the ragged trousered philanthropists-第100章

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‘I've　'eard　a　'ell　of　a　lot　about　this　'ere　Socialism；'　remarked　the　man　behind　the　moat；　‘but　up　to　now　I've　never　met　nobody　wot　could　tell　you　plainly　exactly　wot　it　is。'

‘Yes；　that's　what　I　should　like　to　know　too；'　said　Easton。

‘Socialism　mean　〃What's　yours　is　mine；　and　what's　mine's　me　own；〃'　observed　Bundy；　and　during　the　laughter　that　greeted　this　definition　Slyme　was　heard　to　say　that　Socialism　meant　Materialism；　Atheism　and　Free　Love；　and　if　it　were　ever　to　come　about　it　would　degrade　men　and　women　to　the　level　of　brute　beasts。　　Harlow　said　Socialism　was　a　beautiful　ideal；　which　he　for　one　would　be　very　glad　to　see　realized；　and　he　was　afraid　it　was　altogether　too　good　to　be　practical；　because　human　nature　is　too　mean　and　selfish。　　Sawkins　said　that　Socialism　was　a　lot　of　bloody　rot；　and　Crass　expressed　the　opinion　…　which　he　had　culled　from　the　delectable　columns　of　the　Obscurer　…　that　it　meant　robbing　the　industries　for　the　benefit　of　the　idle　and　thriftless。



Philpot　had　by　this　time　finished　his　bread　and　cheese；　and；　having　taken　a　final　draught　of　tea；　he　rose　to　his　feet；　and　crossing　over　to　the　corner　of　the　room；　ascended　the　pulpit；　being　immediately　greeted　with　a　tremendous　outburst　of　hooting；　howling　and　booing；　which　he　smilingly　acknowledged　by　removing　his　cap　from　his　bald　head　and　bowing　repeatedly。　　When　the　storm　of　shrieks；　yells；　groans　and　catcalls　had　in　some　degree　subsided；　and　Philpot　was　able　to　make　himself　heard；　he　addressed　the　meeting　as　follows：

‘Gentlemen：　First　of　all　I　beg　to　thank　you　very　sincerely　for　the　magnificent　and　cordial　reception　you　have　given　me　on　this　occasion；　and　I　shall　try　to　deserve　your　good　opinion　by　opening　the　meeting　as　briefly　as　possible。

‘Putting　all　jokes　aside；　I　think　we're　all　agreed　about　one　thing；　and　that　is；　that　there's　plenty　of　room　for　improvement　in　things　in　general。　　（Hear；　hear。）　　As　our　other　lecturer；　Professor　Owen；　pointed　out　in　one　of　'is　lectures　and　as　most　of　you　'ave　read　in　the　newspapers；　although　British　trade　was　never　so　good　before　as　it　is　now；　there　was　never　so　much　misery　and　poverty；　and　so　many　people　out　of　work；　and　so　many　small　shopkeepers　goin'　up　the　spout　as　there　is　at　this　partickiler　time。　　Now；　some　people　tells　us　as　the　way　to　put　everything　right　is　to　'ave　Free　Trade　and　plenty　of　cheap　food。　Well；　we've　got　them　all　now；　but　the　misery　seems　to　go　on　all　around　us　all　the　same。　　Then　there's　other　people　tells　us　as　the　‘Friscal　Policy〃　is　the　thing　to　put　everything　right。　　（〃Hear；　hear〃　from　Crass　and　several　others。）　　And　then　there's　another　lot　that　ses　that　Socialism　is　the　only　remedy。　　Well；　we　all　know　pretty　well　wot　Free　Trade　and　Protection　means；　but　most　of　us　don't　know　exactly　what　Socialism　means；　and　I　say　as　it's　the　dooty　of　every　man　to　try　and　find　out　which　is　the　right　thing　to　vote　for；　and　when　'e's　found　it　out；　to　do　wot　'e　can　to　'elp　to　bring　it　about。　　And　that's　the　reason　we've　gorn　to　the　enormous　expense　of　engaging　Professor　Barrington　to　come　'ere　this　afternoon　and　tell　us　exactly　what　Socialism　is。

‘'As　I　'ope　you're　all　just　as　anxious　to　'ear　it　as　I　am　myself；　I　will　not　stand　between　you　and　the　lecturer　no　longer；　but　will　now　call　upon　'im　to　address　you。'

Philpot　was　loudly　applauded　as　he　descended　from　the　pulpit；　and　in　response　to　the　clamorous　demands　of　the　crowd；　Barrington；　who　in　the　meantime　had　yielded　to　Owen's　entreaties　that　he　would　avail　himself　of　this　opportunity　of　proclaiming　the　glad　tidings　of　the　good　time　that　is　to　be；　got　up　on　the　steps　in　his　turn。

Harlow；　desiring　that　everything　should　be　done　decently　and　in　order；　had　meantime　arranged　in　front　of　the　pulpit　a　carpenter's　sawing　stool；　and　an　empty　pail　with　a　small　piece　of　board　laid　across　it；　to　serve　as　a　seat　and　a　table　for　the　chairman。　　Over　the　table　he　draped　a　large　red　handkerchief。　　At　the　right　he　placed　a　plumber's　large　hammer；　at　the　left；　a　battered　and　much…chipped　jam…jar；　full　of　tea。　　Philpot　having　taken　his　seat　on　the　pail　at　this　table　and　announced　his　intention　of　bashing　out　with　the　hammer　the　brains　of　any　individual　who　ventured　to　disturb　the　meeting；　Barrington　commenced：

‘Mr　Chairman　and　Gentlemen。　　For　the　sake　of　clearness；　and　in　order　to　avoid　confusing　one　subject　with　another；　I　have　decided　to　divide　the　oration　into　two　parts。　　First；　I　will　try　to　explain　as　well　as　I　am　able　what　Socialism　is。　　I　will　try　to　describe　to　you　the　plan　or　system　upon　which　the　Co…operative　Commonwealth　of　the　future　will　be　organized；　and；　secondly；　I　will　try　to　tell　you　how　it　can　be　brought　about。　　But　before　proceeding　with　the　first　part　of　the　subject；　I　would　like　to　refer　very　slightly　to　the　widespread　delusion　that　Socialism　is　impossible　because　it　means　a　complete　change　from　an　order　of　things　which　has　always　existed。　　We　constantly　hear　it　said　that　because　there　have　always　been　rich　and　poor　in　the　world；　there　always　must　be。　　I　want　to　point　out　to　you　first　of　all；　that　it　is　not　true　that　even　in　its　essential　features；　the　present　system　has　existed　from　all　time；　it　is　not　true　that　there　have　always　been　rich　and　poor　in　the　world；　in　the　sense　that　we　understand　riches　and　poverty　today。

‘These　statements　are　lies　that　have　been　invented　for　the　purpose　of　creating　in　us　a　feeling　of　resignation　to　the　evils　of　our　condition。　They　are　lies　which　have　been　fostered　by　those　who　imagine　that　it　is　to　their　interest　that　we　should　be　content　to　see　our　children　condemned　to　the　same　poverty　and　degradation　that　we　have　endured　ourselves。

I　do　not　propose　…　because　there　is　not　time；　although　it　is　really　part　of　my　subject　…　to　go　back　to　the　beginnings　of　history；　and　describe　in　detail　the　different　systems　of　social　organization　which　evolved　from　and　superseded　each　other　at　different　periods；　but　it　is　necessary　to　remind　you　that　the　changes　that　have　taken　place　in　the　past　have　been　even　greater　than　the　change　proposed　by　Socialists　today。　　The　change　from　savagery　and　cannibalism　when　men　used　to　devour　the　captives　they　took　in　war　…　to　the　beginning　of　chattel　slavery；　when　the　tribes　or　clans　into　which　mankind　were　divided　…　whose　social　organization　was　a　kind　of　Communism；　all　the　individuals　belonging　to　the　tribe　being　practically　social　equals；　members　of　one　great　family　…　found　it　more　profitable　to　keep　their　captives　as　slaves　than　to　eat　them。　　The　change　from　the　primitive　Communism　of　the　tribes；　into　the　more　individualistic　organization　of　the　nations；　and　the　development　of　private　ownership　of　the　land　and　slaves　and　means　of　subsistence。　　The　change　from　chattel　slavery　into　Feudalism；　and　the　change　from　Feudalism　into　the　earlier　form　of　Capitalism；　and　the　equally　great　change　from　what　might　be　called　the　individualistic　capitalism　which　displaced　Feudalism；　to　the　system　of　Co…operative　Capitalism　and　Wage　Slavery　of　today。'

‘I　believe　you　must　'ave　swollered　a　bloody　dictionary；'　exclaimed　the　man　behind　the　moat。

‘Keep　horder〃　shouted　Philpot；　fiercely；　striking　the　table　with　the　hammer；　and　there　were　loud　shouts　of　‘Chair'　and　‘Chuck　'im　out；'　from　several　quarters。

When　order　was　restored；　the　lecturer　proceeded：

‘So　it　is　not　true　that　practically　the　suite　state　of　affairs　as　we　have　today　has　always　existed。　　It　is　not　true　that　anything　like　the　poverty　that　prevails　at　present　existed　at　any　previous　period　of　the　world's　history。　　When　the　workers　were　the　property　of　their　masters；　it　was　to　their　owners'　interest　to　see　that　they　were　properly　clothed　and　fed；　they　were　not　allowed　to　be　idle；　and　they　were　not　allowed　to　starve。　　Under　Feudalism　also；　although　there　were　certain　intolerable　circumstances；　the　position　of　the　workers　was；　economically；　infinitely　better　than　it　is　today。　　The　worker　was　in　subjection　to　his　Lord；　but　in　return　his　lord　had　certain　responsibilities　and　duties　to　perform；　and　there　was　a　large　measure　of　community　of　interest　between　them。

‘I　do　not　intend　to　dwell　upon　this　pout　at　length；　but　in　support　of　what　I　have　said　I　will　quote　as　nearly　as　I　can　from　memory　the　words　of　the　historian　Froude。

‘〃I　do　not　believe；〃　says　Mr　Froude；　〃that　the　condition　of　the　people　in　Mediaeval　Europe　was　as　miserable　as　is　pretended。　　I　do　not　believe　that　the　distribution　of　the　necessaries　of　life　was　as　unequal　as　it　is　at　present。　　If　the　tenant　lived　hard；　the　lord　had　little　luxury。　　Earls　and　countesses　breakfasted　at　five　in　the　morning；　on　salt　beef　and　herring；　a　slice　of　bread　and　a　draught　of　ale　from　a　blackjack。　　Lords　and　servants　dined　in　the　same　hall　and　shared　the　same　meal。〃

‘When　we　arrive　at　the　system　that　displaced　Feudalism；　we　find　that　the　condition　of　the　workers　was　better　in　every　way　than　it　is　at　present。　　The　instruments　of　production　…　the　primitive　machinery　and　the　tools　necessary　for　the　creation　of　wealth　…　belonged　to　the　skilled　workers　who　used　them；　and　the　things　they　produced　were　also　the　property　of　those　who　made　them。

‘In　those　days　a　master　painter；　a　master　shoemaker；　a　master　saddler；　or　any　other　master　tradesmen；　was　really　a　skilled　artisan　working　on　his　own　account。　　He　usually　had　one　or　two　apprentices；　who　were　socially　his　equals；　eating　at　the　same　table　and　associating　with　the　other　members　of　his　family。　　It　was　quite　a　common　occurrence　for　the　apprentice　…　after　he　had　attained　proficiency　in　his　work　…　to　marry　his　master's　daughter　and　succeed　to　his　master's　business。　　In　those　days　to　be　a　〃master〃　tradesman　meant　to　be　master　of　the　trade；　not　merely　of　some　underpaid　drudges　in　one's　employment。　　The　apprentices　were　there　to　master　the　trade；　qualifying　themselves　to　become　master　workers　themselves；　not　mere　sweaters　and　exploiters　of　the　labour　of　others；　but　useful　members　of　society。　　In　those　days；　because　there　was　no　labour…saving　machinery　the　community　was　dependent　for　its　existence　on　the　productions　of　hand　labour。　　Consequently　the　majority　of　the　people　were　employed　in　some　kind　of　productive　work；　and　the　workers　were　honoured　and　respected　citizens；　living　in　comfort　on　the　fruits　of　their　labour。　　They　were　not　rich　as　we　understand　wealth　now；　but　they　did　not　starve　and　they　were　not　regarded　with　contempt；　as　are　their　successors　of　today。

‘The　next　great　change　came　with　the　introduction　of　steam　machinery。　That　power　came　to　the　aid　of　mankind　in　their　struggle　for　existence；　enabling　them　to　create　easily　and　in　abundance　those　things　of　which　they　had　previously　been　able　to　produce　only　a　bare　sufficiency。　　A　wonderful　power　…　equalling　and　surpassing　the　marvels　that　were　imagined　by　the　writers　of　fairy　tales　and　Eastern　stories　…　a　power　so　vast　…　so　marvellous；　that　it　is　difficult　to　find　words　to　convey　anything　like　an　adequate　conception　of　it。

‘We　all　remember　the　story；　in　The　Arabian　Nights；　of　Aladdin；　who　in　his　poverty　became　possessed　of　the　Wonderful　Lamp　and　…　he　was　poor　no　longer。　　He　merely　had　to　rub　the　Lamp　…　the　Genie　appeared；　and　at　Aladdin's　command　he　produced　an　abundance　of　everything　that　the　youth　could　ask　or　dream　of。　　With　the　discovery　of　steam　machinery；　mankind　became