 Morris became politically active in this period , coming to be associated with the radicalist current within British liberalism . He joined the Eastern Question Association ( EQA ) and was appointed the group 's treasurer in November 1876 . EQA had been founded by campaigners associated with the centre @-@ left Liberal Party who opposed Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli 's alliance with the Ottoman Empire ; the Association highlighted the Ottoman massacre of Bulgarians and feared that the alliance would lead Disraeli to join the Ottomans in going to war with the Russian Empire . Morris took an active role in the EQA campaign , authoring the lyrics for the song " Wake , London Lads ! " to be sung at a rally against military intervention . Morris eventually became disillusioned with the EQA , describing it as being " full of wretched little personalities " . He nevertheless joined a regrouping of predominantly working @-@ class EQA activists , the National Liberal League , becoming their treasurer in summer 1879 ; the group remained small and politically ineffective , with Morris resigning as treasurer in late 1881 , shortly before the group 's collapse . 
