Socialism. This pamphlet is designed to explain his Lord­ ship's real motives, which with characteristic reserve he has kept in the background. Incidentally, it will be necessary to explain what Anti­ Socialism means, and that also will involve an explanation of what Socialism means. Thus we are in for an exposure of the Socialists. Also of the Anti-Socialists j all arising out of this attempt to do justice to Lord Balfour of Burleigh. Lord Balfour is in the very front of the Anti-Socialist movement. He is President of the British Constitutional Association, and in that capacity he it was who opened this Anti-Socialist campaign, with considerable bravado and eclat. The date was 3rd October, 1907, a red-letter day in his Lordship's career. It was a great day for the Anti­ Socialists. It was also a great day for the Socialists. 4 For on that day the Anti-Socialists st arted out to advertise Socialism. Since t hat memorable day the Anti­ Socialist campaign has developed. Its missionaries are abroad, and its caravans are carrying inexhaustible st ores of specially preserved gramophonic eloquen ce to the r emotest corners of the land. The people that sat in darkness have seen a great light-the Light of Socialism. They have al so heard a great noise . The noise of the Anti-Socialist gramophones. To oppose Socialism. What is the object of the Anti-Socialist campaign ? Unless we understand this we cannot do justice to Lord Balfour of Burleigh. The object of the Anti-Socialist cam­ paign is to oppose Socialism. That is a perfectly legiti­ mate object. People who do not believe in Socialism have a right to oppose it. It is, in fact, their duty to oppose it, just as it· will be their duty to acquiesce in it when once the will uf the people has declared in its favour. This is the essential virtue of the Anti-Socialist campaign. It is an appeal to the people. It is an admission that the will of the people must be supreme, for or against S ocialism. Socialists have no right to complain, and do not complain. Socialists believe that in an appeal to the people they have nothing to fear. They glory in the fact that the Anti-So­ cialists have at last been compelled to submit the issue to the judgement of the common people. For in that fact rests the assurance that the ultimate establishment of Social­ ism in this country will be accomplished constitutionally and peacefully. Having once conceded the right of the people to decide, the capitalists dare not resist that decision by f orc e. The Social Revolution will be a peaceful revolu­ tion. Well, then. The Anti-Socialists are out to oppose Socialism, Balfour of Burleigh leading on. Who is Lord Balfour of Burleigh ~ T.he answer to that question will give us the answer to another question. TVhy does Lord Balfour of Burleigh oppose Socialism ~ 5 If you know a man's antecedents, interests, and envrr­ onments, you can usually get to the root of his opinions. Who is Balfour of Burleigh? What are his titles to be regarded as an authority on Socialism? An Aristocrat. Firstly, Balfour of Burleigh is an elected Scottish Peer, and in this limited sense is a representative man. He sits in the House of Lords as mouthpiece of the hereditary privileged classes of Scotland, who have at all times been the enemies of the common people. As a member of the House of Lords, appointed thereto by a few Scottish noblemen-so-called-Balfour of Burleigh is vested with legislative authority equal to that of a member of the House of Commons, elected by the people. That is to say, he possesses more political power than an entire Parlia­ mentary constituency. Ten thousand voters are collectively of less importance than is Lord Balfour of Burleigh. Here we have one special reason why he is opposed to Socialism. Under Socialism, Balfour of Burleigh would not sit in the House of Lords. There would be no House of Lords. Socialism is democratic. It has its roots politically III democracy. Socialism would abolish the House of Lords, and would place Balfour of Burleigh on a level politically with every other citizen. Naturally Lord Balfour is an Anti-Socialist. He does not want to be placed on a level with other citizens. He does not believe in democracy. He believes in the House of Lords, and in Balfour of Burleigh. On the question of Socialism he is a prejudiced person. The Anti-Socialist vans are out to defend Balfour of Burleigh's claim to sit in the House of Lords. A Jerry-Built Statesman. Secondly: Lord Balfour, by virtue of his peership, and by virtue of that alone, takes rank as a statesman. He 6 has been a minist er of the Crown, and hopes to be so again. That is one of the immediate objects of the Anti-Socialist campaign-to return Lord Balfour's part y to power so that he and his associates may once more become ministers of the crown. H ere we have another reason wh y Balfour of Burleigh is opposed to Socialism. Under Socialism he would stand little chance of being either a legislator or a st ates­ man. Social D emocracy would not accept its st at esmen ready made and predestined. It would choose them for their brains and abilities. It would train and educate them for their special duties, and it would demand from them national ser vice, not class service. Under such a syst em as that Lord Balfour would not suit at all. It is not su rpris­ ing that he is opposed to Socialism . The Anti-Socialist vans are out to defend Balfour of Burleigh's spurious claims t o statesmanship. A Recipient of' Out-Door Relief'. Thirdly: Lord Balfour is a State Pensioner. Not a paltry " five shillings a week at sixt y" pensioner. Nothing so petty and insignificant as that. Balfour of Burleigh's pension is ;£1200 a year , ;£100 a month. He gets as much pension in one fortnight as the average workman gets wages in a year. Balfour of Burleigh's pen sion would give five shillings a week to 9 f2 person s. It is not suggested that his Lordship is therefore 92 times a pauper, but it must be evident that he is not without reasons for being opposed to Socialism. Balfour of Burleigh's pension would supply 14-4-,000 m eals for sch ool children. We are thus enabled to measure the loss of self-respect which his Lordship suffers every time he draws his pen sion. The moral damage must be enormous, and is only equalled by the heroism with which his Lordship bears up against it. Balfour of Burleigh's pension is not an Old Age Pension. He is not yet sixt y, and looks hale and hearty. It is not a service pension. H e has done nothing notable. He has not written a great book nor painted a great picture, nor invented a labour-saving machine, nor saved human lives, nor fought his country's battles. He is simply an ordinary commonplace man like 7 the rest of us. He is none the worse of that, of course, and the fact that he is able to lay hands on a pension which is certainly not commonplace, probably accounts for his objec­ tion to other commonplace people getting pensions. Them might be less for his lordship. Balfour of Burleigh's pen­ sion is not an Old Age Pension nor a Service Pension. It is a Poverty Pension. He draws his pension on account of his Poverty. He himself has said it. He had to say it in order to get the pension. He has a few companions in misery, who like him­ self are not too proud to accept public money in alleviation of their financial decrepitude. Here are the names and titles of some of these distressful knights of the Round Table Dolorous :- Right Hon. Viscount Cross .". ... £2000 Right Hon. Lord Geo. Hamilton 2000 Right Hon. Sir Henry Chaplin .. 1200 Right Hon.