Merton Abbey and the Democratic Federation: 1881–84 William Morris

the pond @ merton abbey lexden lewis pocock idyllic representation of works in time of morris

in summer 1881, morris took out lease on seven-acre former silk weaving factory @ merton abbey mills, in merton, southwest london. moving workshops site, premises used weaving, dyeing, , creating stained glass; within 3 years, 100 craftsmen employed there. working conditions @ abbey better @ victorian factories. however, despite morris s ideals, there little opportunity workers display own individual creativity. morris had initiated system of profit sharing among firm s upper clerks, did not include majority of workers, instead employed on piecework basis. morris aware that, in retaining division between employer , employed, company failed live own egalitarian ideals, defended this, asserting impossible run socialist company within competitive capitalist economy. firm expanding, opening store in manchester in 1883 , holding stand @ year s foreign fair in boston.

janey s relationship rossetti had continued through correspondence , occasional visits, although found him extremely paranoid , upset addiction chloral. last saw him in 1881, , died in april following year. morris described mixed feelings toward deceased friend stating had of greatest qualities of genius, of them indeed; great man have been arrogant misanthropy marred work, , killed him before time . in august 1883, janey introduced poet wilfrid scawen blunt, whom embarked on second affair, morris might have been aware of.

in january 1881 morris involved in establishment of radical union, amalgam of radical working-class groups hoped rival liberals, , became member of executive committee. however, rejected liberal radicalism , moved toward socialism. in period, british socialism small, fledgling , vaguely defined movement, few hundred adherents. britain s first socialist party, democratic federation (df), had been founded in 1881 henry hyndman, adherent of socio-political ideology of marxism, morris joining df in january 1883. morris began read voraciously on subject of socialism, including henry george s progress , poverty, alfred russel wallace s land nationalisation, , karl marx s das kapital, although admitted marx s economic analysis of capitalism gave him agonies of confusion on brain . instead preferred writings of william cobbett , sergius stepniak, although read critique of socialism produced john stuart mill.

david s charge solomon (1882), stained-glass window edward burne-jones , william morris in trinity church, boston, massachusetts.

in may 1883, morris appointed df s executive, , elected position of treasurer. devoting himself socialist cause, regularly lectured @ meetings across britain, hoping gain more converts, although regularly criticised doing mainstream press. in november 1883 invited speak @ university college, oxford, on subject of democracy , art , there began espousing socialism; shocked , embarrassed many members of staff, earning national press coverage. other df members, travelled blackburn, lancashire in february 1884 amid great cotton strike, lectured on socialism strikers. following month marched in central london demonstration commemorating first anniversary of marx s death , thirteenth anniversary of paris commune.

morris aided df using artistic , literary talents; designed group s membership card, , helped author manifesto, socialism made plain, in demanded improved housing workers, free compulsory education children, free school meals, eight-hour working day, abolition of national debt, nationalisation of land, banks, , railways, , organisation of agriculture , industry under state control , co-operative principles. of df comrades found difficult reconcile socialist values position proprietor of firm, although admired man of integrity. df began publishing weekly newspaper, justice, faced financial losses morris covered. morris regularly contributed articles newspaper, in doing befriending contributor, george bernard shaw.

his socialist activism monopolised time, forcing him abandon translation of persian shahnameh. led him seeing far less of burne-jones, whom had strong political differences; although once republican, burne-jones had become increasingly conservative, , felt df exploiting morris talents , influence. while morris devoted time trying convert friends cause, of morris circle of artistic comrades, webb , faulkner embraced socialism, while swinburne expressed sympathy it.

in 1884 df renamed social democratic federation (sdf) , underwent internal reorganisation. however, group facing internal schism between (such hyndman), argued parliamentary path toward socialism, , (like morris) deemed houses of parliament intrinsically corrupt , capitalist. personal issues between morris , hyndman exacerbated attitude british foreign policy; morris staunchly anti-imperialist while hyndman expressed patriotic sentiment encouraging foreign intervention. division between 2 groups developed open conflict, majority of activists sharing morris position. in december 1884 morris , supporters – notably ernest belfort bax , edward aveling – left sdf; first major schism of british socialist movement.