| VOL. II—CHAP. IV.—Off again! Casting anchor! | CHAP. V.—!! | CHAP. VI.—!!! |
A WORD TO JOHN BURNS.
["He was in the unfortunate position of having probably to go to Parliament at the next election, but he would rather go to prison half-a-dozen times than to Parliament once, because Labour candidates in the past had either been thrown out or tied to the coat-tail of party politics. He wished it to be distinctly understood that there must be nothing of this, but their candidates must go forth as labour candidates, and labour candidates only. He must know on what terms he must do the dirty work of going to Parliament."—Mr. John Burns at the Trade Union Congress at Liverpool.]
Good gracious, how awful! The Trades were assembled,
And they all yelled together, and tempers got brittle;
And when Burns rose and thundered, all Liverpool trembled
(Though Burns is perhaps Boanerges spelt little).
And he laid all about him, like mules who can kick hard,
But kick without aim for the pleasure of kicking;