BRITAIN'S REVOLUTIONARY GOVERNMENT
Hillquit, Moorris
Britain's Revolutionary Government By MOORRIS HILLQUIT An addreie /delivered by Conrad* Hillquit in/his debate with B«r-trand Kj^ell THE ^subject of our debate is whether the Labor Government...
...Its territoriee total an sres of 13,408,103 equsre miles...
...I have thus far confined myself to the aims of the British Labor party...
...AND here i* where our practical interest come* in...
...In all likelihood our Labor party will largely follow the example of the British party In structare, program and Methods...
...The Britiah Empire, over which the Labor Government holda sway, has a population of 441,-5(5,966...
...may I be permitted to add Another term,' and say that the Labcfr party is thoroughly revolutionsry in aim and potentially revolutionary methods...
...Wa were both asked to enlighten the Commission on the respective aims of the movements represented by us, and by way of diversion it was arranged that Mr...
...I inquired...
...This motion, which was offered in the House of Commons on March 20, 1923, read: "That in view of the failure of the capitalist system to adequately utilixe and organise natural resources and productive rower, or to provide the necessary Standard of life for vast nlimbers of the population, and believing that the cause of this failure lies in the private ownership and control of the means of production and, distribution, this House declares that legislative efforts should be directed to the gradual suppression of the capitalist s ystem by an industrial and social order based upon the public ownership and democratic control of the instruments of production and distribution...
...On the contrary, it went out of its way to proclaim them to tth»^Whole world by the famous Snowden motion...
...The bulk of its membership snd following is made up 'A two classes —trade unionista and Socialists, and both are essentially revolutionary, the trade unionists practically as much as the Socialists...
...The Govern^ merit is responsible primarily to tRT Labor party, and ia composed of the most prominent and influential spokesmen of the party...
...On this subject, he says: "We in America expect a political Labor party in a short time...
...The British Labor party, however, is fully conscious of its true purpose...
...The daily struggles of the trade union workers are for an ever greater share of the produced wealth and of life's joys and happiness...
...If my distinguished opponent will turn to Bertrand Russell's latest and most interesting book on "The Prospects of Industrial Civilization," he will find the following reflection at pages 136 and 13T...
...their effort to to secure a clear majority of the people ia sap-port of their movement, and their hope is that whea they come into power as a majority Government the minority will aubmit to their lawful rule...
...For we in America aiao have a Socialist Party and we expect a political Labor party in a short time...
...Oompers and I would cross-examine each other...
...We are, therefore, very much concerned with the character of that party...
...show presently, and our subject thus necesssriiy leads us into the broader inquiry: Is the International Social-Democratic and Labor movement revolutionary ? Hillquit Sees British Party as Model for U. S. If the United State* haa a new political party in the Sold thia November, what kind of a party will it be...
...They will never stop in their efforts to obtain a better life for themselves, and for their wives and for their children and for humanity," he added, and turning to me with a malicious smile, he added: "In othy words, we go farther than you...
...The great industrial revolution of England was accomplished through many generations and almost imperceptible stages...
...In comparison with this revolutionary purpose, all revolutionary movements of the past pale int»| significance...
...Oompers was on the stand...
...IF my recollection is not greatly at fault, all Socialist and Labor members of the present Government voted for the motion and many of them spoke in its support, which seems to me much more to the point than their personal dispositions or family histories...
...the fight leads ultimately and inevitably to the abolition of the whole profit system, the socialization of the industries and their operation by and for the people...
...In ail likelihood our Labor party will largely follow the example of the Britiah party in structure, program and methods...
...My excuse for doing so is that there is, in my opinion, a real difference of viewpoint between Mr...
...Greatest Governing Job The British Labor party, the political expression of English or-gsnised and unorganised workers, has held oflce for More than II weeks...
...Our goal is to remake life...
...Revolution, as understood by enlightened people at this time, means a complete and fundamental change of established political or social conditions...
...Russell and myaelf merely revolves around the meaning of the word "revolutionary " For I assume that my distinguished opponent rejects the crude police-court definition of the term aa Involving bloody civil war or spectacular street fights as emphatically as I do...
...When Mr...
...Rusaell's conception and mine on the ¦ubject tinder discussion, that the difference ia of practical importance to the Socialist and Labor movement, and that we, American Socialists, are as vitally concerned in the question as our British comrades...
...The British Labor party does not attempt to conceal its Socialist or revolutionary aims...
...They do not desire a violent conflict tor power...
...Ramsay MacDonald has coined the phrase "evolutionary revolution," Bertrand Russell has described a type that may be styled "polite revolution...
...THE Labor party is revolutionary in composition as well as in aim...
...No social democratic Labor wnmmU ia...
...When I insist on the revolutionary character of the Socialist and Labor movement it is because I fear that the negation of it tenths to belittle the social significance and mission of the movement...
...Russell is an Englishman and a member of the British Labor party...
...No sane human being does...
...Forcf will be needed, at the last, to take the capital from the capitalists...
...From this point of view the British Labor Government is clearly revolutionary in character and aims...
...The main object of the party as officially expressed in its Constitution is: "To secure for the producers by hand and brain the full fruits of their industry, and the most equitable distribution thereof that may be possible, upon the basis of common ownership of the means of production and the best obtainable system of popular administration and control of each industry or service...
...or will it be a permanent Labor party...
...Just ten years ago I had occasion to appear wit'h Mr...
...If it were, our heroic Ku Klux Klan would be an ultra-revolutionary organisation and sheets and pillow cases the emblems of revolution...
...Not for the extension of British imperislist rule but in prepara-tion for the day when the work-era in the Dominions and "possessions" may abolish Britiah capitalism and its overseas ellies...
...If the MacDonald Government of England is not fundamentally different from the Governments of Baldwin and Lloyd George, if it does not mark a new and revolutionary turn in world politics, then what is the justification for the hope and inspiration with which the Socialists of all lands have hailed its advent, and what is the vital importance of our whole movement...
...But they are not qon<4resistant pacifists, and the prospects are that if their lawful majority rules, when attained, should m««t a lawless minority resistance, they will employ as much force as may be required to put it down...
...NOR does revolution necessarily mean a sudden or cataclysmic change...
...MacDonald was called upon to form the Cabinet, it was not as an individual but as the acknowledged parliamentary leader of the Labor party...
...npHIS position has been-reiterated time and time again by the authorized spokesmen of the British Labor party, including Ramsay KacDonald...
...that Labor rules in the historic House of Commons, where only a short time ago the appearance of one worker created conaterna-tion, is in itself a revolutionary fact of the highest order...
...wc are, therefore, very1 much concerned with the character of that party...
...If the phrase "revolutionary methods" is used in opposition to "constitutional methods," then the Labor party is not revolutionary in ita tactics and procedure...
...The organised workers make constantly growing deirnnds upon society for increased reward for their services," was the answer...
...Why, then, should I, a rank outsider, hav* the tem*rity to take issue with hinrW...
...Com per* before thp Commission on Industrial Relations created by President Wilaon...
...Lawlessness is not a necessary feature of revolution...
...Britain's Revolutionary Government By MOORRIS HILLQUIT An addreie /delivered by Conrad* Hillquit in/his debate with B«r-trand Kj^ell THE ^subject of our debate is whether the Labor Government of England is revolutionary...
...RUSSELL may be too near to the actora to appreciate the drama, but the capitaliat press all over the world is fully alive to it...
...The only difference between the Socialists and the old-line trade unionists is that we know it and they don't...
...Now the British Labor party is at this time as revolutionary in program and methods as any party within tha Socialist and Labor International, as I shall attempt to...
...TO begin with, I consider the present Government of the British Empire as the repreeentative and mouthpiece of the British Labor party...
...Through advances and retreats, through victories and defeats, throughout our daily . work and struggles we strive foi/the attain-ment of the loftiest social ideal ever conceived by the human brain...
...Moreover, I do not believe that the difference between Mr...
...THERE is the whole situation in a nutshell...
...to wipe ort the age-long shame of oppression, strife and misery that disfigure human existence, and to build a ne* world...
...Morris Hillquit believes it will take the latter form...
...What Is tha aim of organixed workers in this country...
...A political revolution Is a radical reorganisation of the form of government;- a social revolution involves a basic economic change, the substitution of one system of wealth production and distribution for another...
...Labor Tackling World...
...As sn administrative Job, the Government of the British Em-pire ie undoubtedly the hardeet in the Wor)dt After yeers of study and training the British workers have taken over thie Job...
...If it were, the New York Assembly of 1980, which excluded all Socialist members in utter defiance of the Constitution, would go down in history as America's most revolutionary Parliament and the lawless raids of Messrs...
...VIOLENCE is not a characteristic of revolution...
...The practice of ali tucb movements to to spread their ideas by education aad to cgosottdate their gains by organisation...
...but it will be only a very little force if all who will really profit by Socialism have become persuaded of the fact"—and again: "It is necessary to make it clear that the appeal is to reason rathe* than force, and that force will not be used untir capitalista-become a small band of turbulent rebels against democratically enacted laws...
...Their whole activity to directed to the preparation of society for a peaceful, constitutional transformation...
...And in these demands," I queried again, "will they ever stop until they get the full social product of their labor...
...I AM not a worshipper of the phrase...
...But this does not prove that the Labor Government is not radical or revolutionary...
...The mere fact that the Government of the powerful British Empire, which through countless ages has been the indisputable domain of the ruling classes, has been wrenched from their hands by common workmen...
...For the ultimate success of the great emancipatory movement of the world's workers we should never lose sight of the cold facts and stern realities with which we m\ist deal, but we must also preserve our faith in the magnitude of ojir cause...
...If he prefers to advertise • it as a perfectly innocuous, respect 1 able body, that would seepi to b« ! his privilege...
...Here is the observation of one of the shrewdest contemporary journalists, Sir Philip Gibbs, who writes in World's Work: "It is idle to pretend thst among the people o{ the old regime there is not a sense of the world having slipped beneath their feet when the Government of Great Britain and its offices of State have been taken over by six cosl miners, three mill workers, one iron mold-er, one engine clesner, two engineers, one telegraph operator, one hairdresser and three elementary school teachers—although Ramsay MacDonald has sdded to his Cabinet two or three peers, a former Viceroy of India, and a sprinkling of 'highbrows.'" Of course, I know that the power and opportunities of the present Labor Government of England are very limited...
...It only proves that the Tories and Liberals are not...
...Even our own American Federation of Labor is inherently revolutionary, much as its leadership would deny it...
...The British Government i*, therefore, his Government in a double sense, and by right he should be allowed to *ell It in the Ameri- 1 can market under any label he chooses...
...Palmer and Daugherty would invest their authors with an imperishable halo of revolutionary glory...
...It has also the high authority of one of its most profound and original thinkers...
...Following the triumph, Chancellor Philip Snowdea scored in presenting the first Labor budget, it wss estimated Labor will continue to govern the Empire for et least another year...
...The Labor members in the House still constitute a minority and as soon as the Government attempts to put through a radical Labor program the Tories and Liberals in the House may combine to overthrow it...
...I shall now say a few words about its practical tactics...
...Russell maintains it is not...
...The recent political revolutions which have changed Germany and Austria from semi-absolute monarchies into constitutional republics were accomplished without violence, and even the two Russian revolutions of 1917 were practically bloodleas...
...Will it be a "one-man" party as the short-lived Progressive Party was...
...This is, of course, also the aim of the Socialist movement, and this aim is thoroughly revolutionary...
...THIS is one of the best statements of the Socialist program I know of...
...The four outsiders in the Cabinet do not outweigh Ih* eighteen Socialiat* and Labor men who hold the most responsible poeitlons in it The Labor (ioverpanent of England ia, therefore, aa revolutionary as the Labor party, and onr diacuasion resolves itself into the question, la the British Labor party revolutionary...
...To me "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet...
...The principle embodied In the resolution is a fine sample of what Ramsay MacDonald aptly termed "evolutionary revolution...
Vol. 1 • May 1924 • No. 18
