the ragged trousered philanthropists-第95章

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be　misled　by　a　lot　of　claptrap；　why　then；　mum's　the　word。　So　next　time　you　hears　any　of　these　shop　lawyers'　arguments；　you'll　know　how　much　it's　worth。'

Most　of　the　men　were　delighted　with　this　speech；　which　was　received　with　much　laughing　and　knocking　on　the　tables。　　They　remarked　to　each　other　that　Grinder　was　a　smart　man：　he'd　got　the　Socialists　weighed　up　just　about　right　…　to　an　ounce。

Then；　it　was　seen　that　Barrington　was　on　his　feet　facing　Grinder　and　a　sudden；　awe…filled　silence　fell。

‘It　may　or　may　not　be　true；'　began　Barrington；　‘that　Socialists　always　know　when　to　speak　and　when　to　keep　silent；　but　the　present　occasion　hardly　seemed　a　suitable　one　to　discuss　such　subjects。

‘We　are　here　today　as　friends　and　want　to　forget　our　differences　and　enjoy　ourselves　for　a　few　hours。　　But　after　what　Mr　Grinder　has　said　I　am　quite　ready　to　reply　to　him　to　the　best　of　my　ability。

‘The　fact　that　I　am　a　Socialist　and　that　I　am　here　today　as　one　of　Mr　Rushton's　employees　should　be　an　answer　to　the　charge　that　Socialists　are　too　lazy　to　work　for　their　living。　　And　as　to　taking　advantage　of　the　ignorance　and　simplicity　of　working　men　and　trying　to　mislead　them　with　nonsensical　claptrap；　it　would　have　been　more　to　the　point　if　Mr　Grinder　had　taken　some　particular　Socialist　doctrine　and　had　proved　it　to　be　untrue　or　misleading；　instead　of　adopting　the　cowardly　method　of　making　vague　general　charges　that　he　cannot　substantiate。　　He　would　find　it　far　more　difficult　to　do　that　than　it　would　be　for　a　Socialist　to　show　that　most　of　what　Mr　Grinder　himself　has　been　telling　us　is　nonsensical　claptrap　of　the　most　misleading　kind。　　He　tells　us　that　the　employers　work　with　their　brains　and　the　men　with　their　hands。　　If　it　is　true　that　no　brains　are　required　to　do　manual　labour；　why　put　idiots　into　imbecile　asylums？　　Why　not　let　them　do　some　of　the　hand　work　for　which　no　brains　are　required？　　As　they　are　idiots；　they　would　probably　be　willing　to　work　for　even　less　than　the　ideal　〃living　wage〃。　　If　Mr　Grinder　had　ever　tried；　he　would　know　that　manual　workers　have　to　concentrate　their　minds　and　their　attention　on　their　work　or　they　would　not　be　able　to　do　it　at　all。　　His　talk　about　employers　being　not　only　the　masters　but　the　〃friends〃　of　their　workmen　is　also　mere　claptrap　because　he　knows　as　well　as　we　do；　that　no　matter　how　good　or　benevolent　an　employer　may　be；　no　matter　how　much　he　might　desire　to　give　his　men　good　conditions；　it　is　impossible　for　him　to　do　so；　because　he　has　to　compete　against　other　employers　who　do　not　do　that。　　It　is　the　bad　employer　…　the　sweating；　slave…driving　employer　…　who　sets　the　pace　and　the　others　have　to　adopt　the　same　methods　…　very　often　against　their　inclinations　…　or　they　would　not　be　able　to　compete　with　him。　　If　any　employer　today　were　to　resolve　to　pay　his　workmen　not　less　wages　than　he　would　be　able　to　live　upon　in　comfort　himself；　that　he　would　not　require　them　to　do　more　work　in　a　day　than　he　himself　would　like　to　perform　every　day　of　his　own　life；　Mr　Grinder　knows　as　well　as　we　do　that　such　an　employer　would　be　bankrupt　in　a　month；　because　he　would　not　be　able　to　get　any　work　except　by　taking　it　at　the　same　price　as　the　sweaters　and　the　slave…drivers。

‘He　also　tells　us　that　the　interests　of　masters　and　men　are　identical；　but　if　an　employer　has　a　contract；　it　is　to　his　interest　to　get　the　work　done　as　soon　as　possible；　the　sooner　it　is　done　the　more　profit　he　will　make；　but　the　more　quickly　it　is　done；　the　sooner　will　the　men　be　out　of　employment。　　How　then　can　it　be　true　that　their　interests　are　identical？

‘Again；　let　us　suppose　that　an　employer　is；　say；　thirty　years　of　age　when　he　commences　business；　and　that　he　carries　it　on　for　twenty　years。　　Let　us　assume　that　he　employs　forty　men　more　or　less　regularly　during　that　period　and　that　the　average　age　of　these　men　is　also　thirty　years　at　the　time　the　employer　commences　business。　　At　the　end　of　the　twenty　years　it　usually　happens　that　the　employer　has　made　enough　money　to　enable　him　to　live　for　the　remainder　of　his　life　in　ease　and　comfort。　　But　what　about　the　workman？　　All　through　those　twenty　years　they　have　earned　but　a　bare　living　wage　and　have　had　to　endure　such　privations　that　those　who　are　not　already　dead　are　broken　in　health。

‘In　the　case　of　the　employer　there　had　been　twenty　years　of　steady　progress　towards　ease　and　leisure　and　independence。　　In　the　case　of　the　majority　of　the　men　there　were　twenty　years　of　deterioration；　twenty　years　of　steady；　continuous　and　hopeless　progress　towards　physical　and　mental　inefficiency：　towards　the　scrap…heap；　the　work…house；　and　premature　death。　　What　is　it　but　false；　misleading；　nonsensical　claptrap　to　say　that　their　interests　were　identical　with　those　of　their　employer？

‘Such　talk　as　that　is　not　likely　to　deceive　any　but　children　or　fools。　We　are　not　children；　but　it　is　very　evident　that　Mr　Grinder　thinks　that　we　are　fools。

‘Occasionally　it　happens；　through　one　or　more　of　a　hundred　different　circumstances　over　which　he　has　no　control；　or　through　some　error　of　judgement；　that　after　many　years　of　laborious　mental　work　an　employer　is　overtaken　by　misfortune；　and　finds　himself　no　better　and　even　worse　off　than　when　he　started；　but　these　are　exceptional　cases；　and　even　if　he　becomes　absolutely　bankrupt　he　is　no　worse　off　than　the　majority　of　the　workmen。

‘At　the　same　time　it　is　quite　true　that　the　real　interests　of　employers　and　workmen　are　the　same；　but　not　in　the　sense　that　Mr　Grinder　would　have　us　believe。　　Under　the　existing　system　of　society　but　a　very　few　people；　no　matter　how　well　off　they　may　be；　can　be　certain　that　they　or　their　children　will　not　eventually　come　to　want；　and　even　those　who　think　they　are　secure　themselves；　find　their　happiness　diminished　by　the　knowledge　of　the　poverty　and　misery　that　surrounds　them　on　every　side。

‘In　that　sense　only　is　it　true　that　the　interests　of　masters　and　men　are　identical；　for　it　is　to　the　interest　of　all；　both　rich　and　poor；　to　help　to　destroy　a　system　that　inflicts　suffering　upon　the　many　and　allows　true　happiness　to　none。　　It　is　to　the　interest　of　all　to　try　and　find　a　better　way。'

Here　Crass　jumped　up　and　interrupted；　shouting　out　that　they　hadn't　come　there　to　listen　to　a　lot　of　speechmaking　…　a　remark　that　was　greeted　with　unbounded　applause　by　most　of　those　present。　　Loud　cries　of　‘Hear；　hear！'　resounded　through　the　room；　and　the　Semi…drunk　suggested　that　someone　should　sing　a　song。

The　men　who　had　clamoured　for　a　speech　from　Owen　said　nothing；　and　Mr　Grinder；　who　had　been　feeling　rather　uncomfortable；　was　secretly　very　glad　of　the　interruption。

The　Semi…drunk's　suggestion　that　someone　should　sing　a　song　was　received　with　unqualified　approbation　by　everybody；　including　Barrington　and　the　other　Socialists；　who　desired　nothing　better　than　that　the　time　should　be　passed　in　a　manner　suitable　to　the　occasion。　The　landlord's　daughter；　a　rosy　girl　of　about　twenty　years　of　age；　in　a　pink　print　dress；　sat　down　at　the　piano；　and　the　Semi…drunk；　taking　his　place　at　the　side　of　the　instrument　and　facing　the　audience；　sang　the　first　song　with　appropriate　gestures；　the　chorus　being　rendered　enthusiastically　by　the　full　strength　of　the　company；　including　Misery；　who　by　this　time　was　slightly　drunk　from　drinking　gin　and　ginger　beer：

　　　　　　　　‘Come；　come；　come　an'　'ave　a　drink　with　me　　　　　　　　　Down　by　the　ole　Bull　and　Bush。　　　　　　　　　Come；　come；　come　an'　shake　'ands　with　me　　　　　　　　　Down　by　the　ole　Bull　and　Bush。　　　　　　　　　Wot　cheer　me　little　Germin　band！　　　　　　　　　Fol　the　diddle　di　do！　　　　　　　　　Come　an'　take　'old　of　me　'and　　　　　　　　　Come；　come；　come　an'　'ave　a　drink　with　me；　　　　　　　　　Down　by　the　old　Bull　and　Bush；　　　　　　　　　Bush！　Bush！'

Protracted　knocking　on　the　tables　greeted　the　end　of　the　song；　but　as　the　Semi…drunk　knew　no　other　except　odd　verses　and　choruses；　he　called　upon　Crass　for　the　next；　and　that　gentleman　accordingly　sang　‘Work；　Boys；　Work'　to　the　tune　of　‘Tramp；　tramp；　tramp；　the　boys　are　marching'。　　As　this　song　is　the　Marseillaise　of　the　Tariff　Reform　Party；　voicing　as　it　does　the　highest　ideals　of　the　Tory　workmen　of　this　country；　it　was　an　unqualified　success；　for　most　of　them　were　Conservatives。

　　　　　　　　‘Now　I'm　not　a　wealthy　man；　　　　　　　　　But　I　lives　upon　a　plan　　　　　　　　　Wot　will　render　me　as　'appy　as　a　King；　　　　　　　　　An'　if　you　will　allow；　I'll　sing　it　to　you　now；　　　　　　　　　For　time　you　know　is　always　on　the　wing。

　　　　　　　　Work；　boys；　work　and　be　contented　　　　　　　　　So　long　as　you've　enough　to　buy　a　meal。　　　　　　　　　For　if　you　will　but　try；　you'll　be　wealthy　…　bye　and　bye　…　　　　　　　　　If　you'll　only　put　yer　shoulder　to　the　wheel。'

‘Altogether；　boys；'　shouted　Grinder；　who　was　a　strong　Tariff　Reformer；　and　was　delighted　to　see　that　most　of　the　men　were　of　the　same　way　of　thinking；　and　the　‘boys'　roared　out　the　chorus　once　more：

　　　　　　　　Work；　boys；　work　and　be　contented　　　　　　　　　So　long　as　you've　enough　to　buy　a　meal　　　　　　　　　For　if　you　will　but　try；　you'll　be　wealthy　…　bye　and　bye　　　　　　　　　If　you'll　only　put　your　shoulder　to　the　wheel。

As　they　sang　the　words　of　this　noble　chorus　the　Tories　seemed　to　become　inspired　with　lofty　enthusiasm。　　It　is　of　course　impossible　to　say　for　certain；　but　probably　as　they　sang　there　arose　before　their　exalted　imaginations；　a　vision　of　the　Past；　and　looking　down　the　long　vista　of　the　years　that　were　gone；　they　saw　that　from　their　childhood　they　had　been　years　of　poverty　and　joyless　toil。　　They　saw　their　fathers　and　mothers；　weaned　and　broken　with　privation　and　excessive　labour；　sinking　unhonoured　into　the　welcome　oblivion　of　the　grave。

And　then；　as　a　change　came　over　the　spirit　of　their　dream；　they　saw　the　Future；　with　their　own　children　travelling　along　the　same　weary　road　to　the　same　kind　of　goal。

It　is　possible　that　visions　of　this　character　were　conjured　up　in　their　minds　by　the　singing；　for　the　words　of　the　song　gave　expression　to　their　ideal　of　what　human　life　should　be。　　That　was　all　they　wanted　…　to　be　allowed　to　work　like　brutes　for　the　benefit　of　other　people。　They　did　not　want　to　be　civilized　themselves　and　they　intended　to　take　good　care　that　the　children　they　had　brought　into　the　world　should　never　enjoy　the　benefits　of　civilization　either。　　As　they　often　said：

‘Who　and　what　are　our　children　that　they　shouldn't　be　made　to　work　for　their　betters？　　They're　not　Gentry's　children；　are　they？　　The　good　things　of　life　was　never　meant　for　the　likes　of　them。　　Let　'em　work！　That's　wot　the　likes　of　them　was　made　for；　and　if　we　can　only　get　Tariff　Reform　for　'em　they　will　always　be　sure　of　plenty　of　it　…　not　only　Full　Time；　but　Overtime！　　As　for　edication；　travellin'　in　furrin'　parts；　an'　enjoying　life　an'　all　sich　things　as　that；　they　was　never　meant　for　the　likes　of　our　children　…　they're　meant　for　Gentry's　children！　　Our　children　is　only　like　so　much　dirt　compared　with　Gentry's　children！　　That's　wot　the　likes　of　us　is　made　for　…　to　Work　for　Gentry；　so　as　they　can　'ave　plenty　of　time　to　enjoy　theirselves；　and　the　Gentry　is　made　to　'ave　a　good　time　so　as　the　likes　of　us　can　'ave　Plenty　of　Work。'

There　were　several　more　verses；　and　by　the　time　they　had　sung　them　all；　the　Tories　were　in　a　state　of　wild　enthusiasm。　　Even　Ned　Dawson；　who　had　fallen　asleep　with　his　head　pillowed　on　his　arms　on　the　ta