Friday, May 31, 2019

Correspondence. (1904)

Letter to the Editors from the October 1904 issue of the Socialist Standard

To The Editors.

Dear Comrades,—The Saturday Review discussing the Amsterdam Congress and the relative merits of Bebel and Jaures, observes, amidst many other funny observations, that—
  '‘The Socialism of the Fabians is the Socialism of Jaures, which is different from that of Keir Hardie who will not have anything to do with either Liberal or Tory," And, again, “Jaures ought to have nothing to do with the Congress, he is too clever and level-headed to keep company with the men who carried that resolution.” (Re India.)
It may interest the Saturday Review scribe to learn that Keir Hardie as President of the British Section, voted with Jaures as against Bebel, on the “Dresden Resolution,” and that the Resolution on “India,” moved by S. G. Hobson (I.L.P.) and seconded by Dadabhai Naoroji (the Liberal candidate for North Lambeth) was carried amid the acclamation of Jaures and his party—The Parti Socialiste Francais.

Truly, “a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.”— 

Yours fraternally,
Alex Pearson, 
Gravesend, Sept. 9, 1904. 

1 comment:

Imposs1904 said...

Alex Pearson was a founder member of the SPGB and, with Jack Kent, was one of the two SPGB delegates to the Sixth Congress of the Second International in Amsterdam (August 1904).

Via Kaz's excellent wee monograph on the founding members of the SPGB:

"Alex Pearson (Edmonton branch)
Pearson was an important outdoor speaker for the Party before First World War and, with Jack Kent, was sent as a delegate to Amsterdam Congress of Second International in August 1904. He was an Executive Committee member for the 1915-16 session, and is presumed to have fallen out shortly thereafter. Previously Pearson had been a delegate for Arbroath branch to the 1902 SDF Conference.