The house of Industry : a new estate of the realm

FACTORS OF VICTORY 89

were front benchers and finally became statesmen. And the more weighty they became as statesmen, the lighter they became as Socialist leaders. A cynic remarked that always a day must come when every Labour leader must sell his party.

In these later days, it is difficult not to resist the sorrowful conclusion that the I.L. P. has missed its way. Nevertheless, it has consistently, during the past quarter of a century, supplied the storm troops for the Labour Movement. For that, Labour can never be too grateful.

The fundamental error of the I.L.P. has been a too political concept of Socialism. Ithas visualised Socialism as a concrete something to be won at the polls. What was wanted was votes and yet more votes. In the fullness of time, Parliament would bestow Socialism upon a long-suffering people—when there were votes enough. This political obsession can probably be traced to those earlier days when the material interpretation of history was indignantly rejected. Leave that sort of thing to the S.D.F.! The result has been that the old, delightfully intolerant spirit has vapourised into the unsatisfying formula of ‘‘ Socialism in our time,’’ to be obtained, apparently, by Parliamentary committees, with larger powers and closer contact with the Departments. Prosaic end to a dream !

Do not the younger and more active members of the I.L.P. see for themselves that the House of Commons cannot in the nature of things devolve upon its committees greater powers than it itself