socialist
Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...
newspaper founded in 1885 by the newborn Socialist League. Its aims were to spread socialist views and to win over new recruits.
William Morris
William Morris (24 March 1834 – 3 October 1896) was an English textile designer, poet, artist, writer, and socialist activist associated with the British Arts and Crafts movement. He was a major contributor to the revival of traditiona ...
, founder of the League, was its chief writer, money finder and "responsible head".
Edward Aveling
Edward Bibbins Aveling (29 November 1849 – 2 August 1898) was an English comparative anatomist and popular spokesman for Darwinian evolution, atheism, and socialism. He was also a playwright and actor. Aveling was the author of numerous ...
was the sub-editor. Before the last meeting of the Social Democratic Federation Morris and Aveling visited
John Turner
John Napier Wyndham Turner (June 7, 1929September 19, 2020) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 17th prime minister of Canada from June to September 1984. He served as leader of the Liberal Party and leader of the Opposit ...
,
Ernest Belfort Bax
Ernest Belfort Bax (; 23 July 1854 – 26 November 1926) was an English people, English barrister, journalism, journalist, philosophy, philosopher, Men's rights movement, men's rights advocate, Socialism, socialist, and historian.
Biography
Er ...
and
Eleanor Marx
Jenny Julia Eleanor Marx (16 January 1855 – 31 March 1898), sometimes called Eleanor Aveling and known to her family as Tussy, was the English-born youngest daughter of Karl Marx. She was herself a Socialism, socialist activist who sometimes ...
also regularly contributed articles. Its publishing office was at Great Queen Street, London. At first it appeared as a monthly (with supplements) from February, 1885 to May 1, 1886. It then commenced as a weekly. Aveling was unable to devote the necessary time on a weekly basis and Bax replaced him as sub-editor.
As E. P. Thompson writes: "Almost every issue included at least one major contribution from Morris. During 1885 "The Pilgrims of Hope" appeared in monthly instalments: during 1886 and 1887 his series of articles with Bax, "Socialism from the Root Up", appeared side by side with "A Dream of John Ball"." Aveling's "Lessons in Socialism", a series of lessons on Marx's "Das Kapital", that had not yet appeared in English translation, were published in nine instalments from April 1885 until March 1886.
In 1890, Morris resigned as editor and was replaced by the anarchist David Nicoll (Morris went on to publish the ''Hammersmith Socialist Record'', the paper of the Hammersmith Socialist Society). With the dissolution of the Socialist League, the paper continued as the independent publication of the Commonweal Group. Nicoll published an article on the Walsall Anarchists, for which he was sentenced to eighteen months' hard labour in May 1892; H. B. Samuels then became acting editor.
Soon after Nicoll's release, the paper was closed and replaced by his own periodical ''The Anarchist''. Nicoll later resurrected the name ''The Commonweal'' for this publication, under which name it continued sporadically from 1898 to 1907.Quail, John. ''The Slow Burning Fuse: The Lost History of the British Anarchists.'' Paladin, 1978. {{ISBN, 0586082255
Editors
:1885:
William Morris
William Morris (24 March 1834 – 3 October 1896) was an English textile designer, poet, artist, writer, and socialist activist associated with the British Arts and Crafts movement. He was a major contributor to the revival of traditiona ...
and
Edward Aveling
Edward Bibbins Aveling (29 November 1849 – 2 August 1898) was an English comparative anatomist and popular spokesman for Darwinian evolution, atheism, and socialism. He was also a playwright and actor. Aveling was the author of numerous ...