[The situation in West Ham] (1904)

From the November 1904 issue of the Socialist Standard

Our article in our last issue on the situation in West Ham has already had some effect on the S.D.F. Executive Council, hence the following paragraph in Justice for October 22nd:—

“In West Ham they are by no means asleep, but are putting forward a strong list of candidates, with which they hope to do much to reconquer the position they held before the unholy ‘Alliance ‘ gained the sway. When next our comrades are in the ascendant there they will take care not to be hampered by any half-hearted, fair-weather adherent.”

Will they ? As the articles in the last and in this issue show, they are doing exactly the same thing as they did before, and with their eyes open.

In West Ham friends and enemies alike recognise that the formation of the “labour group” was a great mistake. We Socialists often say that the working man will exhaust the possibilities of error before he tries the Socialist road ; but what can be said of men calling themselves Socialists who deliberately make the same error twice over ? Either they are knowingly and of set purpose trying to give Socialism a set back in favour of “labourism,” or they are a set of utter incompetents. The Clarion may have been right some years ago when they urged West Ham to “Fire out the fools” but in our opinion it would almost seem to be a case of “more knave than fool.”