Henry Mayers Hyndman: a Study.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 43, 5 January 1912, Page 9

Henry Mayers Hyndman: a Study.

England is at last talking about Henry Mayers Hyrdman, but England ie neither talking iibout Hyndman for what Hyndman is nor for what he has done, but because ho has written' a book. It> has been overlooked somehow that the book in question is the by-product of a very remarkable life, and it is highly probable that the fact of Hyndman's existence at all may come as a surprise to a great many woll-informcd people. Still more wellinformed people, knowing of his existence only from tho daily newspapers. will be surprised k> find that this Socialist agitator of the reddest typo is a highly respectable member of tho English bourgeoisie-, born of wealthy parents, educated at Cambridge, experienced as a journalist and traveller, and claiming among his friends many of the greatest men of his day. Four years ago Hyndman told a friend of mine, who had been offering him birthday congratulations, that he was 60 years young, and in his book, "Tin: , Record of an Adventurous Life," he describes himself to-day as an active man of G9. There we have the real Hyndman; Wie α-estloss energy that has ruffled the surface of English politics and upheld the banner of uncompromising Socialism in England for well over a quarter of a century. An Eternal ImposslbilistHyiidman in many ways is an activity, a forcej rather Lhan an achievement. Doubtless ho would tell you he was a great success, but that would Oily be a part of his undying enthusiasm, his perpetual jouthj for no matter how sweetly reasonable he may Ij , -' on such topics, to the outside world.. as well as to the- larger part of tinworld of Socialism, liynuman is thai. glorious thing, an clurnai ist. On the other hand, his bilisin »s an unco>:s ious lailwr 11 conscious thing. 1 think he would l;kc to be Miecessl'ul, and 1 think the mantle of success would sit well on hi* shouldi'is; but he is far too reasonable ever v> be anything more th;ni a failure, l'ears ago the- "rail Mall Gazette" a'.ked ironically, "Why dues .v!r. Hyndman go about calling himself th<? Social Democratic R-dcration?" b;n the 'Tall Mall Gazette" did not italic half of the truth it spoke. This tireless Utopist is not only the father of the Social Democratic Party in England, he is its guide, philosopher and frier d, its inspirer-ia-chiof, its prophet, and its genial autocrat. So important is iv» t<3 the organisation that if you look him away it would cither collapse or grow into something now and slrar.gr. Uiwkr his long tho S.D.P. hi\« never for a moment deviated from its properil-d path, ar.-.i although in tho niidst of political and economic battles it has remained inviolate and impregnable, it has not succeeded in achieving much more thru: a status quo. The Revolution that is to be. Sii:<-o the S.D.P. was l'ornioci i;.r. 11 y So'.ii'.li'.t societies have come into •.•>:- istonco to flutter briefly before tko public ;v.vm and full to earth wi'Ji broki'n wings; otl'rs, more yielding to popular prejudie.es and conventional esp-dienoies, like the Independent L;;bOr Party and the F;vbian Society, have coirce and worked and had Uieir brief moiiH-r.t of brilliance, only to settle into a pren.nture and effete old age, but tho 5.D.P... with Mr. Hyndman bearing aloft liie Red Flag proudly, seems to be eternal. In its ei.rly days Hyndman drew under its banner all the bright Bpirits who were coining into Socialism, but he was not strong otiou;/h to hold them togftliM-. Bornard Shaw left him for tho l'abian Society, and William Morris left him for the illfntwl Socialist League, but, undaunted, he refused to capitulate, and continued to run his paper, "Justice," and his federation, as it was then called, in company with his faithful comrades, Harry Qurlch and Belfort Bax. Innumerable pamphlets and leaflets were issued and scattered over England, and many elections were fought with heroically disastrous results. England who wed tivt the slightest inclination to join the Social Democratic Party, and even 1.1 ;<■ majority of those who called ihemsclves Socialists refused k> be cc.ivrk-d. But the S:D.P. did not die; >t ie alive to-day, its

Interesting Sketch by Holbrook Jackson in "T.P.'s Weekly."

iinniilis'-d Socialist movoinviit of ti Ei-iiti<'sr r'ur, save the in-

disciples go forth into the highways and byways preaching the only true Socialist faith. Great halls throughout the land rock with the eloquence of Hyndman. But nothing else seems t<) happen. The revolution is as far on" as ever, and the people of England understand something loss of tho Marxian theory of value than they did before. All this, however, has not destroyed the hope or the enthusiasm of H. M. Hyndman. He is 69 years young, and as he stands on the platform tour square to his audience, pouring forth torrents of irony, invective, sarcasm, dialectic and humor over the uplifted faces, you fool that it will alwa}s - bo so. No Outward and Visible Signs. There is really something incongruous about this respectable frock-coated, silk-hatted, groy-bonrded, high-browed, patriarchal figure even in the conven-

ituil, his hi. .'■.:(] his vc<«i.s ILWjiJ. lie lc'.'k' .1 the SlillK' then as l< !<-Ht i;u«- son,-■;l ; jij; between i> sur--i.-t.s-iill Hit-I'fhaui and a Nonconiorn i;■'. jjroiwhfT; but his commies in Thvsv 'iajs c-oiii.ul«.-roii L-. inopua and coi'.iiti oy, ..'lay pipes, ml :-ies, and souibions. ■ho outward ai:d ntiblo signs uf ai. in\\;i:'d and rovi.>h:iK'!i<\ry grace. Such ."oitv<-it;o!!£ did li.a ;;llect the fatln-r -f cl,e S.D.P. ; for ho believes that ivx-i: iiir- i.qnal bi fore ('•<•<]. no lratlor wli.it i'lo;i;(-i tii'.'y wi';-.r. so lie alandoniM.l all <_lain:•= to di--ti!:'.-U"U of birth nrd jn--s----aosaifiis oxc J;t tlir- >artorial -,f his foeial horita^f , . [ fancy TT> :h'.;i.;u: would havo pli.-.iis.-.l Walt Whiin-.r.:.. Flo ;s a superb p< tmiii. the i-iil-iir.a----tU'St of t-lie d<■ mo , ' , ratio pnf-tV id-'-a of the- divino He is iniiti'H: only i)\ tlio v:rr:\:i]> :~<; of hi? oiif?rr.iou: , ; IViul;. and Willing V. W.i:U .«■-:.< ilfi.-,-!-. to «!:> the dirty ivosk. as any liui'i.lil" momljor of tho rank and file: arrogr.v:; oi !y in his pc-si^t^Mfy: orijzinr.l only in his <-nt!;usi,.sii! for pha?<:: of a (■•r;ik" that lir.s neither lost nor found itself: prrsuasi',i\ oloouent; laborious: yet. in spito of al' ihcsr tliin;:f, ir. spite of tho snit<? aiid jorlousy, tinmeanness and suspicion, of political propaganda, Hyndinan has reicained cloan and lovablo and honest. ad< i red by his followers, honored by Socialist conformist and nonconformist alike, and misrepropented by his foes. The Apostle of Marx. I said that his liJ'o did not represent an acliitvoniciit, but surely to have achieved so much is to have achieved much. That such a man should have b-KMi, until now. '(Comparatively unknown to his fellow countrynien is « Ki'icivous fault, for his l<;llow fountrynioii are the losers Hut inspired by his own account of liiir-s-olf, the press lias made some amends by at length dis-cov-ering that he is at l-east a forceful personality. What the future holds for this warrior of revolt, who has fought so valiantly without reward and without success, I know not. In his B<-v< .ltictli year he has been made tlif fi; - 'chairman of the neAvly-fciine-d Hr.; sh Socialist Party, wJiicli may be t; .(■•i as an earnest of more strenuous \ ■.!■! for the cause of his heart. But

whatever the. years may hold for him or us, Henry Mayors Hyndnian will go on his «ay thundering his wrath against a system for him, is an iniquity. liV a modern Isaiah' bodged about not so naich by the enmity of ih.it systi'tii as by the doctrine, of Karl Marx, whoso aj>rst!<> to the English people hi , is. It is j?.o(id, however, for England to lu<ow oi the existence of Hyn.'lii• iin. although his party bear few d:r<"et records of buccoks, as succef-s is und<'i' o"i] by most of up, he and his no-work :■•• tinvc been an ii.i-ir -t and umlergi"'.'! il factor in the • :::!'ort of our ouiii i'i> upon eorivil idea , - And it is good ■■: be Uius disturbe-l