we may not even
dance on any day we like?"[1019]

The French Revolutionaries destroyed the statues and pictures in the
churches. British Socialists at present only propose to replace the
effigies of Christ and the saints by Socialist heroes: "Let the
painters, sculptors, poets, and musicians do honour to the heroes of
humanity, the apostles of science and progress, as they have
heretofore lavished their taste and skill and imagination on a
conventional Jesus, an ideal Madonna and imaginary saints, and Gospel
scenes; let statues arise to Bruno, Vanini, Servetus; let the
historian and the biographer recount with loving wealth of detail
their struggles, controversies, flights, imprisonments, and
martyrdoms; let poets and painters cast the halo of romantic art
around Caxton, Galileo, William the Silent, Milton, Harry Vane, and
great masterful Cromwell; let hymns be sung to Copernicus, Newton,
Harvey, to Massaniello, Danton, Garibaldi, Delescluze, to Grace
Darling, Sister Dora and Father Damien."[1020]

"To the Socialist, Marx has said the last word that need be said on
the subject of the relation of Socialism and religion. 'The religious
reflex of the real world can only finally vanish when the practical
relations of everyday life offer to man none but perfectly
intelligible and reasonable relations with regard to his fellow men.'
Material conditions rule. 'The English Established Church will more
readily pardon an attack on thirty-eight of its thirty-nine articles
than on one-thirty-ninth of its income.' This is as true to-day as
when written in 1867."[1021] Among the "Immediate Reforms" demanded by
the Social-Democratic Federation is, of course, "the disestablishment
and disendowment of all State churches."[1022]

British Socialists, like the French Revolutionaries, have issued
numerous travesties of the Christian church service. The following are
extracts from a widely read "Socialist Ritual."

"A CATECHISM FOR THE MOB

"Q. What is thy name? A. Wageworker.--Q. Who are thy parents? A. My
father was called Wageworker--my mother's name is Poverty.--Q. Where
wast thou born? A. In a garret under the roof of a tenement house
which my father and his comrades built.--Q. What is thy religion? A.
The Religion of Capital.--Q. What duties does thy religion lay upon
thee with regard to society? A. To increase the national wealth--first
through my toil, and next through my savings, as soon as I can make
any.--Q. What does thy