speeches-literary & social-第21章

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charities；　so　called；　whose　yield　of　wool　bears　no　sort　of

proportion　to　their　cry　for　cash；　I　very　likely　might　have　a　word

or　two　to　say　on　the　subject。　　If　its　funds　were　lavished　in

patronage　and　show；　instead　of　being　honestly　expended　in　providing

small　annuities　for　hard…working　people　who　have　themselves

contributed　to　its　funds　…　if　its　management　were　intrusted　to

people　who　could　by　no　possibility　know　anything　about　it；　instead

of　being　invested　in　plain；　business；　practical　hands　…　if　it

hoarded　when　it　ought　to　spend　…　if　it　got　by　cringing　and　fawning

what　it　never　deserved；　I　might　possibly　impress　you　very　much　by

my　indignation。　　If　its　managers　could　tell　me　that　it　was

insolvent；　that　it　was　in　a　hopeless　condition；　that　its　accounts

had　been　kept　by　Mr。　Edmunds　…　or　by　〃Tom；〃　…　if　its　treasurer　had

run　away　with　the　money…box；　then　I　might　have　made　a　pathetic

appeal　to　your　feelings。　　But　I　have　no　such　chance。　　Just　as　a

nation　is　happy　whose　records　are　barren；　so　is　a　society　fortunate

that　has　no　history　…　and　its　president　unfortunate。　　I　can　only

assure　you　that　this　society　continues　its　plain；　unobtrusive；

useful　career。　　I　can　only　assure　you　that　it　does　a　great　deal　of

good　at　a　very　small　cost；　and　that　the　objects　of　its　care　and　the

bulk　of　its　members　are　faithful　working　servants　of　the　public　…

sole　ministers　of　their　wants　at　untimely　hours；　in　all　seasons；

and　in　all　weathers；　at　their　own　doors；　at　the　street…corners；　at

every　railway　train；　at　every　steam…boat；　through　the　agency　of

every　establishment　and　the　tiniest　little　shops；　and　that；　whether

regarded　as　master　or　as　man；　their　profits　are　very　modest　and

their　risks　numerous；　while　their　trouble　and　responsibility　are

very　great。



The　newsvendors　and　newsmen　are　a　very　subordinate　part　of　that

wonderful　engine　…　the　newspaper　press。　　Still　I　think　we　all　know

very　well　that　they　are　to　the　fountain…head　what　a　good　service　of

water　pipes　is　to　a　good　water　supply。　　Just　as　a　goodly　store　of

water　at　Watford　would　be　a　tantalization　to　thirsty　London　if　it

were　not　brought　into　town　for　its　use；　so　any　amount　of　news

accumulated　at　Printing…house　Square；　or　Fleet　Street；　or　the

Strand；　would　be　if　there　were　no　skill　and　enterprise　engaged　in

its　dissemination。



We　are　all　of　us　in　the　habit　of　saying　in　our　every…day　life；　that

〃We　never　know　the　value　of　anything　until　we　lose　it。〃　　Let　us　try

the　newsvendors　by　the　test。　　A　few　years　ago　we　discovered　one

morning　that　there　was　a　strike　among　the　cab…drivers。　　Now；　let　us

imagine　a　strike　of　newsmen。　　Imagine　the　trains　waiting　in　vain

for　the　newspapers。　　Imagine　all　sorts　and　conditions　of　men　dying

to　know　the　shipping　news；　the　commercial　news；　the　foreign　news；

the　legal　news；　the　criminal　news；　the　dramatic　news。　　Imagine　the

paralysis　on　all　the　provincial　exchanges；　the　silence　and

desertion　of　all　the　newsmen's　exchanges　in　London。　　Imagine　the

circulation　of　the　blood　of　the　nation　and　of　the　country　standing

still；　…　the　clock　of　the　world。　　Why；　even　Mr。　Reuter；　the　great

Reuter　…　whom　I　am　always　glad　to　imagine　slumbering　at　night　by

the　side　of　Mrs。　Reuter；　with　a　galvanic　battery　under　his　bolster；

bell　and　wires　to　the　head　of　his　bed；　and　bells　at　each　ear　…

think　how　even　he　would　click　and　flash　those　wondrous　dispatches

of　his；　and　how　they　would　become　mere　nothing　without　the　activity

and　honesty　which　catch　up　the　threads　and　stitches　of　the　electric

needle；　and　scatter　them　over　the　land。



It　is　curious　to　consider　…　and　the　thought　occurred　to　me　this

day；　when　I　was　out　for　a　stroll　pondering　over　the　duties　of　this

evening；　which　even　then　were　looming　in　the　distance；　but　not

quite　so　far　off　as　I　could　wish　…　I　found　it　very　curious　to

consider　that　though　the　newsman　must　be　allowed　to　be　a　very

unpicturesque　rendering　of　Mercury；　or　Fame；　or　what…not

conventional　messenger　from　the　clouds；　and　although　we　must　allow

that　he　is　of　this　earth；　and　has　a　good　deal　of　it　on　his　boots；

still　that　he　has　two　very　remarkable　characteristics；　to　which

none　of　his　celestial　predecessors　can　lay　the　slightest　claim。

One　is　that　he　is　always　the　messenger　of　civilization；　the　other

that　he　is　at　least　equally　so　…　not　only　in　what　he　brings；　but　in

what　he　ceases　to　bring。　　Thus　the　time　was；　and　not　so　many　years

ago　either；　when　the　newsman　constantly　brought　home　to　our　doors　…

though　I　am　afraid　not　to　our　hearts；　which　were　custom…hardened　…

the　most　terrific　accounts　of　murders；　of　our　fellow…creatures

being　publicly　put　to　death　for　what　we　now　call　trivial　offences；

in　the　very　heart　of　London；　regularly　every　Monday　morning。　　At

the　same　time　the　newsman　regularly　brought　to　us　the　infliction　of

other　punishments；　which　were　demoralising　to　the　innocent　part　of

the　community；　while　they　did　not　operate　as　punishments　in

deterring　offenders　from　the　perpetration　of　crimes。　　In　those　same

days；　also；　the　newsman　brought　to　us　daily　accounts　of　a　regularly

accepted　and　received　system　of　loading　the　unfortunate　insane　with

chains；　littering　them　down　on　straw；　starving　them　on　bread　and

water；　damaging　their　clothes；　and　making　periodical　exhibitions　of

them　at　a　small　charge；　and　that　on　a　Sunday　one　of　our　public

resorts　was　a　kind　of　demoniacal　zoological　gardens。　　They　brought

us　accounts　at　the　same　time　of　some　damage　done　to　the　machinery

which　was　destined　to　supply　the　operative　classes　with　employment。

In　the　same　time　they　brought　us　accounts　of　riots　for　bread；　which

were　constantly　occurring；　and　undermining　society　and　the　state；

of　the　most　terrible　explosions　of　class　against　class；　and　of　the

habitual　employment　of　spies　for　the　discovery　…　if　not　for　the

origination　…　of　plots；　in　which　both　sides　found　in　those　days

some　relief。　　In　the　same　time　the　same　newsmen　were　apprising　us

of　a　state　of　society　all　around　us　in　which　the　grossest

sensuality　and　intemperance　were　the　rule；　and　not　as　now；　when　the

ignorant；　the　wicked；　and　the　wretched　are　the　inexcusably　vicious

exceptions　…　a　state　of　society　in　which　the　professional　bully　was

rampant；　and　when　deadly　duels　were　daily　fought　for　the　most

absurd　and　disgraceful　causes。　　All　this　the　newsman　has　ceased　to

tell　us　of。　　This　state　of　society　has　discontinued　in　England　for

ever；　and　when　we　remember　the　undoubted　truth；　that　the　change

could　never　have　been　effected　without　the　aid　of　the　load　which

the　newsman　carries；　surely　it　is　not　very　romantic　to　express　the

hope　on　his　behalf　that　the　public　will　show　to　him　some　little

token　of　the　sympathetic　remembrance　which　we　are　all　of　us　glad　to

bestow　on　the　bearers　of　happy　tidings　…　the　harbingers　of　good

news。



Now；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　you　will　be　glad　to　hear　that　I　am

coming　to　a　conclusion；　for　that　conclusion　I　have　a　precedent。

You　all　of　you　know　how　pleased　you　are　on　your　return　from　a

morning's　walk　to　learn　that　the　collector　has　called。　　Well；　I　am

the　collector　for　this　district；　and　I　hope　you　will　bear　in　mind

that　I　have　respectfully　called。　　Regarding　the　institution　on

whose　behalf　I　have　presented　myself；　I　need　only　say　technically

two　things。　　First；　that　its　annuities　are　granted　out　of　its

funded　capital；　and　therefore　it　is　safe　as　the　Bank；　and；

secondly；　that　they　are　attainable　by　such　a　slight　exercise　of

prudence　and　fore…thought；　that　a　payment　of　25S。　extending　over　a

period　of　five　years；　entitles　a　subscriber　…　if　a　male　…　to　an

annuity　of　16　pounds　a…year；　and　a　female　to　12　pounds　a…year。

Now；　bear　in　mind　that　this　is　an　institution　on　behalf　of　which

the　collector　has　called；　leaving　behind　his　assurance　that　what

you　can　give　to　one　of　the　most　faithful　of　your　servants　shall　be

well　bestowed　and　faithfully　applied　to　the　purposes　to　which　you

intend　them；　and　to　those　purposes　alone。







SPEECH：　　NEWSPAPER　PRESS　FUND。　…　LONDON；　MAY　20；　1865。







＇At　the　second　annual　dinner　of　the　Institution；　held　at　the

Freemasons'　Tavern；　on　Saturday；　the　20th　May；　1865；　the　following

speech　was　delivered　by　the　chairman；　Mr。　Charles　Dickens；　in

proposing　the　toast　of　the　evening：＇



LADIES　AND　GENTLEMEN；　…　When　a　young　child　is　produced　after　dinner

to　be　shown　to　a　circle　of　admiring　relations　and　friends；　it　may

generally　be　observed　that　their　conversation　…　I　suppose　in　an

instinctive　remembrance　of　the　uncertainty　of　infant　life　…　takes　a

retrospective　turn。　　As　how　much　the　child　has　grown　since　the　last

dinner；　what　a　remarkably　fine　child　it　is；　to　have　been　born　only

two　or　three　years　ago；　how　much　stronger　it　looks　now　than　before

it　had　the　measles；　and　so　forth。　　When　a　young　institution　is

produced　after　dinner；　there　is　not　the　same　uncertainty　or

delicacy　as　in　the　case　of　the　child；　and　it　may　be　confidently

predicted　of　it　that　if　it　deserve　to　live　it　will　surely　live；　and

that　if　it　deserve　to　die　it　will　surely　die。　　The　proof　of　desert

in　such　a　case　as　this　must　be　mainly　sought；　I　suppose；　firstly；

in　what　the　society　means　to　do　with　its　money；　secondly；　in　the

extent　to　which　it　is　supported　by　the　class　with　whom　it

originated；　and　for　whose　benefit　it　is　designed；　and；　lastly；　in

the　power　of　its　hold　upon　the　public。　　I　add　this　lastly；　because

no　such　institution　that　ever　I　heard　of　ever　yet　dreamed　of

existing　apart　from　the　public；　or　ever　yet　considered　it　a

degradation　to　accept　the　public　support。



Now；　what　the　Newspaper　Press　Fund　proposes　to　do　with　its　money　is

to　grant　relief　to　members　in　want　or　distress；　and　to　the　widows；

families；　parents；　or　other　near　relatives　of　deceased　members　in

right　of　a　moderate　provident　annual　subscription　…　commutable；　I

observe；　for　a　moderate　provident　life　subscription　…　and　its

members　comprise　the　whole　paid　class　of　literary　contributors　to

the　press　of　the　United　Kingdom；　and　every　class　of　reporters。　　The

number　of　its　members　at　this　time　last　year　was　something　below

100。　　At　the　present　time　it　is　somewhat　above　170；　not　including

30　members　of　the　press　who　are　regular　subscribers；　but　have　not

as　yet　qualified　as　regular　members。　　This　number　is　steadily　on

the　increase；　not　only　as　regards　the　metropolitan　press；　but　also

as　regards　the　provincial　throughout　the　country。　　I　have　observed

within　these　few　days　that　many　members　of　the　press　at　Manchester

have　lately　at　a　meeting　expressed　a　strong　brotherly　interest　in

this　Institution；　and　a　great　desire　to　extend　its　operations；　and

to　strengthen　its　hands；　provided　that　something　in　the　independent

nature　of　life　assurance　and　the　purchase　of　deferred　annuities

could　be　introduced　into　its　details；　and　always　assuming　that　in

it　the　metropolis　and　the　provinces　stand　on　perfectly　equal

ground。　　This　appears　to　me　to　be　a　demand　so　very　modera