an unsocial socialist-第45部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


between　men。　This　group　of　men　and　women；　all　tolerably
intelligent　and　thoughtful　looking；　are　so…called　enemies　of
societyNihilists；　Anarchists；　Communards；　members　of　the
International；and　so　on。　These　other　poor　devils；　worried；　stiff；
strumous；　awkward；　vapid；　and　rather　coarse；　with　here　and　there
a　passably　pretty　woman；　are　European　kings；　queens；　grand…dukes；
and　the　like。　Here　are　ship…captains；　criminals；　poets；　men　of
science；　peers；　peasants；　political　economists；　and
representatives　of　dozens　of　degrees。　The　object　of　the
collection　is　to　illustrate　the　natural　inequality　of　man；　and
the　failure　of　our　artificial　inequality　to　correspond　with　it。〃

〃It　seems　to　me　a　sort　of　infernal　collection　for　the　upsetting
of　people's　ideas；〃　said　Erskine。　〃You　ought　to　label　it　'A
Portfolio　of　Paradoxes。'〃

〃In　a　rational　state　of　society　they　would　be　paradoxes；　but　now
the　time　gives　them　prooflike　Hamlet's　paradox。　It　is；　however；
a　collection　of　facts；　and　I　will　give　no　fanciful　name　to　it。
You　dislike　figures；　don't　you？〃

〃Unless　they　are　by　Phidias；　yes。〃

〃Here　are　a　few；　not　by　Phidias。　This　is　the　balance　sheet　of　an
attempt　I　made　some　years　ago　to　carry　out　the　idea　of　an
International　Association　of　Laborerscommonly　known　as　THE
Internationalor　union　of　all　workmen　throughout　the　world　in
defence　of　the　interests　of　labor。　You　see　the　result。
Expenditure；　four　thousand　five　hundred　pounds。　Subscriptions
received　from　working…men；　twenty…two　pounds　seven　and　ten　pence
halfpenny。　The　British　workmen　showed　their　sense　of　my　efforts
to　emancipate　them　by　accusing　me　of　making　a　good　thing　out　of
the　Association　for　my　own　pocket；　and　by　mobbing　and　stoning　me
twice。　I　now　help　them　only　when　they　show　some　disposition　to
help　themselves。　I　occupy　myself　partly　in　working　out　a　scheme
for　the　reorganization　of　industry；　and　partly　in　attacking　my
own　class；　women　and　all；　as　I　am　attacking　you。〃

〃There　is　little　use　in　attacking　us；　I　fear；〃　said　Sir　Charles。

〃Great　use；〃　said　Trefusis　confidently。　〃You　have　a　very
different　opinion　of　our　boasted　civilization　now　from　that　which
you　held　when　I　broke　your　wall　down　and　invited　those　Land
Nationalization　zealots　to　march　across　your　pleasure　ground。　You
have　seen　in　my　album　something　you　had　not　seen　an　hour　ago；　and
you　are　consequently　not　quite　the　same　man　you　were　an　hour　ago。
My　pictures　stick　in　the　mind　longer　than　your　scratchy　etchings；
or　the　leaden　things　in　which　you　fancy　you　see　tender　harmonies
in　gray。　Erskine's　next　drama　may　be　about　liberty；　but　its
Patriot　Martyrs　will　have　something　better　to　do　than　spout
balderdash　against　figure…head　kings　who　in　all　their　lives　never
secretly　plotted　as　much　dastardly　meanness；　greed；　cruelty；　and
tyranny　as　is　openly　voted　for　in　London　by　every　half…yearly
meeting　of　dividend…consuming　vermin　whose　miserable　wage…slaves
drudge　sixteen　hours　out　of　the　twenty…four。〃

〃What　is　going　to　be　the　end　of　it　all？〃　said　Sir　Charles；　a
little　dazed。

〃Socialism　or　Smash。　Socialism　if　the　race　has　at　last　evolved
the　faculty　of　coordinating　the　functions　of　a　society　too
crowded　and　complex　to　be　worked　any　longer　on　the　old　haphazard
private…property　system。　Unless　we　reorganize　our　society
socialisticallyhumanly　a　most　arduous　and　magnificent
enterprise；　economically　a　most　simple　and　sound　oneFree　Trade
by　itself　will　ruin　England；　and　I　will　tell　you　exactly　how。
When　my　father　made　his　fortune　we　had　the　start　of　all　other
nations　in　the　organization　of　our　industry　and　in　our　access　to
iron　and　coal。　Other　nations　bought　our　products　for　less　than
they　must　have　spent　to　raise　them　at　home；　and　yet　for　so　much
more　than　they　cost　us；　that　profits　rolled　in　Atlantic　waves
upon　our　capitalists。　When　the　workers；　by　their　trades…unions；
demanded　a　share　of　the　luck　in　the　form　of　advanced　wages；　it
paid　better　to　give　them　the　little　they　dared　to　ask　than　to
stop　gold…gathering　to　fight　and　crush　them。　But　now　our
customers　have　set　up　in　their　own　countries　improved　copies　of
our　industrial　organization；　and　have　discovered　places　where
iron　and　coal　are　even　handier　than　they　are　by　this　time　in
England。　They　produce　for　themselves；　or　buy　elsewhere；　what　they
formerly　bought　from　us。　Our　profits　are　vanishing；　our　machinery
is　standing　idle；　our　workmen　are　locked　out。　It　pays　now　to　stop
the　mills　and　fight　and　crush　the　unions　when　the　men　strike；　no
longer　for　an　advance；　but　against　a　reduction。　Now　that　these
unions　are　beaten；　helpless；　and　drifting　to　bankruptcy　as　the
proportion　of　unemployed　men　in　their　ranks　becomes　greater；　they
are　being　petted　and　made　much　of　by　our　class；　an　infallible
sign　that　they　are　making　no　further　progress　in　their　duty　of
destroying　us。　The　small　capitalists　are　left　stranded　by　the
ebb；　the　big　ones　will　follow　the　tide　across　the　water；　and
rebuild　their　factories　where　steam　power；　water　power；　labor
power；　and　transport　are　now　cheaper　than　in　England；　where　they
used　to　be　cheapest。　The　workers　will　emigrate　in　pursuit　of　the
factory；　but　they　will　multiply　faster　than　they　emigrate；　and　be
told　that　their　own　exorbitant　demand　for　wages　is　driving
capital　abroad；　and　must　continue　to　do　so　whilst　there　is　a
Chinaman　or　a　Hindoo　unemployed　to　underbid　them。　As　the　British
factories　are　shut　up；　they　will　be　replaced　by　villas；　the
manufacturing　districts　will　become　fashionable　resorts　for
capitalists　living　on　the　interest　of　foreign　investments；　the
farms　and　sheep　runs　will　be　cleared　for　deer　forests。　All
products　that　can　in　the　nature　of　things　be　manufactured
elsewhere　than　where　they　are　consumed　will　be　imported　in
payment　of　deer…forest　rents　from　foreign　sportsmen；　or　of
dividends　due　to　shareholders　resident　in　England；　but　holding
shares　in　companies　abroad；　and　these　imports　will　not　be　paid
for　by　ex　ports；　because　rent　and　interest　are　not　paid　for　at
alla　fact　which　the　Free　Traders　do　not　yet　see；　or　at　any　rate
do　not　mention；　although　it　is　the　key　to　the　whole　mystery　of
their　opponents。　The　cry　for　Protection　will　become　wild；　but　no
one　will　dare　resort　to　a　demonstrably　absurd　measure　that　must
raise　prices　before　it　raises　wages；　and　that　has　everywhere
failed　to　benefit　the　worker。　There　will　be　no　employment　for
anyone　except　in　doing　things　that　must　be　done　on　the　spot；　such
as　unpacking　and　distributing　the　imports；　ministering　to　the
proprietors　as　domestic　servants；　or　by　acting；　preaching；
paving；　lighting；　housebuilding；　and　the　rest；　and　some　of　these；
as　the　capitalist　comes　to　regard　ostentation　as　vulgar；　and　to
enjoy　a　simpler　life；　will　employ　fewer　and　fewer　people。　A　vast
proletariat；　beginning　with　a　nucleus　of　those　formerly　employed
in　export　trades；　with　their　multiplying　progeny；　will　be　out　of
employment　permanently。　They　will　demand　access　to　the　land　and
machinery　to　produce　for　themselves。　They　will　be　refused。　They
will　break　a　few　windows　and　be　dispersed　with　a　warning　to　their
leaders。　They　will　burn　a　few　houses　and　murder　a　policeman　or
two；　and　then　an　example　will　be　made　of　the　warned。　They　will
revolt；　and　be　shot　down　with
machine…gunsemigratedexterminated　anyhow　and　everyhow；　for
the　proprietary　classes　have　no　idea　of　any　other　means　of
dealing　with　the　full　claims　of　labor。　You　yourself；　though　you
would　give　fifty　pounds　to　Jansenius's　emigration　fund　readily
enough；　would　call　for　the　police；　the　military；　and　the　Riot
Act；　if　the　people　came　to　Brandon　Beeches　and　bade　you　turn　out
and　work　for　your　living　with　the　rest。　Well；　the　superfluous
proletariat　destroyed；　there　will　remain　a　population　of
capitalists　living　on　gratuitous　imports　and　served　by　a
disaffected　retinue。　One　day　the　gratuitous　imports　will　stop　in
consequence　of　the　occurrence　abroad　of　revolution　and
repudiation；　fall　in　the　rate　of　interest；　purchase　of　industries
by　governments　for　lump　sums；　not　reinvestable；　or　what　not。　Our
capitalist　community　is　then　thrown　on　the　remains　of　the　last
dividend；　which　it　consumes　long　before　it　can　rehabilitate　its
extinct　machinery　of　production　in　order　to　support　itself　with
its　own　hands。　Horses；　dogs；　cats；　rats；　blackberries；　mushrooms；
and　cannibalism　only　postpone〃

〃Ha！　ha！　ha！〃　shouted　Sir　Charles。　〃On　my　honor；　I　thought　you
were　serious　at　first；　Trefusis。　Come；　confess；　old　chap；　it's
all　a　fad　of　yours。　I　half　suspected　you　of　being　a　bit　of　a
crank。〃　And　he　winked　at　Erskine。　

〃What　I　have　described　to　you　is　the　inevitable　outcome　of　our
present　Free　Trade　policy　without　Socialism。　The　theory　of　Free
Trade　is　only　applicable　to　systems　of　exchange；　not　to　systems
of　spoliation。　Our　system　is　one　of　spoliation；　and　if　we　don't
abandon　it；　we　must　either　return　to　Protection　or　go　to　smash　by
the　road　I　have　just　mapped。　Now；　sooner　than　let　the
Protectionists　triumph；　the　Cobden　Club　itself　would　blow　the
gaff　and　point　out　to　the　workers　that　Protection　only　means
compelling　the　proprietors　of　England　to　employ　slaves　resident
in　England　and　therefore　presumablythough　by　no　means
necessarilyEnglishmen。　This　would　open　t