himself, were for chopping up the old king for Medea's pot. Morris
had told us to have nothing to do with the parliamentary socialists,
represented for men in general by the Fabian Society and Hyndman's
Socialist Democratic Federation and for us in particular by D...
During the period of transition mistakes must be made, and the
discredit of these mistakes must be left to 'the bourgeoisie;' and
besides, when you begin to talk of this measure or that other you
lose sight of the goal and see, to reverse Swinburne's description
of Tiresias, 'light on the way but darkness on the goal.' By
mistakes Morris meant vexatious restrictions and compromises--'If
any man puts me into a labour squad, I will lie on my back and
kick.' That phrase very much expresses our idea of revolutionary
tactics: we all intended to lie upon our back and kick. D..., pale
and sedentary, did not dislike labour squads and we all hated him
with the left side of our heads, while admiring him immensely with
the right. He alone was invited to entertain Mrs. Morris, having
many tales of his Irish uncles, more especially of one particular
uncle who had tried to commit suicide by shutting his head into a
carpet bag. At that time he was an obscure man, known only for a
witty speaker at street corners and in Park demonstrations. He had,
with an assumed truculence and fury, cold logic, an universal
gentleness, an unruffled courtesy, and yet could never close a
speech without being denounced by a journeyman hatter with an
Italian name. Converted to socialism by D..., and to anarchism by
himself, with swinging arm and uplifted voice this man perhaps
exaggerated our scruple about parliament. 'I lack,' said D..., 'the
bump of reverence;' whereon the wild man shouted 'You 'ave a 'ole.'
There are moments when looking back I somewhat confuse my own figure
with that of the hatter, image of our hysteria, for I too became
violent with the violent solemnity of a religious devotee. I can