the ragged trousered philanthropists-第58章

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plied　…　they　compel　the　workers　to　cease　working　and　prevent　them　producing　the　things　they　need。　　Most　of　these　people！'　cried　Owen；　his　usually　pale　face　flushing　red　and　his　eyes　shining　with　sudden　anger；　‘most　of　these　people　do　not　deserve　to　be　called　human　beings　at　all！　　They're　devils！　　They　know　that　whilst　they　are　indulging　in　pleasures　of　every　kind　…　all　around　them　men　and　women　and　little　children　are　existing　in　want　or　dying　of　hunger。'

The　silence　which　followed　was　at　length　broken　by　Harlow：

‘You　say　the　workers　is　entitled　to　all　they　produce；　but　you　forget　there's　the　raw　materials　to　pay　for。　　They　don't　make　them；　you　know。'

‘Of　course　the　workers　don't　create　the　raw　materials；'　replied　Owen。　‘But　I　am　not　aware　that　the　capitalists　or　the　landlords　do　so　either。　　The　raw　materials　exist　in　abundance　in　and　on　the　earth；　but　they　are　of　no　use　until　labour　has　been　applied　to　them。'

‘But　then；　you　see；　the　earth　belongs　to　the　landlords！'　cried　Crass；　unguardedly。

‘I　know　that；　and　of　course　you　think　it's　right　that　the　whole　country　should　belong　to　a　few　people　…'

‘I　must　call　the　lecturer　to　horder；'　interrupted　Philpot。　　‘The　land　question　is　not　before　the　meeting　at　present。'

‘You　talk　about　the　producers　being　robbed　of　most　of　the　value　of　what　they　produce；'　said　Harlow；　‘but　you　must　remember　that　it　ain't　all　produced　by　hand　labour。　　What　about　the　things　what's　made　by　machinery？'

‘The　machines　themselves　were　made　by　the　workers；'　returned　Owen；　‘but　of　course　they　do　not　belong　to　the　workers；　who　have　been　robbed　of　them　by　means　of　the　Money　Trick。'

‘But　who　invented　all　the　machinery？'　cried　Crass。

‘That's　more　than　you　or　I　or　anyone　else　can　say；'　returned　Owen；　‘but　it　certainly　wasn't　the　wealthy　loafer　class；　or　the　landlords；　or　the　employers。　　Most　of　the　men　who　invented　the　machinery　lived　and　died　unknown；　in　poverty　and　often　in　actual　want。　　The　inventors　too　were　robbed　by　the　exploiter…of…labour　class。　　There　are　no　men　living　at　present　who　can　justly　claim　to　have　invented　the　machinery　that　exists　today。　　The　most　they　can　truthfully　say　is　that　they　have　added　to　or　improved　upon　the　ideas　of　those　who　lived　and　worked　before　them。　　Even　Watt　and　Stevenson　merely　improved　upon　steam　engines　and　locomotives　already　existing。　　Your　question　has　really　nothing　to　do　with　the　subject　we　are　discussing：　we　are　only　trying　to　find　out　why　the　majority　of　people　have　to　go　short　of　the　benefits　of　civilization。　　One　of　the　causes　is　…　the　majority　of　the　population　are　engaged　in　work　that　does　not　produce　those　things；　and　most　of　what　IS　produced　is　appropriated　and　wasted　by　those　who　have　no　right　to　it。

‘The　workers　produce　Everything！　　If　you　walk　through　the　streets　of　a　town　or　a　city；　and　look　around；　Everything　that　you　can　see　…　Factories；　Machinery；　Houses；　Railways；　Tramways；　Canals；　Furniture；　Clothing；　Food　and　the　very　road　or　pavement　you　stand　upon　were　all　made　by　the　working　class；　who　spend　all　their　wages　in　buying　back　only　a　very　small　part　of　the　things　they　produce。　　Therefore　what　remains　in　the　possession　of　their　masters　represents　the　difference　between　the　value　of　the　work　done　and　the　wages　paid　for　doing　it。　This　systematic　robbery　has　been　going　on　for　generations；　the　value　of　the　accumulated　loot　is　enormous；　and　all　of　it；　all　the　wealth　at　present　in　the　possession　of　the　rich；　is　rightly　the　property　of　the　working　class　…　it　has　been　stolen　from　them　by　means　of　the　Money　Trick。'　。。。

For　some　moments　an　oppressive　silence　prevailed。　　The　men　stared　with　puzzled；　uncomfortable　looks　alternately　at　each　other　and　at　the　drawings　on　the　wall。　　They　were　compelled　to　do　a　little　thinking　on　their　own　account；　and　it　was　a　process　to　which　they　were　unaccustomed。　　In　their　infancy　they　had　been　taught　to　distrust　their　own　intelligence　and　to　leave　〃thinking'　to　their　‘pastors'　and　masters　and　to　their　‘betters'　generally。　　All　their　lives　they　had　been　true　to　this　teaching；　they　had　always　had　blind；　unreasoning　faith　in　the　wisdom　and　humanity　of　their　pastors　and　masters。　　That　was　the　reason　why　they　and　their　children　had　been　all　their　lives　on　the　verge　of　starvation　and　nakedness；　whilst　their　‘betters'　…　who　did　nothing　but　the　thinking　…　went　clothed　in　purple　and　fine　linen　and　fared　sumptuously　every　day。

Several　men　had　risen　from　their　seats　and　were　attentively　studying　the　diagrams　Owen　had　drawn　on　the　wall；　and　nearly　all　the　others　were　making　the　same　mental　efforts　…　they　were　trying　to　think　of　something　to　say　in　defence　of　those　who　robbed　them　of　the　fruits　of　their　toil。

‘I　don't　see　no　bloody　sense　in　always　runnin'　down　the　rich；'　said　Harlow　at　last。　　‘There's　always　been　rich　and　poor　in　the　world　and　there　always　will　be。'

‘Of　course；'　said　Slyme。　　‘It　says　in　the　Bible　that　the　poor　shall　always　be　with　us。'

‘What　the　bloody　'ell　kind　of　system　do　you　think　we　ought　to　'ave？'　demanded　Crass。　　‘If　everything's　wrong；　'ow's　it　goin'　to　be　altered？'

At　this；　everybody　brightened　up　again；　and　exchanged　looks　of　satisfaction　and　relief。　　Of　course！　　It　wasn't　necessary　to　think　about　these　things　at　all！　　Nothing　could　ever　be　altered：　it　had　always　been　more　or　less　the　same；　and　it　always　would　be。

‘It　seems　to　me　that　you　all　HOPE　it　is　impossible　to　alter　it；'　said　Owen。　　‘Without　trying　to　find　out　whether　it　could　be　done；　you　persuade　yourselves　that　it　is　impossible；　and　then；　instead　of　being　sorry；　you're　glad！'

Some　of　them　laughed　in　a　silly；　half…ashamed　way。

‘How　do　YOU　reckon　it　could　be　altered？'　said　Harlow。

‘The　way　to　alter　it　is；　first　to　enlighten　the　people　as　to　the　real　cause　of　their　sufferings；　and　then　…'

‘Well；'　interrupted　Crass；　with　a　self…satisfied　chuckle；　‘it'll　take　a　better　bloody　man　than　you　to　enlighten　ME！'

‘I　don't　want　to　be　henlightened　into　Darkness！'　said　Slyme　piously。

‘But　what　sort　of　System　do　you　propose；　then？'　repeated　Harlow。

‘After　you've　got　'em　all　enlightened　…　if　you　don't　believe　in　sharing　out　all　the　money　equal；　how　ARE　you　goin'　to　alter　it？'

‘I　don't　know　'ow　'e's　goin'　to　alter　it；'　sneered　Crass；　looking　at　his　watch　and　standing　up；　‘but　I　do　know　what　the　time　is　…　two　minits　past　one！'

‘The　next　lecture；'　said　Philpot；　addressing　the　meeting　as　they　all　prepared　to　return　to　work；　‘the　next　lecture　will　be　postponded　till　tomorrer　at　the　usual　time；　when　it　will　be　my　painful　dooty　to　call　upon　Mr　Owen　to　give　'is　well…known　and　most　hobnoxious　address　entitled　〃Work　and　how　to　avoid　it。〃　　Hall　them　as　wants　to　be　henlightened　kindly　attend。'

‘Or　hall　them　as　don't　get　the　sack　tonight；'　remarked　Easton　grimly。



Chapter　26

The　Slaughter


During　the　afternoon；　Rushton　and　Sweater　visited　the　house；　the　latter　having　an　appointment　to　meet　there　a　gardener　to　whom　be　wished　to　give　instructions　concerning　the　laying　out　of　the　grounds；　which　had　been　torn　up　for　the　purpose　of　putting　in　the　new　drains。　Sweater　had　already　arranged　with　the　head　gardener　of　the　public　park　to　steal　some　of　the　best　plants　from　that　place　and　have　them　sent　up　to　‘The　Cave'。　　These　plants　had　been　arriving　in　small　lots　for　about　a　week。　　They　must　have　been　brought　there　either　in　the　evening　after　the　men　left　off　or　very　early　in　the　morning　before　they　came。　　The　two　gentlemen　remained　at　the　house　for　about　half　an　hour　and　as　they　went　away　the　mournful　sound　of　the　Town　Hall　bell　…　which　was　always　tolled　to　summon　meetings　of　the　Council　…　was　heard　in　the　distance；　and　the　hands　remarked　to　each　other　that　another　robbery　was　about　to　be　perpetrated。

Hunter　did　not　come　to　the　job　again　that　day：　he　had　been　sent　by　Rushton　to　price　some　work　for　which　the　firm　was　going　to　tender　an　estimate。　　There　was　only　one　person　who　felt　any　regret　at　his　absence；　and　that　was　Mrs　White　…　Bert's　mother；　who　had　been　working　at　‘The　Cave'　for　several　days；　scrubbing　the　floors。　　As　a　rule；　Hunter　paid　her　wages　every　night；　and　on　this　occasion　she　happened　to　need　the　money　even　more　than　usual。　　As　leaving　off　time　drew　near；　she　mentioned　the　matter　to　Crass；　who　advised　her　to　call　at　the　office　on　her　way　home　and　ask　the　young　lady　clerk　for　the　money。　As　Hunter　did　not　appear；　she　followed　the　foreman's　advice。

When　she　reached　the　shop　Rushton　was　just　coming　out。　　She　explained　to　him　what　she　wanted　and　he　instructed　Mr　Budd　to　tell　Miss　Wade　to　pay　her。　　The　shopman　accordingly　escorted　her　to　the　office　at　the　back　of　the　shop；　and　the　young　lady　book…keeper　…　after　referring　to　former　entries　to　make　quite　certain　of　the　amount；　paid　her　the　sum　that　Hunter　had　represented　as　her　wages；　the　same　amount　that　Miss　Wade　had　on　the　previous　occasions　given　him　to　pay　the　charwoman。　When　Mrs　White　got　outside　she　found　that　she　held　in　her　hand　half　a　crown　instead　of　the　two　shillings　she　usually　received　from　Mr　Hunter。　　At　first　she　felt　inclined　to　take　it　back；　but　after　some　hesitation　she　thought　it　better　to　wait　until　she　saw　Hunter；　when　she　could　tell　him　about　it；　but　the　next　morning　when　she　saw　the　disciple　at　‘The　Cave'　he　broached　the　subject　first；　and　told　her　that　Miss　Wade　had　made　a　mistake。　　And　that　evening　when　he　paid　her；　he　deducted　the　sixpence　from　the　usual　two　shillings。

The　lecture　announced　by　Philpot　was　not　delivered。　　Anxiously　awaiting　the　impending　slaughter　the　men　kept　tearing　into　it　as　usual；　for　they　generally　keep　working　in　the　usual　way；　each　one　trying　to　outdo　the　others　so　as　not　to　lose　his　chance　of　being　one　of　the　lucky　one　。。。

Misery　now　went　round　and　informed　all　the　men　with　the　exception　of　Crass；　Owen；　Slyme　and　Sawkins　…　that　they　would　have　to　stand　off　that　night。　　He　told　them　that　the　firm　had　several　jobs　in　view　…　work　they　had　tendered　for　and　hoped　to　get；　and　said　they　could　look　round　after　Christmas　and　he　might　…　possibly　…　be　able　to　start　some　of　them　again。　　They　would　be　paid　at　the　office　tomorrow　…　Saturday　…　at　one　o'clock　as　usual；　but　if　any　of　them　wished　they　could　have　their　money　tonight。　　The　men　thanked　him；　and　most　of　them　said　they　would　come　for　their　wages　at　the　usual　pay…time；　and　would　call　round　as　he　suggested；　after　the　holidays；　to　see　if　there　was　anything　to　do。

In　all；　fifteen　men　…　including　Philpot；　Harlow；　Easton　and　Ned　Dawson；　were　to　‘stand　off'　that　night。　　They　took　their　dismissal　stolidly；　without　any　remark；　some　of　them　even　with　an　affectation　of　indifference；　but　there　were　few　attempts　at　conversation　afterwards。　The　little　work　that　remained　to　be　done　they　did　in　silence；　every　man　oppressed　by　the　same　terror　…　the　dread　of　the　impending　want；　the　privation　and　unhappiness　that　they　knew　they　and　their　families　would　have　to　suffer　during　the　next　few　months。

Bundy　and　his　mate　Dawson　were　working　in　the　kitchen　fixing　the　new　range　in　place　of　the　old　one　which　they　had　taken　out。　　They　had　been　engaged　on　this　job　all　day；　and　their　hands　and　faces　and　clothes　were　covered　with　soot；　which　they　had　also　contrived　to　smear　and　dab　all　over　the　surfaces　of　the　doors　and　other　woodwork　in　the　room；　much　to　the　indignation　of　Crass　and　Slyme