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ESSAYS IN PERSUASION

PART

Liberals to-day would not find uncongenial.But we cannot march with them until we knowalong what path, and towards what goal, theymean to move. I do not believe that theirhistoric creed of State Socialism, and its newergloss of Guild Socialism , now interest themmuch more than they interest us. These doc-trines no longer inspire any one. Constructivethinkers in the Labour Party , and constructivethinkers in the Liberal Party, are trying to re-place them with something better and moreserviceable. The notions on both sides are abit foggy as yet, but there is much sympathybetween them, and a similar tendency of ideas.I believe that the two sections will become moreand more friends and colleagues in construc-tion as time goes on. But the progressiveLiberal has this great advantage. He can workout his policies without having to do lip-serviceto Trade-Unionist tyrannies, to the beauties ofthe class war, or to doctrinaire State Socialism—in none of which he believes.

In the realm of practical politics, two thingsmust happen—both of which are likely. Theremust be one more General Election to disillusionLabour optimists as to the measure of theirpolitical strength, standing by themselves. Butequally on our side there must be a certainchange. The Liberal Party is divided betweenthose who, if the choice be forced upon them,would vote Conservative, and those who, in thesame circumstances, would vote Labour . His-torically, and on grounds of past service, each