the ragged trousered philanthropists-第123节

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‘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　possessed　of　a　similar　power　to　that　imagined　by　the　Eastern　writer。　　At　the　command　of　its　masters　the　Wonderful　Lamp　of　Machinery　produces　an　enormous；　overwhelming；　stupendous　abundance　and　superfluity　of　every　material　thing　necessary　for　human　existence　and　happiness。　　With　less　labour　than　was　formerly　required　to　cultivate　acres；　we　can　now　cultivate　miles　of　land。　　In　response　to　human　industry；　aided　by　science　and　machinery；　the　fruitful　earth　teems　with　such　lavish　abundance　as　was　never　known　or　deemed　possible　before。　　If　you　go　into　the　different　factories　and　workshops　you　will　see　prodigious　quantities　of　commodities　of　every　kind　pouring　out　of　the　wonderful　machinery；　literally　like　water　from　a　tap。

‘One　would　naturally　and　reasonably　suppose　that　the　discovery　or　invention　of　such　an　aid　to　human　industry　would　result　in　increased　happiness　and　comfort　for　every　one；　but　as　you　all　know；　the　reverse　is　the　case；　and　the　reason　of　that　extraordinary　result；　is　the　reason　of　all　the　poverty　and　unhappiness　that　we　see　around　us　and　endure　today　…　it　is　simply　because　…　the　machinery　became　the　property　of　a　comparatively　few　individuals　and　private　companies；　who　use　it　not　for　the　benefit　of　the　community　but　to　create　profits　for　themselves。

‘As　this　labour…saving　machinery　became　more　extensively　used；　the　prosperous　class　of　skilled　workers　gradually　disappeared。　　Some　of　the　wealthier　of　them　became　distributers　instead　of　producers　of　wealth；　that　is　to　say；　they　became　shopkeepers；　retailing　the　commodities　that　were　produced　for　the　most　part　by　machinery。　　But　the　majority　of　them　in　course　of　time　degenerated　into　a　class　of　mere　wage　earners；　having　no　property　in　the　machines　they　used；　and　no　property　in　the　things　they　made。

‘They　sold　their　labour　for　so　much　per　hour；　and　when　they　could　not　find　any　employer　to　buy　it　from　them；　they　were　reduced　to　destitution。

‘Whilst　the　unemployed　workers　were　starving　and　those　in　employment　not　much　better　off；　the　individuals　and　private　companies　who　owned　the　machinery　accumulated　fortunes；　but　their　profits　were　diminished　and　their　working　expenses　increased　by　what　led　to　the　latest　great　change　in　the　organization　of　the　production　of　the　necessaries　of　life　…　the　formation　of　the　Limited　Companies　and　the　Trusts；　the　decision　of　the　private　companies　to　combine　and　co…operate　with　each　other　in　order　to　increase　their　profits　and　decrease　their　working　expenses。　　The　results　of　these　combines　have　been　…　an　increase　in　the　quantities　of　the　things　produced：　a　decrease　in　the　number　of　wage　earners　employed　…　and　enormously　increased　profits　for　the　shareholders。

‘But　it　is　not　only　the　wage…earning　class　that　is　being　hurt；　for　while　they　are　being　annihilated　by　the　machinery　and　the　efficient　organization　of　industry　by　the　trusts　that　control　and　are　beginning　to　monopolize　production；　the　shopkeeping　classes　are　also　being　slowly　but　surely　crushed　out　of　existence　by　the　huge　companies　that　are　able　by　the　greater　magnitude　of　their　operations　to　buy　and　sell　more　cheaply　than　the　small　traders。

‘The　consequence　of　all　this　is　that　the　majority　of　the　people　are　in　a　condition　of　more　or　less　abject　poverty　…　living　from　hand　to　mouth。　　It　is　an　admitted　fact　that　about　thirteen　millions　of　our　people　are　always　on　the　verge　of　starvation。　　The　significant　results　of　this　poverty　face　us　on　every　side。　　The　alarming　and　persistent　increase　of　insanity。　　The　large　number　of　would…be　recruits　for　the　army　who　have　to　be　rejected　because　they　are　physically　unfit；　and　the　shameful　condition　of　the　children　of　the　poor。　　More　than　one…third　of　the　children　of　the　working　classes　in　London　have　some　sort　of　mental　or　physical　defect；　defects　in　development；　defects　of　eyesight；　abnormal　nervousness；　rickets；　and　mental　dullness。　　The　difference　in　height　and　weight　and　general　condition　of　the　children　in　poor　schools　and　the　children　of　the　so…called　better　classes；　constitutes　a　crime　that　calls　aloud　to　Heaven　for　vengeance　upon　those　who　are　responsible　for　it。

‘It　is　childish　to　imagine　that　any　measure　of　Tariff　Reform　or　Political　Reform　such　as　a　paltry　tax　on　foreign…made　goods　or　abolishing　the　House　of　Lords；　or　disestablishing　the　Church　…　or　miserable　Old　Age　Pensions；　or　a　contemptible　tax　on　land；　can　deal　with　such　a　state　of　affairs　as　this。　　They　have　no　House　of　Lords　in　America　or　France；　and　yet　their　condition　is　not　materially　different　from　ours。　　You　may　be　deceived　into　thinking　that　such　measures　as　those　are　great　things。　　You　may　fight　for　them　and　vote　for　them；　but　after　you　have　got　them　you　will　find　that　they　will　make　no　appreciable　improvement　in　your　condition。　　You　will　still　have　to　slave　and　drudge　to　gain　a　bare　sufficiency　of　the　necessaries　of　life。　　You　will　still　have　to　eat　the　same　kind　of　food　and　wear　the　same　kind　of　clothes　and　boots　as　now。　　Your　masters　will　still　have　you　in　their　power　to　insult　and　sweat　and　drive。　　Your　general　condition　will　be　just　the　same　as　at　present　because　such　measures　as　those　are　not　remedies　but　red　herrings；　intended　by　those　who　trail　them　to　draw　us　away　from　the　only　remedy；　which　is　to　be　found　only　in　the　Public　Ownership　of　the　Machinery；　and　the　National　Organization　of　Industry　for　the　production　and　distribution　of　the　necessaries　of　life；　not　for　the　profit　of　a　few　but　for　the　benefit　of　all！

‘That　is　the　next　great　change；　not　merely　desirable；　but　imperatively　necessary　and　inevitable！　　That　is　Socialism！

‘It　is　not　a　wild　dream　of　Superhuman　Unselfishness。　　No　one　will　be　asked　to　sacrifice　himself　for　the　benefit　of　others　or　to　love　his　neighbours　better　than　himself　as　is　the　case　under　the　present　system；　which　demands　that　the　majority　shall　unselfishly　be　content　to　labour　and　live　in　wretchedness　for　the　benefit　of　a　few。　　There　is　no　such　principle　of　Philanthropy　in　Socialism；　which　simply　means　that　even　as　all　industries　are　now　owned　by　shareholders；　and　organized　and　directed　by　committees　and　officers　elected　by　the　shareholders；　so　shall　they　in　future　belong　to　the　State；　that　is；　the　whole　people　…　and　they　shall　be　organized　and　directed　by　committees　and　officers　elected　by　the　community。

‘Under　existing　circumstances　the　community　is　exposed　to　the　danger　of　being　invaded　and　robbed　and　massacred　by　some　foreign　power。　Therefore　the　community　has　organized　and　owns　and　controls　an　Army　and　Navy　to　protect　it　from　that　danger。　　Under　existing　circumstances　the　community　is　menaced　by　another　equally　great　danger　…　the　people　are　mentally　and　physically　degenerating　from　lack　of　proper　food　and　clothing。　　Socialists　say　that　the　community　should　undertake　and　organize　the　business　of　producing　and　distributing　all　these　things；　that　the　State　should　be　the　only　employer　of　labour　and　should　own　all　the　factories；　mills；　mines；　farms；　railways；　fishing　fleets；　sheep　farms；　poultry　farms　and　cattle　ranches。

‘Under　existing　circumstances　the　community　is　degeneratin