The Ideal State 231 



They send broadcast pamphlets to prove that Socialism 

 means revolution. They quote Karl Marx to the 

 effect that " violence must be the lever of our social 

 reform." This is quite sufficient to prove to any 

 student of history that Karl Marx will not be followed. 

 Violence and revolution mean chaos — a complete rup- 

 ture of the tradition of the past, which in Great Britain 

 will never be necessary and therefore will never be 

 accomplished. The Government is broad-based upon 

 the people's will, and thus neither of these methods will 

 ever become necessary or be permitted. The sure and 

 safe social evolution of society will go on without any 

 sudden break with the past ; one reform will evolve 

 from another until the ideal state is realised. 



We cannot wonder at threats of " stirring up dis- 

 content, of force, of actual conflict " on the part of 

 men who know what la misere means among the 

 toiling masses of the great industrial centres. We can 

 sympathise with them, but we do not believe these 

 will go any further, owing to the ethical influence at 

 work among all classes. The threats against the 

 monarchy are not often heard, and are due to the 

 same cause. Every part of the governmental machine 

 is threatened ; even the Liberal party, which has given 

 to them most of the benefits they now enjoy, and is 

 still devising fresh measures for their betterment, is 

 to be smashed. These are the ravings of individual 

 enthusiasts, who have themselves endured la misere 

 and are determined that it shall cease, but who have 

 not yet learned the lesson of history. 



Mr. Hyndman and Mr. Blatchford are only instances 

 of the limitation of the human intellect. They have 

 evidently joined Marx and Dumont in their intention to 

 destroy " l'hypothese Dieu ! " Can we forbear again 

 to cry, " Man, proud man, most ignorant of what he's 

 most assured ! " Another instance this of the material- 



