the ragged trousered philanthropists-第129节

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‘Even　now　men　think　less　of　money　than　they　do　of　the　respect；　esteem　or　honour　they　are　able　to　procure　with　it。　　Many　men　spend　the　greater　part　of　their　lives　striving　to　accumulate　money；　and　when　they　have　succeeded；　they　proceed　to　spend　it　to　obtain　the　respect　of　their　fellow…men。　　Some　of　them　spend　thousands　of　pounds　for　the　honour　of　being　able　to　write　〃MP〃　after　their　names。　　Others　buy　titles。　　Others　pay　huge　sums　to　gain　admission　to　exclusive　circles　of　society。　　Others　give　the　money　away　in　charity；　or　found　libraries　or　universities。　　The　reason　they　do　these　things　is　that　they　desire　to　be　applauded　and　honoured　by　their　fellow…men。

‘This　desire　is　strongest　in　the　most　capable　men　…　the　men　of　genius。　Therefore；　under　Socialism　the　principal　incentive　to　great　work　will　be　the　same　as　now　…　Honour　and　Praise。　　But；　under　the　present　system；　Honour　and　Praise　can　be　bought　with　money；　and　it　does　not　matter　much　how　the　money　was　obtained。

‘Under　Socialism　it　will　be　different。　　The　Cross　of　Honour　and　the　Laurel　Crown　will　not　be　bought　and　sold　for　filthy　lucre。　　They　will　be　the　supreme　rewards　of　Virtue　and　of　Talent。'

‘Anyone　else　like　to　be　flattened　Out？'　inquired　Philpot。

‘What　would　you　do　with　them　what　spends　all　their　money　in　drink？'　asked　Slyme。

‘I　might　reasonably　ask　you；　〃What's　done　with　them　or　what　you　propose　to　do　with　them　now？〃　　There　are　many　men　and　women　whose　lives　are　so　full　of　toil　and　sorrow　and　the　misery　caused　by　abject　poverty；　who　are　so　shut　out　from　all　that　makes　life　worth　living；　that　the　time　they　spend　in　the　public　house　is　the　only　ray　of　sunshine　in　their　cheerless　lives。　　Their　mental　and　material　poverty　is　so　great　that　they　are　deprived　of　and　incapable　of　understanding　the　intellectual　and　social　pleasures　of　civilization。。。　　Under　Socialism　there　will　be　no　such　class　as　this。　　Everyone　will　be　educated；　and　social　life　and　rational　pleasure　will　be　within　the　reach　of　all。　　Therefore　we　do　not　believe　that　there　will　be　such　a　class。　　Any　individuals　who　abandoned　themselves　to　such　a　course　would　be　avoided　by　their　fellows；　but　if　they　became　very　degraded；　we　should　still　remember　that　they　were　our　brother　men　and　women；　and　we　should　regard　them　as　suffering　from　a　disease　inherited　from　their　uncivilized　forefathers　and　try　to　cure　them　by　placing　them　under　some　restraint：　in　an　institute　for　instance。'

‘Another　good　way　to　deal　with　'em；'　said　Harlow；　‘would　be　to　allow　them　double　pay；　so　as　they　could　drink　themselves　to　death。　　We　could　do　without　the　likes　of　them。'

‘Call　the　next　case；'　said　Philpot。

‘This　'ere　abundance　that　you're　always　talking　about；'　said　Crass；　you　can't　be　sure　that　it　would　be　possible　to　produce　all　that。　You're　only　assoomin'　that　it　could　be　done。'

Barrington　pointed　to　the　still　visible　outlines　of　the　‘Hoblong'　that　Owen　had　drawn　on　the　wall　to　illustrate　a　previous　lecture。

‘Even　under　the　present　silly　system　of　restricted　production；　with　the　majority　of　the　population　engaged　in　useless；　unproductive；　unnecessary　work；　and　large　numbers　never　doing　any　work　at　all；　there　is　enough　produced　to　go　all　round　after　a　fashion。　　More　than　enough；　for　in　consequence　of　what　they　call　〃Over…Production〃；　the　markets　are　periodically　glutted　with　commodities　of　all　kinds；　and　then　for　a　time　the　factories　are　closed　and　production　ceases。　　And　yet　we　can　all　manage　to　exist　…　after　a　fashion。　　This　proves　that　if　productive　industry　were　organized　on　the　lines　advocated　by　Socialists　there　could　be　produced　such　a　prodigious　quantity　of　everything；　that　everyone　could　live　in　plenty　and　comfort。　　The　problem　of　how　to　produce　sufficient　for　all　to　enjoy　abundance　is　already　solved：　the　problem　that　then　remains　is　…　How　to　get　rid　of　those　whose　greed　and　callous　indifference　to　the　sufferings　of　others；　prevents　it　being　done。'

‘Yes！　and　you'll　never　be　able　to　get　rid　of　'em；　mate；'　cried　Crass；　triumphantly　…　and　the　man　with　the　copper　wire　stitches　in　his　boot　said　that　it　couldn't　be　done。

‘Well；　we　mean　to　have　a　good　try；　anyhow；'　said　Barrington。

Crass　and　most　of　the　others　tried　hard　to　think　of　something　to　say　in　defence　of　the　existing　state　of　affairs；　or　against　the　proposals　put　forward　by　the　lecturer；　but　finding　nothing；　they　maintained　a　sullen　and　gloomy　silence。　　The　man　with　the　copper　wire　stitches　in　his　boot　in　particular　appeared　to　be　very　much　upset；　perhaps　he　was　afraid　that　if　the　things　advocated　by　the　speaker　ever　came　to　pass　he　would　not　have　any　boots　at　all。　　To　assume　that　he　had　some　such　thought　as　this；　is　the　only　rational　way　to　account　for　his　hostility；　for　in　his　case　no　change　could　have　been　for　the　worse　unless　it　reduced　him　to　almost　absolute　nakedness　and　starvation。

To　judge　by　their　unwillingness　to　consider　any　proposals　to　alter　the　present　system；　one　might　have　supposed　that　they　were　afraid　of　losing　something；　instead　of　having　nothing　to　lose　…　except　their　poverty。

It　was　not　till　the　chairman　had　made　several　urgent　appeals　for　more　questions　that　Crass　brightened　up：　a　glad　smile　slowly　spread　over　and　illuminated　his　greasy　visage：　he　had　at　last　thought　of　a　most　serious　and　insurmountable　obstacle　to　the　establishment　of　the　Co…operative　Commonwealth。

‘What；'　he　demanded；　in　a　loud　voice；　‘what　are　you　goin'　to　do；　in　this　'ere　Socialist　Republic　of　yours；　with　them　wot　WON'T　WORK'！〃

As　Crass　flung　this　bombshell　into　the　Socialist　camp；　the　miserable；　ragged…trousered　crew　around　him　could　scarce　forbear　a　cheer；　but　the　more　intelligent　part　of　the　audience　only　laughed。

‘We　don't　believe　that　there　will　be　any　such　people　as　that；'　said　Barrington。

‘There's　plenty　of　'em　about　now；　anyway；'　sneered　Crass。

‘You　can't　change　'uman　nature；　you　know；'　cried　the　man　behind　the　moat；　and　the　one　who　had　the　copper　wire　stitches　in　his　boot　laughed　scornfully。

‘Yes；　I　know　there　are　plenty　such　now；'　rejoined　Barrington。　　‘It's　only　what　is　to　be　expected；　considering　that　practically　all　workers　live　in　poverty；　and　are　regarded　with　contempt。　　The　conditions　under　which　most　of　the　work　is　done　at　present　are　so　unpleasant　and　degrading　that　everyone　refuses　to　do　any　unless　they　are　compelled；　none　of　us　here；　for　instance；　would　continue　to　work　for　Rushton　if　it　were　not　for　the　fact　that　we　have　either　to　do　so　or　starve；　and　when　we　do　work　we　only　just　earn　enough　to　keep　body　and　soul　together。　　Under　the　present　system　everybody　who　can　possibly　manage　to　do　so　avoids　doing　any　work；　the　only　difference　being　that　some　people　do　their　loafing　better　than　others。　　The　aristocracy　are　too　lazy　to　work；　but　they　seem　to　get　on　all　right；　they　have　their　tenants　to　work　for　them。　　Rushton　is　too　lazy　to　work；　so　he　has　arranged　that　we　and　Nimrod　shall　work　instead；　and　he　fares　much　better　than　any　of　us　who　do　work。　　Then　there　is　another　kind　of　loafers　who　go　about　begging　and　occasionally　starving　rather　than　submit　to　such　abominable　conditions　as　are　offered　to　them。　　These　last　are　generally　not　much　worse　off　than　we　are　and　they　are　often　better　off。　　At　present；　people　have　everything　to　gain　and　but　little　to　lose　by　refusing　to　work。　　Under　Socialism　it　would　be　just　the　reverse；　the　conditions　of　labour　would　be　so　pleasant；　the　hours　of　obligatory　work　so　few；　and　the　reward　so　great；　that　it　is　absurd　to　imagine　that　any　one　would　be　so　foolish　as　to　incur　the　contempt　of　his　fellows　and　make　himself　a　social　outcast　by　refusing　to　do　the　small　share　of　work　demanded　of　him　by　the　community　of　which　he　was　a　member。

‘As　for　what　we　should　do　to　such　individuals　if　there　did　happen　to　be　some；　I　can　assure　you　that　we　would　not　treat　them　as　you　treat　them　now。　　We　would　not　dress　them　up　in　silk　and　satin　and　broadcloth　and　fine　linen：　we　would　not　embellish　them；　as　you　do；　with　jewels　of　gold　and　jewels　of　silver　and　with　precious　stones；　neither　should　we　allow　them　to　fare　sumptuously　every　day。　　Our　method　of　dealing　with　them　would　be　quite　different　from　yours。　　In　the　Co…operative　Commonwealth　there　will　be　no　place　for　loafers；　whether　they　call　themselves　aristocrats　or　tramps；　those　who　are　too　lazy　to　work　shall　have　no　share　in　the　things　that　are　produced　by　the　labour　of　others。　Those　who　do　nothing　shall　have　nothing。　　If　any　man　will　not　work；　neither　shall　he　eat。　　Under　the　present　system　a　man　who　is　really　too　lazy　to　work　may　stop　you　in　the　street　and　tell　you　that　he　cannot　get　employment。　　For　all　you　know；　he　may　be　telling　the　truth；　and　if　you　have　any　feeling　and　are　able；　you　will　help　him。　　But　in　the　Socialist　State　no　one　would　have　such　an　excuse；　because　everyone　that　was　willing　would　be　welcome　to　come　and　help　in　the　work　of　producing　wealth　and　happiness　for　all；　and　afterwards　he　would　also　be　welcome　to　his　full　share　of　the　results。'

‘Any　more　complaints？'　inquired　the　chairman；　breaking　the　gloomy　silence　that　followed。

‘I　don't　want　anyone　to　think　that　I　am　blaming　any　of　these　present…day　loafers；'　Barrington　added。　　‘The　wealthy　ones　cannot　be　expected　voluntarily　to　come　and　work　under　existing　conditions　and　if　they　we