y have you for saying that Socialists believe
in sharing out all the money equally amongst all the people?'

'Well, that's what I've always understood they believed in doing,' said
Crass rather lamely.

'It's a well-known fact,' said several others.

'Come to think of it,' continued Crass as he drew the Obscurer cutting
from his waistcoat pocket, 'I've got a little thing 'ere that I've been
goin' to read to yer. It's out of the Obscurer. I'd forgotten all
about it.'

Remarking that the print was too small for his own eyes, he passed the
slip of paper to Harlow, who read aloud as follows:

PROVE YOUR PRINCIPLES: OR, LOOK AT BOTH SIDES

'I wish I could open your eyes to the true misery of our
condition: injustice, tyranny and oppression!' said a discontented
hack to a weary-looking cob as they stood side by side in unhired
cabs.

'I'd rather have them opened to something pleasant, thank you,'
replied the cob.

'I am sorry for you. If you could enter into the noble
aspirations--' the hack began.

'Talk plain. What would you have?' said the cob, interrupting
him.

'What would I have? Why, equality, and share and share alike all
over the world,' said the hack.

'You MEAN that?' said the cob.

'Of course I do. What right have those sleek, pampered hunters and
racers to their warm stables and high feed, their grooms and
jockeys? It is really heart-sickening to think of it,' replied
the hack.

'I don't know but you may be right,' said the cob, 'and to show
I'm in earnest, as no doubt you are, let me have half the good
beans you have in your bag, and you shall have half the musty oats
and chaff I have in mine. There's nothing like proving one's
principles.'
Original Parables. By Mrs Prosier.

'There you are!' cried several voices.

'What does that mean?' cried Crass, triumphantly. 'Why don't you go
and share your wages with the chaps what's out of work?'

'What does it mean?' replied Owen contemptuously. 'It means that if
the Editor of the Obscurer put that in his paper as an argument against
Socialism, either he is of feeble intellect himself or else he thinks
that the majority of his readers are. That isn't an argument against
Socialism--it's an argument against the hypocrites who pretend to be
Christians--the people who profess to "Love their neighbours as
themselves"