the ragged trousered philanthropists-第36节

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‘In　order　that　these　people　may　live；'　continued　Owen；　pointing　to　the　large　black　square；　‘it　is　first　necessary　that　they　shall　have　a　PLACE　to　live　in　…'

‘Well！　　I　should　never　a　thought　it！'　exclaimed　the　man　on　the　pail；　pretending　to　be　much　impressed。　　The　others　laughed；　and　two　or　three　of　them　went　out　of　the　room；　contemptuously　remarking　to　each　other　in　an　audible　undertone　as　they　went：

‘Bloody　rot！'

‘Wonder　wot　the　bloody　'ell　'e　thinks　'e　is？　　A　sort　of　schoolmaster？'

Owen's　nervousness　increased　as　he　continued：

‘Now；　they　can't　live　in　the　air　or　in　the　sea。　　These　people　are　land　animals；　therefore　they　must　live　on　the　land。'

‘Wot　do　yer　mean　by　animals？'　demanded　Slyme。

‘A　human　bean　ain't　a　animal！'　said　Crass　indignantly。

‘Yes；　we　are！'　cried　Harlow。　　‘Go　into　any　chemist's　shop　you　like　and　ask　the　bloke；　and　'e'll　tell　you　…'

‘Oh；　blow　that！'　interrupted　Philpot。　　‘Let's　'ear　wot　Owen's　sayin'。'

‘They　must　live　on　the　land：　and　that's　the　beginning　of　the　trouble；　because　…　under　the　present　system　…　the　majority　of　the　people　have　really　no　right　to　be　in　the　country　at　all！　　Under　the　present　system　the　country　belongs　to　a　few　…　those　who　are　here　represented　by　this　small　black　square。　　If　it　would　pay　them　to　do　so；　and　if　they　felt　so　disposed；　these　few　people　have　a　perfect　right　…　under　the　present　system　…　to　order　everyone　else　to　clear　out！

‘But　they　don't　do　that；　they　allow　the　majority　to　remain　in　the　land　on　one　condition　…　that　is；　they　must　pay　rent　to　the　few　for　the　privilege　of　being　permitted　to　live　in　the　land　of　their　birth。　　The　amount　of　rent　demanded　by　those　who　own　this　country　is　so　large　that；　in　order　to　pay　it；　the　greater　number　of　the　majority　have　often　to　deprive　themselves　and　their　children；　not　only　of　the　comforts；　but　even　the　necessaries　of　life。　　In　the　case　of　the　working　classes　the　rent　absorbs　at　the　lowest　possible　estimate；　about　one…third　of　their　total　earnings；　for　it　must　be　remembered　that　the　rent　is　an　expense　that　goes　on　all　the　time；　whether　they　are　employed　or　not。　　If　they　get　into　arrears　when　out　of　work；　they　have　to　pay　double　when　they　get　employment　again。

‘The　majority　work　hard　and　live　in　poverty　in　order　that　the　minority　may　live　in　luxury　without　working　at　all；　and　as　the　majority　are　mostly　fools；　they　not　only　agree　to　pass　their　lives　in　incessant　slavery　and　want；　in　order　to　pay　this　rent　to　those　who　own　the　country；　but　they　say　it　is　quite　right　that　they　should　have　to　do　so；　and　are　very　grateful　to　the　little　minority　for　allowing　them　to　remain　in　the　country　at　all。'

Owen　paused；　and　immediately　there　arose　a　great　clamour　from　his　listeners。

‘So　it　IS　right；　ain't　it？'　shouted　Crass。　　‘If　you　'ad　a　'ouse　and　let　it　to　someone；　you'd　want　your　rent；　wouldn't　yer？'

‘I　suppose；'　said　Slyme　with　resentment；　for　he　had　some　shares　in　a　local　building　society；　‘after　a　man's　been　careful；　and　scraping　and　saving　and　going　without　things　he　ought　to　'ave　'ad　all　'is　life；　and　managed　to　buy　a　few　'ouses　to　support　'im　in　'is　old　age　…　they　ought　all　to　be　took　away　from　'im？　　Some　people；'　he　added；　‘ain't　got　common　honesty。'

Nearly　everyone　had　something　to　say　in　reprobation　of　the　views　suggested　by　Owen。　　Harlow；　in　a　brief　but　powerful　speech；　bristling　with　numerous　sanguinary　references　to　the　bottomless　pit；　protested　against　any　interference　with　the　sacred　rights　of　property。　　Easton　listened　with　a　puzzled　expression；　and　Philpot's　goggle　eyes　rolled　horribly　as　he　glared　silently　at　the　circle　and　the　two　squares。

‘By　far　the　greatest　part　of　the　land；'　said　Owen　when　the　row　had　ceased；　‘is　held　by　people　who　have　absolutely　no　moral　right　to　it。　Possession　of　much　of　it　was　obtained　by　means　of　murder　and　theft　perpetrated　by　the　ancestors　of　the　present　holders。　　In　other　cases；　when　some　king　or　prince　wanted　to　get　rid　of　a　mistress　of　whom　he　had　grown　weary；　he　presented　a　tract　of　our　country　to　some　‘nobleman'　on　condition　that　he　would　marry　the　female。　　Vast　estates　were　also　bestowed　upon　the　remote　ancestors　of　the　present　holders　in　return　for　real　or　alleged　services。　　Listen　to　this；'　he　continued　as　he　took　a　small　newspaper　cutting　from　his　pocket…book。

Crass　looked　at　the　piece　of　paper　dolefully。　　It　reminded　him　of　the　one　he　had　in　his　own　pocket；　which　he　was　beginning　to　fear　that　he　would　not　have　an　opportunity　of　producing　today　after　all。

‘Ballcartridge　Rent　Dat。

‘The　hundredth　anniversary　of　the　Battle　of　Ballcartridge　occurred　yesterday　and　in　accordance　with　custom　the　Duke　of　Ballcartridge　handed　to　the　authorities　the　little　flag　which　he　annually　presents　to　the　State　in　virtue　of　his　tenure　of　the　vast　tract　of　this　country　which　was　presented　to　one　of　his　ancestors　…　the　first　Duke　…　in　addition　to　his　salary；　for　his　services　at　the　battle　of　Ballcartridge。

‘The　flag　…　which　is　the　only　rent　the　Duke　has　to　pay　for　the　great　estate　which　brings　him　in　several　hundreds　of　thousands　of　pounds　per　annum　…　is　a　small　tricoloured　one　with　a　staff　surmounted　by　an　eagle。

‘The　Duke　of　Blankmind　also　presents　the　State　with　a　little　coloured　silk　flag　every　year　in　return　for　being　allowed　to　retain　possession　of　that　part　of　England　which　was　presented　…　in　addition　to　his　salary　…　to　one　of　His　Grace's　very　remote　ancestors；　for　his　services　at　the　battle　of　Commissariat　…　in　the　Netherlands。

‘The　Duke　of　Southward　is　another　instance；'　continued　Owen。　　‘He　〃owns〃　miles　of　the　country　we　speak　of　as　〃ours〃。　　Much　of　his　part　consists　of　confiscated　monastery　lands　which　were　stolen　from　the　owners　by　King　Henry　VIII　and　presented　to　the　ancestors　of　the　present　Duke。

‘Whether　it　was　right　or　wrong　that　these　parts　of　our　country　should　ever　have　been　given　to　those　people　…　the　question　whether　those　ancestor　persons　were　really　deserving　cases　or　not　…　is　a　thing　we　need　not　trouble　ourselves　about　now。　　But　the　present　holders　are　certainly　not　deserving　people。　　They　do　not　even　take　the　trouble　to　pretend　they　are。　　They　have　done　nothing　and　they　do　nothing　to　justify　their　possession　of　these　〃estates〃　as　they　call　them。　　And　in　my　opinion　no　man　who　is　in　his　right　mind　can　really　think　it's　just　that　these　people　should　be　allowed　to　prey　upon　their　fellow　men　as　they　are　doing　now。　　Or　that　it　is　right　that　their　children　should　be　allowed　to　continue　to　prey　upon　our　children　for　ever！　　The　thousands　of　people　on　those　estates　work　and　live　in　poverty　in　order　that　these　three　men　and　their　families　may　enjoy　leisure　and　luxury。　　Just　think　of　the　absurdity　of　it！'　continued　Owen；　pointing　to　the　drawings。　　‘All　those　people　allowing　themselves　to　be　overworked　and　bullied　and　starved　and　robbed　by　this　little　crowd　here！'

Observing　signs　of　a　renewal　of　the　storm　of　protests；　Owen　hurriedly　concluded：

‘Whether　it's　right　or　wrong；　you　can't　deny　that　the　fact　that　this　small　minority　possesses　nearly　all　the　land　of　the　country　is　one　of　the　principal　causes　of　the　poverty　of　the　majority。'

‘Well；　that　seems　true　enough；'　said　Easton；　slowly。　　‘The　rent's　the　biggest　item　a　workin'　man's　got　to　pay。　　When　you're　out　of　work　and　you　can't　afford　other　things；　you　goes　without　'em；　but　the　rent　'as　to　be　paid　whether　you're　workin'　or　not。'

‘Yes；　that's　enough；'　said　Harlow　impatiently；　‘but　you　gets　value　for　yer　money：　you　can't　expect　to　get　a　'ouse　for　nothing。'

‘Suppose　we　admits　as　it's　wrong；　just　for　the　sake　of　argyment；'　said　Crass　in　a　jeering　tone。　　‘Wot　then？　　Wot　about　it？　　'Ow's　it　agoin'　to　be　altered。'

‘Yes！'　cried　Harlow　triumphantly。　　‘That's　the　bloody　question！　　'Ow's　it　goin'　to　be　altered？　　It　can't　be　done！'

There　was　a　general　murmur　of　satisfaction。　　Nearly　everyone　seemed　very　pleased　to　think　that　the　existing　state　of　things　could　not　possibly　be　altered。

‘Whether　it　can　be　altered　or　not；　whether　it's　right　or　wrong；　landlordism　is　one　of　the　causes　of　poverty；'　Owen　repeated。　　‘Poverty　is　not　caused　by　men　and　women　getting　married；　it's　not　caused　by　machinery；　it's　not　caused　by　〃over…production〃；　it's　not　caused　by　drink　or　laziness；　and　it's　not　caused　by　〃over…population〃。　　It's　caused　by　Private　Monopoly。　　That　is　the　present　system。　　They　have　monopolized　everything　that　it　is　possible　to　monopolize；　they　have　got　the　whole　earth；　the　minerals　in　the　earth　and　the　streams　that　water　the　earth。　　The　only　reason　they　have　not　monopolized　the　daylight　and　the　air　is　that　it　is　not　possible　to　do　it。　　If　it　were　possible　to　construct　huge　gasometers　and　to　draw　together　and　compress　within　them　the　whole　of　the　atmosphere；　it　would　have　been　done　long　ago；　and　we　should　have　been　compelled　to　work　for　them　in　order　to　get　money　to　buy　air　to　breathe。　　And　if　that　seemingly　impossible　thing　were　accomplished　tomorrow；　you　would　see　thousands　of　people　dying　for　want　of　air　…　or　of　the　money　to　buy　it　…　even　as　now　thousands　are　dying　for　want　of　the　other　necessities　of　life。　You　would　see　people　going　about　gasping　for　breath；　and　telling　each　other　that　the　likes　of　them　could　not　expect　to　have　air　to　breathe　unless　the　had　the　money　to　pay　for　i