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repudiate frontage； claim to be pure hinterland。 That is what
bothered me about Codger； about those various schoolmasters who had
prepared me for life； about the Baileys and their dream of an
official ruling class。 A human being who is a philosopher in the
first place； a teacher in the first place； or a statesman in the
first place； is thereby and inevitably； though he bring God…like
gifts to the pretencea quack。 These are attempts to live deep…
side shallow； inside out。 They produce merely a new pettiness。 To
understand Socialism； again； is to gain a new breadth of outlook； to
join a Socialist organisation is to join a narrow cult which is not
even tolerably serviceable in presenting or spreading the ideas for
which it stands。 。 。 。
I perceived I had got something quite fundamental here。 It had
taken me some years to realise the true relation of the great
constructive ideas that swayed me not only to political parties； but
to myself。 I had been disposed to identify the formulae of some one
party with social construction； and to regard the other as
necessarily anti…constructive； just as I had been inclined to follow
the Baileys in the self…righteousness of supposing myself to be
wholly constructive。 But I saw now that every man of intellectual
freedom and vigour is necessarily constructive…minded nowadays； and
that no man is disinterestedly so。 Each one of us repeats in
himself the conflict of the race between the splendour of its
possibilities and its immediate associations。 We may be shaping
immortal things； but we must sleep and answer the dinner gong； and
have our salt of flattery and self…approval。 In politics a man
counts not for what he is in moments of imaginative expansion； but
for his common workaday； selfish self； and political parties are
held together not by a community of ultimate aims； but by the
stabler bond of an accustomed life。 Everybody almost is for
progress in general； and nearly everybody is opposed to any change；
except in so far as gross increments are change； in his particular
method of living and behaviour。 Every party stands essentially for
the interests and mental usages of some definite class or group of
classes in the exciting community； and every party has its
scientific…minded and constructive leading section； with well…
defined hinterlands formulating its social functions in a public…
spirited form； and its superficial…minded following confessing its
meannesses and vanities and prejudices。 No class will abolish
itself； materially alter its way of life； or drastically reconstruct
itself； albeit no class is indisposed to co…operate in the unlimited
socialisation of any other class。 In that capacity for aggression
upon other classes lies the essential driving force of modern
affairs。 The instincts； the persons； the parties； and vanities sway
and struggle。 The ideas and understandings march on and achieve
themselves for allin spite of every one。 。 。 。
The methods and traditions of British politics maintain the form of
two great parties； with rider groups seeking to gain specific ends
in the event of a small Government majority。 These two main parties
are more or less heterogeneous in composition。 Each； however； has
certain necessary characteristics。 The Conservative Party has
always stood quite definitely for the established propertied
interests。 The land…owner； the big lawyer； the Established Church；
and latterly the huge private monopoly of the liquor trade which has
been created by temperance legislation； are the essential
Conservatives。 Interwoven now with the native wealthy are the
families of the great international usurers； and a vast
miscellaneous mass of financial enterprise。 Outside the range of
resistance implied by these interests； the Conservative Party has
always shown itself just as constructive and collectivist as any
other party。 The great landowners have been as well…disposed
towards the endowment of higher education； and as willing to co…
operate with the Church in protective and mildly educational
legislation for children and the working class； as any political
section。 The financiers； too； are adventurous…spirited and eager
for mechanical progress and technical efficiency。 They are prepared
to spend public money upon research； upon ports and harbours and
public communications； upon sanitation and hygienic organisation。 A
certain rude benevolence of public intention is equally
characteristic of the liquor trade。 Provided his comfort leads to
no excesses of temperance； the liquor trade is quite eager to see
the common man prosperous； happy； and with money to spend in a bar。
All sections of the party are aggressively patriotic and favourably
inclined to the idea of an upstanding； well…fed； and well…exercised
population in uniform。 Of course there are reactionary landowners
and old…fashioned country clergy； full of localised self…importance；
jealous even of the cottager who can read； but they have neither the
power nor the ability to retard the constructive forces in the party
as a whole。 On the other hand； when matters point to any definitely
confiscatory proposal； to the public ownership and collective
control of land； for example； or state mining and manufactures； or
the nationalisation of the so…called public…house or extended
municipal enterprise； or even to an increase of the taxation of
property； then the Conservative Party presents a nearly adamantine
bar。 It does not stand for； it IS； the existing arrangement in
these affairs。
Even more definitely a class party is the Labour Party； whose
immediate interest is to raise wages； shorten hours of labor；
increase employment； and make better terms for the working…man
tenant and working…man purchaser。 Its leaders are no doubt
constructive minded； but the mass of the following is naturally
suspicious of education and discipline； hostile to the higher
education； andexcept for an obvious antagonism to employers and
property ownersalmost destitute of ideas。 What else can it be？
It stands for the expropriated multitude； whose whole situation and
difficulty arise from its individual lack of initiative and
organising power。 It favours the nationalisation of land and
capital with no sense of the difficulties involved in the process；
but； on the other hand； the equally reasonable socialisation of
individuals which is implied by military service is steadily and
quite naturally and quite illogically opposed by it。 It is only in
recent years that Labour has emerged as a separate party from the
huge hospitable caravanserai of Liberalism； and there is still a
very marked tendency to step back again into that multitudinous
assemblage。
For multitudinousness has always been the Liberal characteristic。
Liberalism never has been nor ever can be anything but a diversified
crowd。 Liberalism has to voice everything that is left out by these
other parties。 It is the party against the predominating interests。
It is at once the party of the failing and of the untried； it is the
party of decadence and hope。 From its nature it must be a vague and
planless association in comparison with its antagonist； neither so
constructive on the one hand； nor on the other so competent to
hinder the inevitable constructions of the civilised state。
Essentially it is the party of criticism； the 〃Anti〃 party。 It is a
system of hostilities and objections that somehow achieves at times
an elusive common soul。 It is a gathering together of all the
smaller interests which find themselves at a disadvantage against
the big established classes； the leasehold tenant as against the
landowner； the retail tradesman as against the merchant and the
moneylender； the Nonconformist as against the Churchman； the small
employer as against the demoralising hospitable publ