the ragged trousered philanthropists-及143准
梓囚徒貧圭鮗 ○ 賜 ★ 辛酔堀貧和鍬匈梓囚徒貧議 Enter 囚辛指欺云慕朕村匈梓囚徒貧圭鮗 ● 辛指欺云匈競何
!!!!隆堋響頼紗秘慕禰厮宴和肝写偬堋響
doctrine of universal brotherhood and love are for the most part ´ intellectually ´ on level with Hottentots拭 The only things they feel any real interest in are beer察football察betting and ´ of course ´ one other subject。 Their highest ambition is to be allowed to Work。 And they desire nothing better for their children
`They have never had an independent thought in their lives。 These are the people whom you hope to inspire with lofty ideals You might just as well try to make a gold brooch out of a lump of dung Try to reason with them察to uplift them察to teach them the way to higher things。 Devote your whole life and intelligence to the work of trying to get better conditions for them察and you will find that they themselves are the enemy you will have to fight against。 They'll hate you察and察if they get the chance察they'll tear you to pieces。 But if you're a sensible man you'll use whatever talents and intelligence you possess for your own benefit。 Don't think about Socialism or any other ;ism;。 Concentrate your mind on getting money ´ it doesn't matter how you get it察but ´ get it。 If you can't get it honestly察get it dishonestly察but get it it is the only thing that counts。 Do as I do ´ rob them exploit them and then they'll have some respect for you。'
`There's something in what you say' replied Barrington察after a long pause察 but it's not all。 Circumstances make us what we are察and anyhow察the children are worth fighting for。'
`You may think so now' said the other察 but you'll come to see it my way some day。 As for the children ´ if their parents are satisfied to let them grow up to be half´starved drudges for other people察I don't see why you or I need trouble about it。 If you like to listen to reason' he continued after a pause察 I can put you on to something that will be worth more to you than all your Socialism。'
`What do you mean'
`Look here此you're a Socialist察well察I'm a Socialist too此that is察I have sense enough to believe that Socialism is practical and inevitable and right察it will come when the majority of the people are sufficiently enlightened to demand it察but that enlightenment will never be brought about by reasoning or arguing with them察for these people are simply not intellectually capable of abstract reasoning ´ they can't grasp theories。 You know what the late Lord Salisbury said about them when somebody proposed to give them some free libraries此He said此 They don't want libraries此give them a circus。; You see these Liberals and Tories understand the sort of people they have to deal with察they know that although their bodies are the bodies of grown men察their minds are the minds of little children。 That is why it has been possible to deceive and bluff and rob them for so long。 But your party persists in regarding them as rational beings察and that's where you make a mistake ´ you're simply wasting your time。
`The only way in which it is possible to teach these people is by means of object lessons察and those are being placed before them in increasing numbers every day。 The trustification of industry ´ the object lesson which demonstrates the possibility of collective ownership ´ will in time compel even these to understand察and by the time they have learnt that察they will also have learned by bitter experience and not from theoretical teaching察that they must either own the trusts or perish察and then察and not察till then察they will achieve Socialism。 But meanwhile we have this election。 Do you think it will make any real difference ´ for good or evil ´ which of these two men is elected'
`No。'
`Well察you can't keep them both out ´ you have no candidate of your own ´ why should you object to earning a few pounds by helping one of them to get in拭 There are plenty of voters who are doubtful whet to do察as you and I know there is every excuse for them being unable to make up their minds which of these two candidates is the worse察a word from your party would decide them。 Since you have no candidate of your own you will be doing no harm to Socialism and you will be doing yourself a bit of good。 If you like to come along with me now察I'll introduce you to Sweater's agent ´ no one need know anything about it。'
He slipped his arm through Barrington's察but the latter released himself。
`Please yourself' said the other with an affectation of indifference。 `You know your own business best。 You may choose to be a Jesus Christ if you like察but for my part I'm finished。 For the future I intend to look after myself。 As for these people ´ they vote for what they want察they get ´ what they vote for察and by God察they deserve nothing better They are being beaten with whips of their own choosing and if I had my way they should be chastised with scorpions For them察the present system means joyless drudgery察semi´starvation察rags and premature death。 They vote for it all and uphold it。 Well察let them have what they vote for ´ let them drudge ´ let them starve'
The man with the scarred face ceased speaking察and for some moments Barrington did not reply。
`I suppose there is some excuse for your feeling as you do' he said slowly at last察 but it seems to me that you do not make enough allowance for the circumstances。 From their infancy most of them have been taught by priests and parents to regard themselves and their own class with contempt ´ a sort of lower animals ´ and to regard those who possess wealth with veneration察as superior beings。 The idea that they are really human creatures察naturally absolutely the same as their so´called betters察naturally equal in every way察naturally different from them only in those ways in which their so´called superiors differ from each other察and inferior to them only because they have been deprived of education察culture and opportunity ´ you know as well as I do that they have all been taught to regard that idea as preposterous。
`The self´styled ;Christian; priests who say ´ with their tongues in their cheeks ´ that God is our Father and that all men are brethren察have succeeded in convincing the majority of the ;brethren; that it is their duty to be content in their degradation察and to order themselves lowly and reverently towards their masters。 Your resentment should be directed against the deceivers察not against the dupes。'
The other man laughed bitterly。
`Well察go and try to undeceive them' he said察as he returned to the platform in response to a call from his associates。 `Go and try to teach them that the Supreme Being made the earth and all its fullness for the use and benefit of all His children。 Go and try to explain to them that they are poor in body and mind and social condition察not because of any natural inferiority察but because they have been robbed of their inheritance。 Go and try to show them how to secure that inheritance for themselves and their children ´ and see how grateful they'll be to you。'
For the next hour Barrington walked about the crowded streets in a dispirited fashion。 His conversation with the renegade seemed to have taken all the heart out of him。 He still had a number of the leaflets察but the task of distributing them had suddenly grown distasteful and after a while he discontinued it。 All his enthusiasm was gone。 Like one awakened from a dream he saw the people who surrounded him in a different light。 For the first time he properly appreciated the offensiveness of most of those to whom he offered the handbills察some察without even troubling to ascertain what they were about察rudely refused to accept them察some took them and after glancing at the printing察crushed them in their hands and ostentatiously threw them away。 Others察who recognized him as a Socialist察angrily or contemptuously declined them察often with curses or injurious words。
His attention was presently attracted to a crowd of about thirty or forty people察congregated near a gas lamp at the roadside。 The sound of many angry voices rose from the centre of this group察and as he stood on the outskirts of the crowd察Barrington察being tall察was able to look into the centre察where he saw Owen。 The light of the street lamp fell full upon the latter's pale face察as he stood silent in the midst of a ring of infuriated men察who were all howling at him at once察and whose malignant faces bore expressions of savage hatred察as they shouted out the foolish accusations and slanders they had read in the Liberal and Tory papers。
Socialists wished to do away with religion and morality to establish free love and atheism All the money that the working classes had saved up in the Post Office and the Friendly Societies察was to be Robbed from them and divided up amongst a lot of drunken loafers who were too lazy to work。 The King and all the Royal Family were to be Done Away with and so on。
Owen made no attempt to reply。 and the manner of the crowd became every moment more threatening。 It was evident that several of them found it difficult to refrain from attacking him。 It was a splendid opportunity of doing a little fighting without running any risks。 This fellow was all by himself察and did not appear to be much of a man even at that。 Those in the middle were encouraged by shouts from others in the cro