The New Reactionary

Delegates attending the London con- ference of the second Labor Interna- tional passed a resolution protesting against the methods of the Russian So- viet, which denied freedom of speech, thought, and action.

Once it was a Soviet—
    That promised men their freedom;
But it turned into an ogre that
    Sought everywhere to bleed 'em,
And the panting proletariat
    Exclaimed in anger, "Crikey!
Give us the good old English squire,
    And down with Bolsheviki."

Once it was a dreamer's plan
    To raise downtrodden workers;
But it turned into a tyrant who
    Regarded all as shirkers,
Until the sweating artisans
    Cried, "Let us have the Prussian—
The overlords, or any lords,
    So that they be not Russian."

Once it was a Great Desire—
    No scheme of clique or faction;
But soon 'twas seeking to suppress
    All speech and thought and action,
Till serf and slave, near to the grave,
    Cried, "Give us back our masters!
We've known oppression in the past;
    But there are worse disasters."

It is the vicious circle, friends,
    That ever is revolving,
(In spite of revolutions) and
    All mankind thus involving.
The sun comes up, the sun goes down,
    But the rule never varies:
Dim yesterday's reformers are
    To-day's reactionaries.