Source: The Northampton Mercury, 4 July 1885, page 9
Note: These are deliveries of the lectures Socialism and How we live and how we might live
Transcription: by Graham Seaman for MIA, October 2022
On Sunday, two lectures on Socialism were given in this town, under the auspices of the local Secular Society, by Mr. William Morris, the eminent author of the Earthly Paradise and many other poems which have commanded considerable attention in the literary world by reason of their brilliant imagery, powerful emotion, and consummate metrical melody, as well as by the daring thoughts they express. Mr. Morris is treasurer of the Socialist League, and the editor of its journal, The Commonweal, so that what be has said upon this subject may be taken as reliable from the one point of view.
Mr. Morris expressed the pleasure he felt at having the opportunity of speaking on such a subject in such a place, for he knew there was no town in England where a man was so likely to receive a fair hearing as at Northampton. He could not, in one morning, deal with the whole question, so he would merely try to give them something to think about. What is Socialism ? Its chief and special aim was to put in the place of competition, which all must admit was too prevalent now, the principles of co-operation and brotherhood. There was at present a terrible contrast between wealth and work, and the Socialists' aim was that there should no rich men, and no poor men, but all wealthy men. The real business of man on earth was happiness. If there was anything which interfered with happiness it was a duty to remove it. The position was that man was on the earth. Nature was the enemy of man, but man had fought till nature lay in bis power. He was there to speak for man, and he knew nothing higher than humanity; it was humanity they had to look up to, and, to use a stronger expression—to worship. Man had, indeed, conquered nature, but the people who had done this were now trodden underfoot by other men—it was now man who enslaved the people who had released them from the bonds of nature. Society as at present constituted was divided into three classes—the aristocracy, the middle class, and the lower class. The aristocracy were the privileged class. This class perhaps filled certain functions at one time, but it filled them no longer, so that it might really be said there were two classes in the country —those who had, and those who had not. Those who had could drive a hard bargain with those who had not. The former class owned the machinery, the materials, and the wealth, whilst the latter only had their hands. The result was that the workers had to work one third of the day for themselves, and the rest for their employers. The speaker then gave a short account of the relations between wealth and labour in former years. He described trades unions as institutions which had done good in their time, but they were becoming day by day less effectual. Socialists demanded that the produce of a man's labour ought to belong to the man himself. In this condition of things no one would be out of work and no one overworked. How were they to further the ends of Socialism? Some said send good members to Parliament, but he did not think so. He said first of all they should agitate; there was never any good without creating discontent. Secondly, he said, educate, and thirdly, organise. Mr. Morris concluded by expounding the cause and principles of the Socialist League, whose delegate he was.
On the Chairman inviting questions or opposition, Mr. T. Barber stepped upon the platform. He expressed his agreement with many of the utterances of the lecturer, but disapproved of what had said of the causes of the present social inequalities, and the means he advocated of altering them. He then proceeded to argue that the true remedy was the pure and unadulterated gospel of Christ, which was every Sunday attacked by Secularist lecturers from that place.
The Chairman, however, declined amidst signs of assent from Mr. Barber's friends to permit Mr. Barber to take this line.
Mr. Barber was proceeding to give the testimony of Robert Owen on a certain point, when he was again interrupted by the Chairman, and finally left the platform, saying that the statement that that was a free platform a mockery and a sham. Mr. Morris reply said that his Socialism was unsectarian and had nothing to do with speculative opinions.
In the evening Mr. R. Reid presided at Mr. Morris's second lecture at the Secular Hall, on "How we live and how we ought to live." It was a strong condemnation of the powers that be, and a plea for a Socialistic state of society; and in the course of it, the lecturer spoke of capital as “the wealth which fools created for rogues to grow fat on." At its conclusion several questions were put. In answer to one asking how he would begin in forming his Socialistic state, Mr. Morris said it would take him two or three hours to go into it, and he could not answer short time he had at his disposal. Another gentleman wanted to learn Mr. Morris's opinion of municipalities buying over public works. The reply was that such purchases were beneficial to the community, and were a step towards the realisation of Socialism.