l party, Liberalism and Socialism
are deadly enemies. "Liberalism, in so far as it aims at maintaining
the liberty of private property, is reactionary and false to the
principle which it has always implicitly or explicitly maintained, of
the right of each and every individual to a full and free development.
In so far as Liberalism does this, in so far as it assumes as
axiomatic a state of society based on unrestricted freedom of private
property, and proceeds to adjust social arrangements solely or
primarily in the interests of the owners of private property, in so
far Liberalism and Socialism are death enemies."[642] The leading
Fabian organ stated: "A party subsisting on illusions, concealments,
and hypocrisies, could hardly survive in the atmosphere engendered by
a real fight like that between plutocracy and Socialism. For some time
it may contrive to subsist by telling the electorate that the only
true way of resisting Socialism is by means of Liberal reforms, while
at the same time (with doubtful consistency) asking for Socialist
support on the ground that it goes 'part of the way.' But its best
chance is probably to divert public attention from Socialism to other
matters, and this the Prime Minister evidently feels. The existence of
the Liberal party is incompatible with the existence of intellectual
honesty in its leaders. And with all his faults Sir Henry is too
fundamentally honest a man to lead it effectively at the present
juncture. The reins had better be handed over to Mr. Winston
Churchill, against whom no such objection can be urged."[643]

Before the Liberals set to work in 1906, Mr. Philip Snowden wrote: "It
might be said that in the next Parliament the Liberal party is on its
last trial."[644] That trial has had, as far as the Socialists and the
Labour party are concerned, an unsatisfactory result. Before the
general election Socialists asked themselves: "Will the Liberal party
come into power with a clear mandate for reform which even the House
of Lords will not dare entirely to obstruct, or will it shuffle into
power on the misdoings of its predecessors and carry out a halfhearted
policy in the hope of not estranging any of its moderate followers? If
it takes the latter course, it will win the undying contempt of all
real reformers; it will be the last time that a Liberal Administration
holds sway, and Labour will be left the only really progressive force
in the country."[645] Twelve months later, in