July 30

My dear Mahon

Knowing my friend, I rather expected you to be offended by my last letter if you are speaking of that in which I was so rash as to offer you advice. But I cannot say that I think I was severe: or that your explanation makes matters better. I fail to see why the struggling Commonweal should be fined because the Strike Committee thought it unadvisable to keep you on as an emissary in the North. It seems to me as if this were dis-organization rather than organization. Of course I admit that you acted for what you thought the best: but lord! if we all take to the same game why should we take to an organization at all? This is anarchism gone mad. I admit cheerfully your capacity for hard work in the movement & have always praised you for it: but (here comes the knock on the nose to me) I have always thought that though you were good at propaganda, you had a knack of setting people by the ears only second to Donald's. Only you see he likes it, & I don't know that you do: all this I don't think is fruitful of organization. As to Donald, I am pleased that you should stand up for your friend; and also pleased to hear that he is not engaged on the nefarious transaction I heard of. You will observe I asked you to contradict it, but I admit I ought to have asked him: I will do so next time. As to his general morals that was partly a joke which even a half Scotch-man cannot be expected to see: but also as you admit later on he does not profess a high standard and people must expect to be taken at their own valuation. As to brags about the relative amount of work we do; let's remember the old proverb and wait till we are dead before we raise that question—and meantime do all we can. Yes, please consider my advise not because it's mine, but because it's good. For my part I don't like the idea of professional agitators, & think we ought to be able to do it without them; but at any rate no loose organization can manage with them; they must be employed either by a well organized body, or by some private person, and be either kept in very exact order, or be perfectly free to go their own ways. As to looking at you with suspicion I think I know what you will do up there, almost as well as if I were with you, and I think you will do some good and some harm: my hope is that the good will much overbalance the harm: there is no room for suspicion, since I know all about it. 

I am not in the least in an ill-temper, but I am vexed that the road to organization should lie through the breaking up of the League, and the snuffing out of Commonweal if that must be so. However I shall go on with my work as if that were not to be, and perhaps we may escape by the skin of our teeth. 

Fraternally & good temperdly Yours

William Morris