the ragged trousered philanthropists-第117章

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‘Even　if　you　no　longer　believe　in　working　for　Socialism；　there's　no　need　to　work　AGAINST　it。　　If　you　are　not　disposed　to　sacrifice　yourself　in　order　to　do　good　to　others；　you　might　at　least　refrain　from　doing　evil。　　If　you　don't　want　to　help　to　bring　about　a　better　state　of　affairs；　there's　no　reason　why　you　should　help　to　perpetuate　the　present　system。'

The　other　man　laughed　bitterly。　　‘Oh　yes；　there　is；　and　a　very　good　reason　too。'

‘I　don't　think　you　could　show　me　a　reason；'　said　Barrington。

The　man　with　the　scar　laughed　again；　the　same　unpleasant；　mirthless　laugh；　and　thrusting　his　hand　into　his　trouser　pocket　drew　it　out　again　full　of　silver　coins；　amongst　which　one　or　two　gold　pieces　glittered。

‘That　is　my　reason。　　When　I　devoted　my　life　and　what　abilities　I　possess　to　the　service　of　my　fellow　workmen；　when　I　sought　to　teach　them　how　to　break　their　chains；　when　I　tried　to　show　them　how　they　might　save　their　children　from　poverty　and　shameful　servitude；　I　did　not　want　them　to　give　me　money。　　I　did　it　for　love。　　And　they　paid　me　with　hatred　and　injury。　　But　since　I　have　been　helping　their　masters　to　rob　them；　they　have　treated　me　with　respect。'

Barrington　made　no　reply　and　the　other　man；　having　returned　the　money　to　his　pocket；　indicated　the　crowd　with　a　sweep　of　his　hand。

‘Look　at　them！'　he　continued　with　a　contemptuous　laugh。　　‘Look　at　them！　the　people　you　are　trying　to　make　idealists　of！　　Look　at　them！　Some　of　them　howling　and　roaring　like　wild　beasts；　or　laughing　like　idiots；　others　standing　with　dull　and　stupid　faces　devoid　of　any　trace　of　intelligence　or　expression；　listening　to　the　speakers　whose　words　convey　no　meaning　to　their　stultified　minds；　and　others　with　their　eyes　gleaming　with　savage　hatred　of　their　fellow　men；　watching　eagerly　for　an　opportunity　to　provoke　a　quarrel　that　they　may　gratify　their　brutal　natures　by　striking　someone　…　their　eyes　are　hungry　for　the　sight　of　blood！　　Can't　you　see　that　these　people；　whom　you　are　trying　to　make　understand　your　plan　for　the　regeneration　of　the　world；　your　doctrine　of　universal　brotherhood　and　love　are　for　the　most　part　…　intellectually　…　on　level　with　Hottentots？　　The　only　things　they　feel　any　real　interest　in　are　beer；　football；　betting　and　…　of　course　…　one　other　subject。　　Their　highest　ambition　is　to　be　allowed　to　Work。　　And　they　desire　nothing　better　for　their　children！

‘They　have　never　had　an　independent　thought　in　their　lives。　　These　are　the　people　whom　you　hope　to　inspire　with　lofty　ideals！　　You　might　just　as　well　try　to　make　a　gold　brooch　out　of　a　lump　of　dung！　　Try　to　reason　with　them；　to　uplift　them；　to　teach　them　the　way　to　higher　things。　　Devote　your　whole　life　and　intelligence　to　the　work　of　trying　to　get　better　conditions　for　them；　and　you　will　find　that　they　themselves　are　the　enemy　you　will　have　to　fight　against。　　They'll　hate　you；　and；　if　they　get　the　chance；　they'll　tear　you　to　pieces。　　But　if　you're　a　sensible　man　you'll　use　whatever　talents　and　intelligence　you　possess　for　your　own　benefit。　　Don't　think　about　Socialism　or　any　other　〃ism〃。　　Concentrate　your　mind　on　getting　money　…　it　doesn't　matter　how　you　get　it；　but　…　get　it。　　If　you　can't　get　it　honestly；　get　it　dishonestly；　but　get　it！　it　is　the　only　thing　that　counts。　　Do　as　I　do　…　rob　them！　exploit　them！　and　then　they'll　have　some　respect　for　you。'

‘There's　something　in　what　you　say；'　replied　Barrington；　after　a　long　pause；　‘but　it's　not　all。　　Circumstances　make　us　what　we　are；　and　anyhow；　the　children　are　worth　fighting　for。'

‘You　may　think　so　now；'　said　the　other；　‘but　you'll　come　to　see　it　my　way　some　day。　　As　for　the　children　…　if　their　parents　are　satisfied　to　let　them　grow　up　to　be　half…starved　drudges　for　other　people；　I　don't　see　why　you　or　I　need　trouble　about　it。　　If　you　like　to　listen　to　reason；'　he　continued　after　a　pause；　‘I　can　put　you　on　to　something　that　will　be　worth　more　to　you　than　all　your　Socialism。'

‘What　do　you　mean？'

‘Look　here：　you're　a　Socialist；　well；　I'm　a　Socialist　too：　that　is；　I　have　sense　enough　to　believe　that　Socialism　is　practical　and　inevitable　and　right；　it　will　come　when　the　majority　of　the　people　are　sufficiently　enlightened　to　demand　it；　but　that　enlightenment　will　never　be　brought　about　by　reasoning　or　arguing　with　them；　for　these　people　are　simply　not　intellectually　capable　of　abstract　reasoning　…　they　can't　grasp　theories。　　You　know　what　the　late　Lord　Salisbury　said　about　them　when　somebody　proposed　to　give　them　some　free　libraries：　He　said：　〃They　don't　want　libraries：　give　them　a　circus。〃　　You　see　these　Liberals　and　Tories　understand　the　sort　of　people　they　have　to　deal　with；　they　know　that　although　their　bodies　are　the　bodies　of　grown　men；　their　minds　are　the　minds　of　little　children。　　That　is　why　it　has　been　possible　to　deceive　and　bluff　and　rob　them　for　so　long。　　But　your　party　persists　in　regarding　them　as　rational　beings；　and　that's　where　you　make　a　mistake　…　you're　simply　wasting　your　time。

‘The　only　way　in　which　it　is　possible　to　teach　these　people　is　by　means　of　object　lessons；　and　those　are　being　placed　before　them　in　increasing　numbers　every　day。　　The　trustification　of　industry　…　the　object　lesson　which　demonstrates　the　possibility　of　collective　ownership　…　will　in　time　compel　even　these　to　understand；　and　by　the　time　they　have　learnt　that；　they　will　also　have　learned　by　bitter　experience　and　not　from　theoretical　teaching；　that　they　must　either　own　the　trusts　or　perish；　and　then；　and　not；　till　then；　they　will　achieve　Socialism。　　But　meanwhile　we　have　this　election。　　Do　you　think　it　will　make　any　real　difference　…　for　good　or　evil　…　which　of　these　two　men　is　elected？'

‘No。'

‘Well；　you　can't　keep　them　both　out　…　you　have　no　candidate　of　your　own　…　why　should　you　object　to　earning　a　few　pounds　by　helping　one　of　them　to　get　in？　　There　are　plenty　of　voters　who　are　doubtful　whet　to　do；　as　you　and　I　know　there　is　every　excuse　for　them　being　unable　to　make　up　their　minds　which　of　these　two　candidates　is　the　worse；　a　word　from　your　party　would　decide　them。　　Since　you　have　no　candidate　of　your　own　you　will　be　doing　no　harm　to　Socialism　and　you　will　be　doing　yourself　a　bit　of　good。　　If　you　like　to　come　along　with　me　now；　I'll　introduce　you　to　Sweater's　agent　…　no　one　need　know　anything　about　it。'

He　slipped　his　arm　through　Barrington's；　but　the　latter　released　himself。

‘Please　yourself；'　said　the　other　with　an　affectation　of　indifference。　‘You　know　your　own　business　best。　　You　may　choose　to　be　a　Jesus　Christ　if　you　like；　but　for　my　part　I'm　finished。　　For　the　future　I　intend　to　look　after　myself。　　As　for　these　people　…　they　vote　for　what　they　want；　they　get　…　what　they　vote　for；　and　by　God；　they　deserve　nothing　better！　　They　are　being　beaten　with　whips　of　their　own　choosing　and　if　I　had　my　way　they　should　be　chastised　with　scorpions！　　For　them；　the　present　system　means　joyless　drudgery；　semi…starvation；　rags　and　premature　death。　　They　vote　for　it　all　and　uphold　it。　　Well；　let　them　have　what　they　vote　for　…　let　them　drudge　…　let　them　starve！'

The　man　with　the　scarred　face　ceased　speaking；　and　for　some　moments　Barrington　did　not　reply。

‘I　suppose　there　is　some　excuse　for　your　feeling　as　you　do；'　he　said　slowly　at　last；　‘but　it　seems　to　me　that　you　do　not　make　enough　allowance　for　the　circumstances。　　From　their　infancy　most　of　them　have　been　taught　by　priests　and　parents　to　regard　themselves　and　their　own　class　with　contempt　…　a　sort　of　lower　animals　…　and　to　regard　those　who　possess　wealth　with　veneration；　as　superior　beings。　　The　idea　that　they　are　really　human　creatures；　naturally　absolutely　the　same　as　their　so…called　betters；　naturally　equal　in　every　way；　naturally　different　from　them　only　in　those　ways　in　which　their　so…called　superiors　differ　from　each　other；　and　inferior　to　them　only　because　they　have　been　deprived　of　education；　culture　and　opportunity　…　you　know　as　well　as　I　do　that　they　have　all　been　taught　to　regard　that　idea　as　preposterous。

‘The　self…styled　〃Christian〃　priests　who　say　…　with　their　tongues　in　their　cheeks　…　that　God　is　our　Father　and　that　all　men　are　brethren；　have　succeeded　in　convincing　the　majority　of　the　〃brethren〃　that　it　is　their　duty　to　be　content　in　their　degradation；　and　to　order　themselves　lowly　and　reverently　towards　their　masters。　　Your　resentment　should　be　directed　against　the　deceivers；　not　against　the　dupes。'

The　other　man　laughed　bitterly。

‘Well；　go　and　try　to　undeceive　them；'　he　said；　as　he　returned　to　the　platform　in　response　to　a　call　from　his　associates。　　‘Go　and　try　to　teach　them　that　the　Supreme　Being　made　the　earth　and　all　its　fullness　for　the　use　and　benefit　of　all　His　children。　　Go　and　try　to　explain　to　them　that　they　are　poor　in　body　and　mind　and　social　condition；　not　because　of　any　natural　inferiority；　but　because　they　have　been　robbed　of　their　inheritance。　　Go　and　try　to　show　them　how　to　secure　that　inheritance　for　themselves　and　their　children　…　and　see　how　grateful　they'll　be　to　you。'

For　the　next　hour　Barrington　walked　about　the　crowded　streets　in　a　dispirited　fashion。　　His　conversation　with　the　renegade　seemed　to　have　taken　all　the　heart　out　of　him。　　He　still　had　a　number　of　the　leaflets；　but　the　task　of　distributing　them　had　suddenly　grown　distasteful　and　after　a　while　he　discontinued　it。　　All　his　enthusiasm　was　gone。　　Like　one　awakened　from　a　dream　he　saw　the　people　who　surrounded　him　in　a　different　light。　　For　the　first　time　he　properly　appreciated　the　offensiveness　of　most　of　those　to　whom　he　offered　the　handbills；　some；　without　even　troubling　to　ascertain　what　they　were　about；　rudely　refused　to　accept　them；　some　took　them　and　after　glancing　at　the　printing；　crushed　them　in　their　hands　and　ostentatiously　threw　them　away。　　Others；　who　recognized　him　as　a　Socialist；　angrily　or　contemptuously　declined　them；　often　with　curses　or　injurious　words。

His　attention　was　presently　attracted　to　a　crowd　of　about　thirty　or　forty　people；　congregated　near　a　gas　lamp　at　the　roadside。　　The　sound　of　many　angry　voices　rose　from　the　centre　of　this　group；　and　as　he　stood　on　the　outskirts　of　the　crowd；　Barrington；　being　tall；　was　able　to　look　into　the　centre；　where　he　saw　Owen。　　The　light　of　the　street　lamp　fell　full　upon　the　latter's　pale　face；　as　he　stood　silent　in　the　midst　of　a　ring　of　infuriated　men；　who　were　all　howling　at　him　at　once；　and　whose　malignant　faces　bore　expressions　of　savage　hatred；　as　they　shouted　out　the　foolish　accusations　and　slanders　they　had　read　in　the　Liberal　and　Tory　papers。

Socialists　wished　to　do　away　with　religion　and　morality！　to　establish　free　love　and　atheism！　　All　the　money　that　the　working　classes　had　saved　up　in　the　Post　Office　and　the　Friendly　Societies；　was　to　be　Robbed　from　them　and　divided　up　amongst　a　lot　of　drunken　loafers　who　were　too　lazy　to　work。　　The　King　and　all　the　Royal　Family　were　to　be　Done　Away　with！　and　so　on。

Owen　made　no　attempt　to　reply。　and　the　manner　of　the　crowd　became　every　moment　more　threatening。　　It　was　evident　that　several　of　them　found　it　difficult　to　refrain　from　attacking　him。　　It　was　a　splendid　opportunity　of　doing　a　little　fighting　without　running　any　risks。　This　fellow　was　all　by　himself；　and　did　not　appear　to　be　much　of　a　man　even　at　that。　　Those　in　the　middle　were　encouraged　by　shouts