A CRITICAL BIOGRAPHY OF EDWIN JAMES BRADY - Mallacoota ...

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The excess of emotion in much of his political writing Brady excused by pointing
out that it was due to the Celt in him. “You get to the core of the Celtic character
through the emotion rather than reason” he stated, but at times the emotional nature
of his appeal leads one to question his sincerity. There is a pretentiousness and selfopinionatedness
about this summary of Brady’s socialistic credo but at the same
time it gives an idea of the scope of his reading on the topic:
Having a Heart and Mind, I can approach the subject of Socialism from a
thousand points of view and by each and every one of them find justification for
my convictions.. I am a militant Socialist because I want justice, liberty and
fraternity among men. I am a Christian Socialist inasmuch as I desire to see
established ‘the Kingdom of God on earth”. I am an industrial Socialist because
I know that Labor produces all wealth, and the Socialism is based on economic
certainty. I am a William Morris Socialist because art is something more than
affectation, Marxian Socialist because true Science is truth, a Fabian Socialist
because Socialism means enlightenment; a Bernard Shaw Socialist because style
appeals to my literary instincts; an H.G. Wells Socialist inasmuch as I possess
imagination, an Ibsen Socialist because I can see that the pillars of Society are
unstable, a Bebel and Liebknecht Socialist because I love organisation and
success; I am a Harry Holland and Rob Ross Socialist because I am a classconscious
Australian too. I am also an English-Irish, Scotch, American, French,
Italian, Russian, Spanish and Japanese Socialist because I have no quarrel with
the workers of these and other countries who will all, one day when I have gone
down in the World’s dust, stand together as brothers – united, in the Federation
of the Human Race. 1
While this type of proclamation (and there is much more of it), sounds like political
electioneering, Brady’s sincerity was borne out by his consistent attempts to put these
ideals into practice. His undertaking of voluntary work in the Socialist and Labor
Parties, his secretaryship, lecturing, speaking in the Domain, his writing and his
revolutionary verse all point towards his sincerity in this regard. But this sincerity is
somewhat shadowed by views expressed privately to Ross, then editor of The
Socialist, that the link between Socialism and Christianity might be only temporary.
Professing himself to Ross as “a rationalist of agnostic temperament”, Brady states it
to be wise to dissociate the two propagandas for the time being. “If your try to cram
atheism down the people’s necks along with the Socialist medicine they will probably
refuse both…So, comrade mine, agree with me that it is discreet at least, to keep the
platforms separate.” 2 This may have been a mere attempt to impress Ross as on all
other occasions Brady espoused his version of Christianity as the principle behind the
socialistic doctrine; and perhaps some orthodox Christians would regard this as
having atheistic overtones. He considered the benevolent aspects of Christianity,
Buddhism and Confucianism could be moulded into a new socialistic religion – a
“religion of humanity – in which science, religion and philosophy would enable a
“wisely just welding of spiritual and social altruism into common practice”, with the
aim of increasing the world’s sum total of good through better organisation. The only
recognisable godhead in this new age would be the Principle of Goodness”;
By good personal deed, by good national deed and finally by good inter-racial
deed the coming-to-be of a higher humanity is assured. The reconstruction of
society on lines of equal opportunity is a first means to the end – progressive
improvement, physical, intellectual, moral and spiritual will result. 3
1 “Why I Am a Socialist”, The International Socialist, 27.8. 1910
2 Brady to Bob Ross, 18.8.1919, in National Library.
3 The Religion of Humanity manuscript, p 21