SOCIALISM IN ENGLAND.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12933, 12 October 1907, Page 9

SOCIALISM IN ENGLAND.

DUKE OF RUTLAND'S APPEAL.

CONSERVATIVES ORGANISING. United Press Association—By Electrio Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, October 10. The Duke of Rutland, apropos of the Kirkdale election, urges Unionists to iictirely fight Socialism, that "vilest of political creeds.' , Sonne leader ought to take olf the gloves and show the hopeleas dangers awaiting a country countenancing its loathsome objects of undiluted atheism, theft and immorality. When Englishmen recognised, that it wae only the. tolerance of tho Liberals that kept the iSocialist party alive they would make a clearance of tho (i ray sons and Hardies. The National Union of Conservative Associations is equipping 20 vans to accommodate peripatetic trade union speakers, who will address tho working men in tho etreete end at mill gates, and distribute literaturo to counteract Socialism. Tho recent victories of Mr Curran at Jiirrow and .Mr Graysoti at Colne Valley are mainly responsible.tor Uiia c-rusado against fcSoeiah&m. Tho other parties havo realised what a great umount of propaganda work the •Socialist* have been doing. Colno Valley, for instance, Mas carefully "worktU' lor years before tho election. Tho 'Daily Express" gave v good deal of spaco to tho "menaca of when Mr Urayson wns elected, and pointed out tnat while tho (.Socialists had boon working and organising for years, tho Conservatives had dom> little or nothing to check them. Among ttio forces which aro working for Socialism aro tho Fabian Society, tho fc-ocial Dumocratic Federation, the Independent Labour Party, and tho Trades Union Congress. Tho Fabian Society includes the cleverest men among liritish {socialists. Mr G. B. Shaw and Mr 11. G. Welta are mem)>cra. Much of its work is done underground, to to epeak. A recent circular admitted that most of tho work done would be spoilt if tho society's connection with it were known. It arranges meetings all over the country, and distributee largo quantities ot literature. The Socinl Democratic Federation and the Independent Labour Party hold thousand* of meetings in tho year and distribute tons of literature. It ie significant that while most of the Liberal awl Conservative members of Parliament went holidaymiikinp •whe.n Parliament rose in August, the Independent Labour members started to address meetings. The Trades Union Congress is not so .advanced as tho other but it ha* decided in favour of bringing forward legislation-with the object of.jiationalieing all railways, canals, mines, and mineral* in tho United Kingdom, '"Meanwhile while >th.o two great parties are doing nothing," 6aid the "Express" a few months ago. "The •Socialists have all these societies, and we have not even, a single department. They have all this literature, and we have perhaps half a dozen vapid leaflets. They have countless speakers all fully primed, and we have neither the speakers nor the data collected to enable them to haudlo this most difficult subject." In view of the Duke of Rutland's denunciation, it is interesting to quote a couple of passages from books on Socialism. In- "&ocialiein; Its Growth and Outcome," by William Morrie and Belfort Bax, is the following. "The present marriage system is based upon tJio general supposition of the economic dependence of the woman on the man and the consequent necessity for his making provision for her, which slio can legally enforce. This basis would disappear with the advent of economic freedom, and no binding contract would be necessary between the parties a* regards livelihood, while property in children would eeaeo to exist and every infant that camo into the world would bo born in full citizenship. Thue a new development of the family would take place—An association terminable at tho needs of either party/ In another passage present day religion is called a sham and its accompanying morality stupid. In Bebel'e "Women in tho Past, Present, and Future," ono ' finds, "Human beings must be in a position to act ac freely where tho strongest impulse is concerned as in the case of any other natural •instinct, . . . No one lias to give an account of himself or herself, and no third person hae tho slightest right to interfere." Mr it may be stated, stands for tho abolition of sex ties.