Democracy_, p. 10.

[592] Thompson, _The Referendum, &c._, p. 3.

[593] _Ibid._ p. 1.

[594] _Ibid._ p. 16.

[595] Thompson, _Hail Referendum_, pp. 8, 9.

[596] Gronlund, _Co-operative Commonwealth_, p. 130.

[597] _Ibid._ p. 129.

[598] Thompson, _The Only Way to Democracy_, p. 4.

[599] _Ibid._ p. 15.

[600] Thompson, _The Referendum, &c._, p. 5.

[601] _Ibid._ p. 11.

[602] _Report on Fabian Policy_, p. 5

[603] _Report on Fabian Policy_, p. 13.

[604] Kessack, _The Capitalist Wilderness and the Way Out_, p. 3.

[605] _What Use is a Vote?_ p. 1.

[606] Bax, _The Ethics of Socialism_, p. 120.

[607] _Ibid._ p. 128.

[608] _Ibid._ pp. 127, 128.

[609] Ethel Snowden, _The Woman Socialist_, p. 20.

[610] _Ibid._ p. 19.

[611] Ethel Snowden, _The Woman Socialist_, Introd.

[612] _Ibid._ p. 93.

[613] _Ibid._ p. 97.

[614] _Ibid._ p. 92.

[615] _Ibid._ p. 98.

[616] _Independent Labour Party Report, Annual Conference_, 1907, p.
45.

[617] _Report of 27th Annual Conference, 1907, Social-Democratic
Federation_, p. 26.

CHAPTER XVI

THE ATTITUDE OF THE SOCIALISTS TOWARDS THE TWO PARLIAMENTARY PARTIES

From the Socialist point of view there is for all practical purposes
no difference between the two great parties. Both are representative,
not of the people, but of capitalism. Both are hostile to labour.

"The difference between Liberalism and Toryism is merely a question of
phraseology; there is no fundamental clashing of principle. Both stand
for the private ownership of the means of life. They both support a
competitive state of society with its inevitable exploitation of the
wealth-producers."[618] "Both the Conservative and Liberal parties are
agreed in supporting private ownership in the instruments of
production for the purposes of profit-making. Their differences are
merely superficial and their programmes admittedly offer no solution
of the problems of poverty. The Independent Labour Party regards them
both as equally the enemies of labour, and in fact merely as two
sections of the entrenched forces of plutocracy."[619] "There are not
really two parties in the State. There is but one great party, that of
privilege, divided into two factions, labelled Whig and Tory, or
Liberal and Conservative. Both do much the same things in office. The
mimic warfare which they wage with each other, no shrewd observer
takes seriously. It is merely a pleasant game of which the stakes are