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The British Social Democratic Federation 1880–1885

From O'Brienism to Marxism*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 December 2008

Mark Bevir
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A number of Bronterre O'Brien's disciples were the leading lights of London clubs that provided the silent majority to the Social Democratic Federation (S.D.F.). Even after the O'Brienites came to accept the need for collective ownership of the means of production, their political strategy remained that of O'Brien. An understanding of the role played by the O'Brienites helps to explain various problems in the history of the S.D.F. such as why most members remained with Hyndman rather than follow Morris into the Socialist League and why the S.D.F. adopted an ambiguous attitude to trade unions and to palliatives.

Type
Research Article
Information
International Review of Social History , Volume 37 , Issue 2 , August 1992 , pp. 207 - 229
Copyright
Copyright © Internationaal Instituut voor Sociale Geschiedenis 1992

References

1 On Hyndman see Tsuzuki, C., H. M. Hyndman and British Socialism (Oxford, 1961)Google Scholar and Bevir, M., “H.M. Hyndman: A Rereading and a Reassessment”, History of Political Thought, XII (1991), pp. 125–145.Google Scholar On Morris see Thompson, E.P., William Morris: From Romantic to Revolutionary (London, 1977).Google Scholar On the Fabians see Wolfe, W., From Radicalism to Socialism (New Haven, 1975).Google Scholar

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9 ibid. p. 135.

10 Ibid., p. 122.

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12 Poor Man's Guardian, 15 12 1832.Google Scholar

13 O'Brien, , Rise, , p. 101.Google Scholar

14 Ibid., p. 113.

15 “Bronterre's Second Letter to the People of England”, Political Letters and Pamphlets, 12 02 1831.Google Scholar

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18 National Reform League Tract No. 5, 11 1855.Google Scholar

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20 National Reformer, 7 01 1837.Google Scholar

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22 Ibid., p. 102.

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40 Kitz wrote an autobiography in Freedom 01–07 1912. The reference is to Freedom. 02 1912.Google Scholar

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43 Justice, 4 08 1884.Google Scholar

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46 I have found the following reports of the preliminary meetings in 1881: the 1st meeting, Radical, 5 March, and Echo, 3 March: the second meeting, Daily News, 7 March, and Radical, 12 March: the third meeting, Observer, 20 March, and Daily News, 21 March.

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54 Ibid.

55 Ibid.

56 Ibid.

57 Radical, 16 07 1881.Google Scholar

58 Radical, 3 06 1882. It was not until 1884 that Edward Carpenter's donation enabled the D.F. to publish Justice. It is, therefore, necessary to search other newspapers for information on the early history of the D.F. The Radical is the most useful.Google Scholar

59 Radical, 3 06 1882.Google Scholar

60 Ibid.

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62 Radical, 25 06 1881: for the lecture's title see Radical, 18 06 1881.Google Scholar

63 Radical, 25 06 1881.Google Scholar

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68 The Democratic Federation, Socialism Made Plain.

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71 Ibid.

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74 Ibid.

75 Ibid.

76 Ibid.

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87 Ibid.

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93 His main books were, Hyndman, , England,Google Scholar and Hyndman, H., The Historical Basis of Socialism in England (London, 1883).Google Scholar His polemical pamphlets were, Hyndman, H., Socialism vs Smithism (London, 1883),Google Scholar and Hyndman, H., Socialism and Slavery (London, 1884).Google Scholar For the debate see Hyndman, H. and Bradlaugh, C., Will Socialism Benefit the English People? (London, 1884).Google Scholar

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103 Tsuzuki, , Hyndman, pp. 60–67.Google Scholar Also see Beer, M., A History of British Socialism, 2 vols (London, 1953), 2, p. 253.Google Scholar

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105 The signatories were, John Burns, Burrows, Champion, Robert Frost, Mrs. Hicks, Hyndman, J. Murray, Quelch, and Williams.

106 Justice, 11 04 1885. The “old programme” was that cited above since the S.D.F. had adopted a new programme based on that of the anarchistic Labour Emancipation League.Google Scholar

107 See Collins, , “Marxism”; Thompson, , Morris, p. 336;Google ScholarTorr, D., Tom Mann (London, 1956), p. 213,Google Scholar and Tsuzuki, , Hyndman, pp. 55–56.Google Scholar

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