Page:The Commonweal (IA 0544678.0001.001.umich.edu).pdf/9

, 1885

Dispatch a paper that is cer wholly devoted tal, had in its issue of February 11 a leader on Socialism. The article is apparently a leader on the  as almost to breed contempt—embodied in the  Latin phrase“lucus a non lucendo.” The article is as  as its writer is ignorant of the meaning of Socialism.

hat the writer knows little, if anything, of Socialists in shown by his ing of the “big words and the tone of mysterious importance always adopted by a Socialist.” Whenever the writer or any one else any one in England using big words or afflicted with a tone “of mysterious importance,” he may be sure that he has not met a Socialist. His words are foolish if they are not endorsed by large numbers, and unnecessary if they are thus endorsed.

As the Weekly Dispatch writer does not know our principles, his ignorance as to the “actual work” done is as natural as it is complete. He has evidently not read a line of any of the standard works on Socialism. It is doubtful if he has even skimmed airily through a pamphlet or two. Such papers as the Sozial-Demokrat, the Neu Volkszeitung, Recht vor Allen, probably never meet his eye. be interesting to know his views on the recent elections in Germany, and the number of open-air East-End meetings he has attended—as interesting as the study of any other non-existent quantity is to mathematicians.

It may be fair, as the lead-writer hath it, to take the manifesto published in To-Day of January as typical Socialist views. It would be fairer, in our opinion, if we may trouble our critic to read as many as two articles, were he to take “for a taste” the manifesto issued in this journal. In it, to note but a single point, he will find that State regulated labour and distribution are not, in Socialistic ideas, labour and distribution regulated by the State as it is to-day. “The State” will be as changed from what it now is and is not as events will be. This idea will come with a shock to our article-writer, who is clearly no revolutionist. For he talks of “the probable course of events continuing along the old lines.” Were he an evolutionist, he might be asked if there is any domain of Nature in which things do continue “along the old lines.” Not being an evolutionist, he might seriously maintain that the principle which governs alike the origin of worlds and the of a flower, does not hold in sociology.

“Extreme poverty” is sometimes caused by idleness, intemperance revidence. Sometimes also by the greed of rich employers, un- legislation, fluctuations of trade. We should be grateful for that o.” Even a writer in the capitalistic press should know, nay, does  of a swarm of other. “The greed of rich employers,” he lust for surplus-labour, is the parent of the whole spawn.

k also, the true capitalistic whine, not without its note on, “the rich being compelled to empty their pockets for the maintenance of the poor.” Not a word as to the emptying to-day, not ets, but of lives by the workers for the maintenance of the middle and upper classes; no word as to the means by which to-day kets have been filled; no word as to the honest work to be in the future by all not incapacitated by physical weakness or  idleness; no word as to the obliteration in the future of the  distinctions now warping and marring the life of man, and the  of those very hideous words “rich” and “poor.”

—is it, alas! or well a day?—at length we are in accord with our “We believe that co-operation amongst the labourers and in education will go far.” Socialists believe these will go further than the Weekly Dispatch even dreams, and not fare worse. Co-operation amongst labourers—truly. But not for profit—for justice. Education also. Not that they may be the better tools for the capitalist, but that they may understand who and what they are, who and what their eature the capitalist is. Our accord is but brief. In the same sentence as “co-operation and education,” we have “poor laws” and “charities.” When once the means of production are in the hands of the producers, and the producers are the whole community, poor laws and charities will have vanished with the rest of the offspring of capital.

The objectless objects are once again wearily revived. “How will we force men to save capital?” But capital is a means of production, and as such can never be the property of an individual, but the community. “How will the labourers be persuaded to work, if they cross their legs and talk Socialism, &c.” The host of lost  of here! Note one or two only. Labour will not then be the burden it is, bu the joy it should be. Crossing the legs is only nt after the energies have been in action. Talking Socialism then be like counting the number of respirations one marked per  now. And the writer forgets that we exempt from our pro as a nation, not only the stick, but the criminal, whose crime is, for whom and his fellows, ever diminishing in numbers, for ing time restriction will be needed.

our article-writer wants a guarantee that the best goods are to had at the lowest prices, and with a delicious unconscienceness opens  us the infinite vistas of adulteration under the present system. thereupon he sings his monotonous chant of individual freedom. artisan may now choose his favourite amusements as taste es.” And why, in the name of man, may he not under the ist regime? Under this, the only differences will be, that not only artisan of to-day, but the millions lower than he (save the mark!)  also be in a position to choose, and that the “taste” that is to  and heightened.

“The schools, theatres,” and the like are “to be supplied by the Government.” Truly. But not the Government as it is now and ever more ought not to be—a group of non-producers. And why this outcry against this arrangement in a paper that has been a persistent inconsistent supporter of Board schools from the outset?

The lofty conception that our critic has of his fellows, on the quoque principle, it is to be feared, is evidenced by one charming sentence. “The highest ambition of a citizen will be to talk the loudest and the longest in the public assembly, and his daily endeavour will be to grab his share of the national wealth while escaping the observation of the national overseer.” He is, as so many do, reading into the conditions that are coming the competition-spirit and dishonesty that are the natural outcome of the conditions now existent, and that will die with these.

The last paragraph is not without its sneer. In reply to that let me say two things as I end: (1) The League has already taken very definite shape, and is daily enrolling members and forming branches; (2) That which we call “with unintentional sarcasm scientific socialism” does actually exist. In evidence of this, the Socialist League has had the honour to forward to the writer of the article on English Socialism in the Weekly Dispatch a ticket of admission to the lesson to be given at South Place Institute. They will be an attempt to lay down a part, and only a part, of the scientific basis of our belief. EDWARD AVELING.

Two Courses of Eight Lessons each, on “Capital,” will be given at South Place Institute, Moorgate Street, under the auspices of the Socialist League. In these an attempt will be made to give an analysis of Karl Marx' Das Kapital.

Lesson 1.—Thursday, Feb. 12, 1885.—Matter. Motion. Nature. Product. Commodity. Use-value. Exchange-value. Reactive and equivalent forms. Accidental and rare exchange. Barter. General equivalent. Money. Price.

Lesson 2.—Thursday, Feb. 19—Circulation of commodities as a measure of value. As a standard of price. As a circulation. The metamorphosis of commodities. lation. Coin. Paper-money. Thesaurisation. ment. Universal money.

Lesson 3.—Thursday, Feb. 26.—The of money  capital. C-M-C¹ (Formula for simple circulation of commodities). M-C-M¹ (general formula for capital). Comparison of the two formulæ. M¹ = M+△M. △M = surplus-value. Capital Difficulties. The exceptional commodity needed. This commodity as labour-power. Labour. The labourer. Means of subsistence.

Lesson 4.—Thursday, March 5.—Labour-processes. Primitive objects. Raw material. Means of labour. Means of production. Consumption. Result of labour. Capitalist and labourer. Labour preserves and creates value. Use-value and value of means of production. Surplus-value again. Constant and variable capital. Surplus-product. Surplus-labour.

Lesson 5.—Thursday, March 12.—The working-day. Its limits. The lust for surplus-labour. English industries under no limitation as to the length of the working-day. Day and night work. Relay system. The struggle between capitalists and labourers IP to the end of the seventeenth century. Compulsory limitation. Factory Acts, 1833-64. Effect of English legislation on other countries. Rate of surplus-value.

Lesson 6.—Thursday, March 19.—Necessary labour-time. Surplus labour-time. Absolute surplus-value. Relative surplus-value. Co-operation. Early forms. Capitalistic form. Manufacture. The piece-worker. Heterogeneous manufacture. Serial manufacture. Comparison. Capitalistic character of manufacture

Lesson 7.—Thursday, March 26.—Definition of machine. Motor, transmitter, tool. Heterogenous machinery. Serial machinery. Effect on the product; on the labourer. Lengthening of working-day. of labour. Factories. The Grand industry and agriculture. Factory legislation.

Lesson 8.—Thursday, April 2.—Recapitulation of the subject-matter dealt with in preceding lessons.

The Second Course of Eight Lessons will commence on Thursday, April 16. They will deal with the production of absolute and of relative surplus-value. Wages. Accumulation. The abstinence theory. Over-population. Expropriation and exportation. The farmer capitalist. The industrial capitalist. The colonial system.

The lessons will be given by Edward Aveling, Fellow of Univ. Coll., Lond.

On Saturday, Feb. 7, a Public Meeting will be held at South Place INstitute, at 8:30 P.m., to explain the objects of the lessons. William Morris, J. L. Mahon, Edward Aveling, S. Mainwaring, C. Mowbray, Joseph Lane, and others will speak.

Lectures free for members of the Socialist League; non-members, 3s. per course of eight lessons; 6d. one lesson. Apply to Edward Watson, 27, Farringdon.

All receipts, a ry expenses, go to the of the League.