the ragged trousered philanthropists-第141节

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　Harlech'：

　　　　　　　　‘Vote　for　Sweater；　Vote　for　Sweater！　　　　　　　　　Vote　for　Sweater；　VOTE　FOR　SWEATER！　　　　　　　　　‘He's　the　Man；　who　has　a　plan；　　　　　　　　　To　liberate　and　reinstate　the　workers！　　　　　　　　　‘Men　of　Mugs'bro'；　show　your　mettle；　　　　　　　　　Let　them　see　that　you're　in　fettle！　　　　　　　　　Once　for　all　this　question　settle　　　　　　　　　Sweater　shall　Prevail！'

The　carriage　containing　Sir　Featherstone；　Adam　Sweater；　and　Rushton　and　Didlum　was　in　the　middle　of　the　procession。　　The　banner　and　the　torches　were　at　the　head；　and　the　grandeur　of　the　scene　was　heightened　by　four　men　who　walked　…　two　on　each　side　of　the　carriage；　burning　green　fire　in　frying　pans。　　As　they　passed　by　the　Slave　Market；　a　poor；　shabbily　dressed　wretch　whose　boots　were　so　worn　and　rotten　that　they　were　almost　falling　off　his　feet；　climbed　up　a　lamp…post；　and　taking　off　his　cap　waved　it　in　the　air　and　shrieked　out：　‘Three　Cheers　for　Sir　Featherstone　Blood；　our　future　Prime　Minister！'

The　Philanthropists　cheered　themselves　hoarse　and　finally　took　the　horses　out　of　the　traces　and　harnessed　themselves　to　the　carriage　instead。

‘'Ow　much　wages　will　Sir　Featherstone　get　if　'e　is　made　Prime　Minister？'　asked　Harlow　of　another　Philanthropist　who　was　also　pushing　up　behind　the　carriage。

‘Five　thousand　a　year；'　replied　the　other；　who　by　some　strange　chance　happened　to　know。　　‘That　comes　to　a　'underd　pounds　a　week。'

‘Little　enough；　too；　for　a　man　like　'im；'　said　Harlow。

‘You're　right；　mate；'　said　the　other；　with　deep　sympathy　in　his　voice。　‘Last　time　'e　'eld　office　'e　was　only　in　for　five　years；　so　'e　only　made　twenty…five　thousand　pounds　out　of　it。　　Of　course　'e　got　a　pension　as　well　…　two　thousand　a　year　for　life；　I　think　it　is；　but　after　all；　what's　that　…　for　a　man　like　'im？'

‘Nothing；'　replied　Harlow；　in　a　tone　of　commiseration；　and　Newman；　who　was　also　there；　helping　to　drag　the　carriage；　said　that　it　ought　to　be　at　least　double　that　amount。

However；　they　found　some　consolation　in　knowing　that　Sir　Featherstone　would　not　have　to　wait　till　he　was　seventy　before　he　obtained　his　pension；　he　would　get　it　directly　he　came　out　of　office。



The　following　evening　Barrington；　Owen　and　a　few　others　of　the　same　way　of　thinking；　who　had　subscribed　enough　money　between　them　to　purchase　a　lot　of　Socialist　leaflets；　employed　themselves　distributing　them　to　the　crowds　at　the　Liberal　and　Tory　meetings；　and　whilst　they　were　doing　this　they　frequently　became　involved　in　arguments　with　the　supporters　of　the　capitalist　system。　　In　their　attempts　to　persuade　others　to　refrain　from　voting　for　either　of　the　candidates；　they　were　opposed　even　by　some　who　professed　to　believe　in　Socialism；　who　said　that　as　there　was　no　better　Socialist　candidate　the　thing　to　do　was　to　vote　for　the　better　of　the　two。　　This　was　the　view　of　Harlow　and　Easton；　whom　they　met。　　Harlow　had　a　green　ribbon　in　his　buttonhole；　but　Easton　wore　D'Encloseland's　colours。

One　man　said　that　if　he　had　his　way；　all　those　who　had　votes　should　be　compelled　to　record　them　…　whether　they　liked　it　or　not　…　or　be　disenfranchised！　　Barrington　asked　him　if　he　believed　in　Tarrif　Reform。　　The　man　said　no。

‘Why　not？'　demanded　Barrington。

The　other　replied　that　he　opposed　Tariff　Reform　because　he　believed　it　would　ruin　the　country。　　Barrington　inquired　if　he　were　a　supporter　of　Socialism。　　The　man　said　he　was　not；　and　when　further　questioned　he　said　that　he　believed　if　it　were　ever　adopted　it　would　bring　black　ruin　upon　the　country　…　he　believed　this　because　Mr　Sweater　had　said　so。　When　Barrington　asked　him　…　supposing　there　were　only　two　candidates；　one　a　Socialist　and　the　other　a　Tariff　Reformer　…　how　would　he　like　to　be　compelled　to　vote　for　one　of　them；　he　was　at　a　loss　for　an　answer。

During　the　next　few　days　the　contest　continued。　　The　hired　orators　continued　to　pour　forth　their　streams　of　eloquence；　and　tons　of　literature　flooded　the　town。　　The　walls　were　covered　with　huge　posters：　‘Another　Liberal　Lie。'　‘Another　Tory　Fraud。'

Unconsciously　each　of　these　two　parties　put　in　some　splendid　work　for　Socialism；　in　so　much　that　each　of　them　thoroughly　exposed　the　hypocrisy　of　the　other。　　If　the　people　had　only　had　the　sense；　they　might　have　seen　that　the　quarrel　between　the　Liberal　and　Tory　leaders　was　merely　a　quarrel　between　thieves　over　the　spoil；　but　unfortunately　most　of　the　people　had　not　the　sense　to　perceive　this。　　They　were　blinded　by　bigoted　devotion　to　their　parties；　and　…　inflamed　with　maniacal　enthusiasm　…　thought　of　nothing　but　‘carrying　their　flags　to　victory'。

At　considerable　danger　to　themselves；　Barrington；　Owen　and　the　other　Socialists　continued　to　distribute　their　leaflets　and　to　heckle　the　Liberal　and　Tory　speakers。　　They　asked　the　Tories　to　explain　the　prevalence　of　unemployment　and　poverty　in　protected　countries；　like　Germany　and　America；　and　at　Sweater's　meetings　they　requested　to　be　informed　what　was　the　Liberal　remedy　for　unemployment。　　From　both　parties　the　Socialists　obtained　the　same　kinds　of　answer　…　threats　of　violence　and　requests　‘not　to　disturb　the　meeting'。

These　Socialists　held　quite　a　lot　of　informal　meetings　on　their　own。　Every　now　and　then　when　they　were　giving　their　leaflets　away；　some　unwary　supporter　of　the　capitalist　system　would　start　an　argument；　and　soon　a　crowd　would　gather　round　and　listen。

Sometimes　the　Socialists　succeeded　in　arguing　their　opponents　to　an　absolute　standstill；　for　the　Liberals　and　Tones　found　it　impossible　to　deny　that　machinery　is　the　cause　of　the　overcrowded　state　of　the　labour　market；　that　the　overcrowded　labour　market　is　the　cause　of　unemployment；　that　the　fact　of　there　being　always　an　army　of　unemployed　waiting　to　take　other　men's　jobs　away　from　them　destroys　the　independence　of　those　who　are　in　employment　and　keeps　them　in　subjection　to　their　masters。　　They　found　it　impossible　to　deny　that　this　machinery　is　being　used；　not　for　the　benefit　of　all；　but　to　make　fortunes　for　a　few。　　In　short；　they　were　unable　to　disprove　that　the　monopoly　of　the　land　and　machinery　by　a　comparatively　few　persons；　is　the　cause　of　the　poverty　of　the　majority。　　But　when　these　arguments　that　they　were　unable　to　answer　were　put　before　them　and　when　it　was　pointed　out　that　the　only　possible　remedy　was　the　Public　Ownership　and　Management　of　the　Means　of　production；　they　remained　angrily　silent；　having　no　alternative　plan　to　suggest。

At　other　times　the　meeting　resolved　itself　into　a　number　of　quarrelsome　disputes　between　the　Liberals　and　Tories　that　formed　the　crowd；　which　split　itself　up　into　a　lot　of　little　groups　and　whatever　the　original　subject　might　have　been　they　soon　drifted　to　a　hundred　other　things；　for　most　of　the　supporters　of　the　present　system　seemed　incapable　of　pursuing　any　one　subject　to　its　logical　conclusion。　　A　discussion　would　be　started　about　something　or　other；　presently　an　unimportant　side　issue　would　crop　up；　then　the　original　subject　would　be　left　unfinished；　and　they　would　argue　and　shout　about　the　side　issue。　　In　a　little　while　another　side　issue　would　arise；　and　then　the　first　side　issue　would　be　abandoned　also　unfinished；　and　an　angry　wrangle　about　the　second　issue　would　ensue；　the　original　subject　being　altogether　forgotten。

They　did　not　seem　to　really　desire　to　discover　the　truth　or　to　find　out　the　best　way　to　bring　about　an　improvement　in　their　condition；　their　only　object　seemed　to　be　to　score　off　their　opponents。

Usually　after　one　of　these　arguments；　Owen　would　wander　off　by　himself；　with　his　head　throbbing　and　a　feeling　of　unutterable　depression　and　misery　at　his　heart；　weighed　down　by　a　growing　conviction　of　the　hopelessness　of　everything；　of　the　folly　of　expecting　that　his　fellow　workmen　would　ever　be　willing　to　try　to　understand　for　themselves　the　causes　that　produced　their　sufferings。　It　was　not　that　those　causes　were　so　obscure　that　it　required　exceptional　intelligence　to　perceive　them；　the　causes　of　all　the　misery　were　so　apparent　that　a　little　child　could　easily　be　made　to　understand　both　the　disease　and　the　remedy；　but　it　seemed　to　him　that　the　majority　of　his　fellow　workmen　had　become　so　convinced　of　their　own　intellectual　inferiority　that　they　did　not　dare　to　rely　on　their　own　intelligence　to　guide　them；　preferring　to　resign　the　management　of　their　affairs　unreservedly　into　the　hands　of　those　who　battened　upon　and　robbed　them。　　They　did　not　know　the　causes　of　the　poverty　that　perpetually　held　them　and　their　children　in　its　cruel　grip；　and　…　they　did　not　want　to　know！　　And　if　one　explained　those　causes　to　them　in　such　language　and　in　such　a　manner　that　they　were　almost　compelled　to　understand；　and　afterwards　pointed　out　to　them　the　obvious　remedy；　they　were　neither　glad　nor　responsive；　but　remained　silent　and　were　angry　because　they　found　themselves　unable　to　answer　and　disprove。

They　remained　silent；　afraid　to　trust　their　own　intelligence；　and　the　reason　of　this　attitude　was　that　they　had　to　choose　between　the　evidence　and　their　own　intelligence；　and　the　stories　told　them　by　their　masters　and　exploiters。　　And　when　it　came　to　making　this　choice　they　deemed　it　safer　to　follow　their　old　guides；　than　to　rely　on　their　own　judgement；　because　from　their　very　infancy　they　had　had　drilled　into　them　the　doctrine　of　thei