The Prime Minister, addressing the new members in the Coalition
ranks on Wednesday, March 23rd, said that the old parties must continue to work together because the new Labour- Socialist party was a formidable menace to our institutions and to our liberty. It wanted " to uproot and to tear up, and to plant the wild and poisonous berries of Karl Marxism in this country." The by-elections of 1920-21 showed that, while the Independent Liberals were out of the running, a change of only 4 per cent. would have given the Socialists a majority of the votes polled. The Prime Minister regretted that the anti- revolutionary forces were split owing to the excessive conserva- tism of the Independent Liberals, who "are stuck on Ararat and cannot come down." The Socialists would never win on a Marxist programme, but they might win on grievances. Then " you will have them tearing up the rails " for five years. The nominal leaders like Mr. Clynes and Mr. Thomas would have to take their orders from unknown men ; "in this new army it is the corporals who lead, and they have no responsibility." The country must realize the danger lest the new electorate should be captured by these wild people while the opponents of revo- lution are divided.
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