Saturday 12 January 2013

Audiences for Socialism

In his 1996 essay ‘The Morris Who Reads Us’ (which is certainly a neat title), Norman Kelvin remarks that ‘As for the late audiences for socialism, they heard him [Morris] at the Hammersmith Socialist Society (his last, smallest and most congenial socialist group). They were composed for the most part of loyal friends and employees of Morris and Co. (for several of whom attendance might have been prudence only)’ (p.347). That’s a rather peculiar final comment, surely, which potentially undermines the authenticity of Morris’s socialist meetings. It’s the kind of remark that you might expect from an avowed political opponent, from some snide Tory hack on Rupert Murdoch’s The Times newspaper, rather than from one of our best Morris scholars (who gave us the marvellous Collected Letters, after all).

So I think we have to insist that in this matter Professor Kelvin should either put up or shut up. He needs to produce documentary evidence that some of Morris’s workmen attended meetings purely for ‘prudential’ reasons – i.e. under real or perceived threat of reprisal from their employer if they didn’t - or he should withdraw this claim. And his speculative ‘might have been’ formulation here suggests to me that there is no such evidence. Morris gives us a graphic portrayal of an employer victimising an employee for his political views in section VI of The Pilgrims of Hope, so he hardly seems likely to have indulged in the same practice.

12 comments:

ianmac55 said...

Only just caught up with this one, Tony!

I suppose what I find puzzling is the very idea that one's employer should preach socialism at one.

Now we've all been down this argumentative road before. Morris as the purveyor of luxury to the swinish rich and so on.

But it's certainly plausible that a workman may have attended his employer's lectures with a view to brown-nosing (as the modern idiom would have it).

I guess that Kelvin is just putting in print what has occurred to him. Not everything needs the footnote with documentation.

Tony Pinkney said...

Thanks for this, Ian. Interesting defence of "may have ... " speculations. I actually like such speculations and think they're valuable in relation to 'News from Nowhere' (but then, that is itself a speculative work of fiction in the first place), so perhaps I'm being unduly censorious in the case of Norman Kelvin's remark.

Anonymous said...

Hellο this іs somewhat of οff tоpіс but I was wonderіng if blogs usе WҮSIWYG editors oг if
уou havе to manually code ωith HTML.
I'm starting a blog soon but have no coding skills so I wanted to get guidance from someone with experience. Any help would be enormously appreciated!

Look at my page - e-cigarette products

Anonymous said...

Talking of pregnancy, the first thing to be considered is not to do anything that would reduce the possibility of conceiving. Keeping a serious face and acting like you don't care can only be a way to keep women away, but I don't think you want to do that.
http://www.pregnancyhelper.in

Anonymous said...

I am a Chicago- Suburban Local and certainly
will usually contact the location my home. Fantasy
writer R.A creates the sport market. GMT), Red Useless Redemption (6:
00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Feel free to surf to my page Best GTA 5 Cheats

Anonymous said...

Highly energetic post, I liked that bit. Will there be a part 2?



Also visit my blog post: Family Guy The Quest
for Stuff cheats (http://www.acorntown.com/space.php?uid=889882&do=blog&id=856164)

Anonymous said...

My developer is trying to convince me to move to .net from PHP.
I have always disliked the idea because of the expenses. But
he's tryiong none the less. I've been using WordPress on various websites
for about a year and am worried about switching to another platform.
I have heard excellent things about blogengine.net.
Is there a way I can transfer all my wordpress content into it?
Any kind of help would be greatly appreciated!

Review my blog Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers new track list

Anonymous said...

I think that is among the most vital information for me.
And i'm happy reading your article. However wanna statement on few basic issues, The website
style is great, the articles is really excellent : D. Just
right task, cheers

Feel free to surf to my page - clinical negligence uk

Anonymous said...

Heyy theгe this is somewhat of off topic but I was wanting to know if
blogs use WYSIWYG editors or if you hɑve tto manually coode with ΗTML.
I'm starting a blog soon but have nno coding expertise soо I wanted to gеt guidance from someone with experience.
Any help would be enormouslү appreciated!


Also visit my web page Wedding Dress

Anonymous said...

Hi everyone, it's my first pay a quick visit at this web
site, and piece of writing is truly fruitful designed for me,
keep up posting these articles.

my homepage :: livejasmine

yanmaneee said...

supreme clothing
jordan shoes
off white shoes
kyrie 6 shoes
retro jordans
jordans
hermes birkin
curry 6
supreme
yeezy

smistaez said...

explanation official statement official site more visit the website great post to read