At the annual New-Year's gathering of the Social Demo- cratic
Federation, held in a hall in Clerkenwell on Monday, Mr. George Lansbury, who presided, denounced Mr. Barns and his friends. "It was hard to see the Burnses, the Bernard Shaws, and the Sidney Webbs posing as the saviours of the people, whilst they knew that it was the endeavours of the Federation which had put them in position." Another speaker, Mr. H. R. Taylor, declared that Mr. Burns was using the powers which had been given him "to stem social progress." He denounced "the vile lie which the Member for Battersea &ad uttered at the Washington Music-Hall a few days pre- viously," and accused Mr. Burns of "having thrown off the mantle of Socialism to put on that of Liberalism." We need fiardly say that we have no sympathy with this attack on Mr. Burns for having had the courage to be moderate and reason- -able. It is, however, worth noting that the maxim that "the Revolution devours her own children," is one to which there is no exception. It is of universal applicability. There is, too, not a little humour in the spectacle of Mr. Burns going to -the verbal guillotine as a guileless and persecuted Girondin.
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