the ragged trousered philanthropists-第94节

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。　　All　this　talk　about　Socialism　and　State　employment　was　frightening　Capital　out　of　the　country。　　Those　who　had　money　were　afraid　to　invest　it　in　industries；　or　to　have　any　work　done　for　fear　they　would　be　robbed。　　When　Owen　quoted　statistics　to　prove　that　as　far　as　commerce　and　the　quantity　produced　of　commodities　of　all　kinds　was　concerned；　the　last　year　had　been　a　record　one；　they　became　more　infuriated　than　ever；　and　talked　threateningly　of　what　they　would　like　to　do　to　those　bloody　Socialists　who　were　upsetting　everything。

One　day　Crass；　who　was　one　of　these　upholders　of　the　existing　system；　scored　off　Owen　finely。　　A　little　group　of　them　were　standing　talking　in　the　Wage　Slave　Market　near　the　Fountain。　　In　the　course　of　the　argument；　Owen　made　the　remark　that　under　existing　conditions　life　was　not　worth　living；　and　Crass　said　that　if　he　really　thought　so；　there　was　no　compulsion　about　it；　if　he　wasn't　satisfied　…　if　he　didn't　want　to　live　…　he　could　go　and　die。　　Why　the　hell　didn't　he　go　and　make　a　hole　in　the　water；　or　cut　his　bloody　throat？

On　this　particular　occasion　the　subject　of　the　argument　was　…　at　first　…　the　recent　increase　of　the　Borough　Engineer's　salary　to　seventeen　pounds　per　week。　　Owen　had　said　it　was　robbery；　but　the　majority　of　the　others　expressed　their　approval　of　the　increase。　　They　asked　Owen　if　he　expected　a　man　like　that　to　work　for　nothing！　　It　was　not　as　if　he　were　one　of　the　likes　of　themselves。　　They　said　that；　as　for　it　being　robbery；　Owen　would　be　very　glad　to　have　the　chance　of　getting　it　himself。　　Most　of　them　seemed　to　think　the　fact　that　anyone　would　be　glad　to　have　seventeen　pounds　a　week；　proved　that　it　was　right　for　them　to　pay　that　amount　to　the　Borough　Engineer！

Usually　whenever　Owen　reflected　upon　the　gross　injustices；　and　inhumanity　of　the　existing　social　disorder；　he　became　convinced　that　it　could　not　possibly　last；　it　was　bound　to　fall　to　pieces　because　of　its　own　rottenness。　　It　was　not　just；　it　was　not　common　sense；　and　therefore　it　could　not　endure。　　But　always　after　one　of　these　arguments　…　or；　rather；　disputes　…　with　his　fellow　workmen；　he　almost　relapsed　into　hopelessness　and　despondency；　for　then　he　realized　how　vast　and　how　strong　are　the　fortifications　that　surround　the　present　system；　the　great　barriers　and　ramparts　of　invincible　ignorance；　apathy　and　self…contempt；　which　will　have　to　be　broken　down　before　the　system　of　society　of　which　they　are　the　defences；　can　be　swept　away。

At　other　times　as　he　thought　of　this　marvellous　system；　it　presented　itself　to　him　in　such　an　aspect　of　almost　comical　absurdity　that　he　was　forced　to　laugh　and　to　wonder　whether　it　really　existed　at　all；　or　if　it　were　only　an　illusion　of　his　own　disordered　mind。

One　of　the　things　that　the　human　race　needed　in　order　to　exist　was　shelter；　so　with　much　painful　labour　they　had　constructed　a　large　number　of　houses。　　Thousands　of　these　houses　were　now　standing　unoccupied；　while　millions　of　the　people　who　had　helped　to　build　the　houses　were　either　homeless　or　herding　together　in　overcrowded　hovels。

These　human　beings　had　such　a　strange　system　of　arranging　their　affairs　that　if　anyone　were　to　go　and　burn　down　a　lot　of　the　houses　he　would　be　conferring　a　great　boon　upon　those　who　had　built　them；　because　such　an　act　would　‘Make　a　lot　more　work！'

Another　very　comical　thing　was　that　thousands　of　people　wore　broken　boots　and　ragged　clothes；　while　millions　of　pairs　of　boots　and　abundance　of　clothing；　which　they　had　helped　to　make；　were　locked　up　in　warehouses；　and　the　System　had　the　keys。

Thousands　of　people　lacked　the　necessaries　of　life。　　The　necessaries　of　life　are　all　produced　by　work。　　The　people　who　lacked　begged　to　be　allowed　to　work　and　create　those　things　of　which　they　stood　in　need。　But　the　System　prevented　them　from　so　doing。

If　anyone　asked　the　System　why　it　prevented　these　people　from　producing　the　things　of　which　they　were　in　want；　the　System　replied：

‘Because　they　have　already　produced　too　much。　　The　markets　are　glutted。　　The　warehouses　are　filled　and　overflowing；　and　there　is　nothing　more　for　them　to　do。'

There　was　in　existence　a　huge　accumulation　of　everything　necessary。　　A　great　number　of　the　people　whose　labour　had　produced　that　vast　store　were　now　living　in　want；　but　the　System　said　that　they　could　not　be　permitted　to　partake　of　the　things　they　had　created。　　Then；　after　a　time；　when　these　people；　being　reduced　to　the　last　extreme　of　misery；　cried　out　that　they　and　their　children　were　dying　of　hunger；　the　System　grudgingly　unlocked　the　doors　of　the　great　warehouses；　and　taking　out　a　small　part　of　the　things　that　were　stored　within；　distributed　it　amongst　the　famished　workers；　at　the　same　time　reminding　them　that　it　was　Charity；　because　all　the　things　in　the　warehouses；　although　they　had　been　made　by　the　workers；　were　now　the　property　of　the　people　who　do　nothing。

And　then　the　starving；　bootless；　ragged；　stupid　wretches　fell　down　and　worshipped　the　System；　and　offered　up　their　children　as　living　sacrifices　upon　its　altars；　saying：

‘This　beautiful　System　is　the　only　one　possible；　and　the　best　that　human　wisdom　can　devise。　　May　the　System　live　for　ever！　　Cursed　be　those　who　seek　to　destroy　the　System！'

As　the　absurdity　of　the　thing　forced　itself　upon　him；　Owen；　in　spite　of　the　unhappiness　he　felt　at　the　sight　of　all　the　misery　by　which　he　was　surrounded；　laughed　aloud　and　said　to　himself　that　if　he　was　sane；　then　all　these　people　must　be　mad。

In　the　face　of　such　colossal　imbecility　it　was　absurd　to　hope　for　any　immediate　improvement。　　The　little　already　accomplished　was　the　work　of　a　few　self…sacrificing　enthusiasts；　battling　against　the　opposition　of　those　they　sought　to　benefit；　and　the　results　of　their　labours　were；　in　many　instances；　as　pearls　cast　before　the　swine　who　stood　watching　for　opportunities　to　fall　upon　and　rend　their　benefactors。

There　was　only　one　hope。　　It　was　possible　that　the　monopolists；　encouraged　by　the　extraordinary　stupidity　and　apathy　of　the　people　would　proceed　to　lay　upon　them　even　greater　burdens；　until　at　last；　goaded　by　suffering；　and　not　having　sufficient　intelligence　to　understand　any　other　remedy；　these　miserable　wretches　would　turn　upon　their　oppressors　and　drown　both　them　and　their　System　in　a　sea　of　blood。

Besides　the　work　at　the　Kiosk；　towards　the　end　of　March　things　gradually　began　to　improve　in　other　directions。　　Several　firms　began　to　take　on　a　few　hands。　　Several　large　empty　houses　that　were　relet　had　to　be　renovated　for　their　new　tenants；　and　there　was　a　fair　amount　of　inside　work　arising　out　of　the　annual　spring…cleaning　in　other　houses。　　There　was　not　enough　work　to　keep　everyone　employed；　and　most　of　those　who　were　taken　on　as　a　rule　only　managed　to　make　a　few　hours　a　week；　but　still　it　was　better　than　absolute　idleness；　and　there　also　began　to　be　talk　of　several　large　outside　jobs　that　were　to　be　done　as　soon　as　the　weather　was　settled。

This　bad　weather；　by　the　way；　was　a　sort　of　boon　to　the　defenders　of　the　present　system；　who　were　hard…up　for　sensible　arguments　to　explain　the　cause　of　poverty。　　One　of　the　principal　causes　was；　of　course；　the　weather；　which　was　keeping　everything　back。　　There　was　not　the　slightest　doubt　that　if　only　the　weather　would　allow　there　would　always　be　plenty　of　work；　and　poverty　would　be　abolished。

Rushton　&　Co。　had　a　fair　share　of　what　work　there　was；　and　Crass；　Sawkins；　Slyme　and　Owen　were　kept　employed　pretty　regularly；　although　they　did　not　start　until　half　past　eight　and　left　off　at　four。　　At　different　houses　in　various　parts　of　the　town　they　had　ceilings　to　wash　off　and　distemper；　to　strip　the　old　paper　from　the　walls；　and　to　repaint　and　paper　the　rooms；　and　sometimes　there　were　the　venetian　blinds　to　repair　and　repaint。　　Occasionally　a　few　extra　hands　were　taken　on　for　a　few　days；　and　discharged　again　as　soon　as　the　job　they　were　taken　on　to　do　was　finished。

The　defenders　of　the　existing　system　may　possibly　believe　that　the　knowledge　that　they　would　be　discharged　directly　the　job　was　done　was　a　very　good　incentive　to　industry；　that　they　would　naturally　under　these　circumstances　do　their　best　to　get　the　work　done　as　quickly　as　possible。　　But　then　it　must　be　remembered　that　most　of　the　defenders　of　the　existing　system　are　so　constituted；　that　they　can　believe　anything　provided　it　is　not　true　and　sufficiently　silly。

All　the　same；　it　was　a　fact　that　the　workmen　did　do　their　very　best　to　get　over　this　work　in　the　shortest　possible　time；　because　although　they　knew　that　to　do　so　was　contrary　to　their　own　interests；　they　also　knew　that　it　would　be　very　much　more　contrary　to　their　interests　not　to　do　so。　　Their　only　chance　of　being　kept　on　if　other　work　came　in　was　to　tear　into　it　for　all　they　were　worth。　　Consequently；　most　of　the　work　was　rushed　and　botched　and　slobbered　over　in　about　half　the　time　that　it　would　have　taken　to　do　it　properly。　　Rooms　for　which　the　customers　paid　to　have　three　coats　of　paint　were　scamped　with　one　or　two。　　What　Misery　did　not　know　about　scamping　and　faking　the　work；　the　men　suggested　to　and　showed　him　in　the　hope　of　currying　favour　with　him　in　order　that　they　might　get　the　preference　over　others　and　be　sent　for　when　the　next　job　came　in。