a far country-第95节

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〃I've　known　him　for　a　good　many　years。　　He's　clever。　　He's　sowing　seeds
of　discontent；　starting　trouble　that　will　be　very　serious　unless　it　is
headed　off。〃

Miss　McCoy　made　no　comment。。。。

Before　noon　the　next　day　she　brought　in　the　speech；　neatly　typewritten；
and　laid　it　on　my　desk。　　Looking　up　and　catching　her　eye　just　as　she　was
about　to　withdraw；　I　was　suddenly　impelled　to　ask：

〃Well；　what　did　you　think　of　it？〃

She　actually　flushed；　for　the　first　time　in　my　dealings　with　her
betraying　a　feeling　which　I　am　sure　she　deemed　most　unprofessional。

〃I　liked　it；　Mr。　Paret；〃　she　replied　simply；　and　I　knew　that　she　had
understated。　　It　was　quite　apparent　that　Krebs　had　captivated　her。　　I
tried　not　to　betray　my　annoyance。

〃Was　there　a　good　audience？〃　I　asked；

〃Yes；〃　she　said。

〃How　many　do　you　think？〃

She　hesitated。

〃It　isn't　a　very　large　hall；　you　know。　　I　should　say　it　would　hold　about
eight　hundred　people。〃

〃Andit　was　full？〃…　I　persisted。

〃Oh；　yes；　there　were　numbers　of　people　standing。〃

I　thought　I　detected　in　her　tone…although　it　was　not　apologetica　desire
to　spare　my　feelings。　　She　hesitated　a　moment　more；　and　then　left　the
room；　closing　the　door　softly　behind　her。。。

Presently　I　took　up　the　pages　and　began　to　read。　　The　language　was　simple
and　direct；　an　appeal　to　common　sense；　yet　the　words　strangely　seemed
charged　with　an　emotional　power　that　I　found　myself　resisting。　　When　at
length　I　laid　down　the　sheets　I　wondered　whether　it　were　imagination；　or
the　uncomfortable　result　of　memories　of　conversations　I　had　had　with　him。

I　was；　however；　confronted　with　the　task　of　refuting　his　arguments：　but
with　exasperating　ingenuity；　he　seemed　to　have　taken　the　wind　out　of　our
sails。　　It　is　difficult　to　answer　a　man　who　denies　the　cardinal　principle
of　American　democracy；that　a　good　mayor　or　a　governor　may　be　made　out
of　a　dog…catcher。　　He　called　this　the　Cincinnatus　theory：　that　any
American；　because　he　was　an　American；　was　fit　for　any　job　in　the　gift　of
state　or　city　or　government；　from　sheriff　to　Ambassador　to　Great　Britain。
Krebs　substituted　for　this　fallacy　what　may　be　called　the　doctrine　of
potentiality。　　If　we　inaugurated　and　developed　a　system　of　democratic
education；　based　on　scientific　principles；　and　caught　the　dog…catcher；
young　enough；　he　might　become　a　statesman　or　thinker　or　scientist　and
make　his　contribution　to　the　welfare　and　progress　of　the　nation：　again；
he　might　not；　but　he　would　have　had　his　chance；　he　would　not　be　in　a
position　to　complain。

Here　was　a　doctrine；　I　immediately　perceived；　which　it　would　be　suicidal
to　attempt　to　refute。　　It　ought；　indeed；　to　have　been　my　line。　　With　a
growing　distaste　I　began　to　realize　that　all　there　was　left　for　me　was　to
flatter　a　populace　that　Krebs；　paradoxically；　belaboured。　　Never　in　the
history　of　American　〃uplift〃　had　an　electorate　been　in　this　manner　wooed！
upbraided　for　expediency；　a　proneness　to　demand　immediate　results；　an
unwillingness　to　think；　yes；　and　an　inability　to　think　straight。　　Such　an
electorate　deserved　to　be　led　around　by　the　nose　by　the　Jasons　and
Dickinsons；　the　Gorses　and　the　Griersons　and　the　Parets。

Yes；　he　had　mentioned　me。　　That　gave　me　a　queer　sensation。　　How　is　one　to
handle　an　opponent　who　praises　one　with　a　delightful　irony？。　　We；　the
Dickinsons；　Griersons；　Parets；　Jasons；　etc。；　had　this　virtue　at　least；
and　it　was　by　no　means　the　least　of　the　virtues；that　we　did　think。　　We
had　a　plan；　a　theory　of　government；　and　we　carried　it　out。　　He　was
inclined　to　believe　that　morality　consisted　largely；　if　not　wholly；　in
clear　thinking；　and　not　in　the　precepts　of　the　Sunday…school。　　That　was
the　trouble　with　the　so…called　〃reform〃　campaigns；　they　were　conducted　on
lines　of　Sunday…school　morality；　the　people　worked　themselves　up　into　a
sort　of　revivalist　frenzy；　an　emotional　state　which；　if　the　truth　were
told；　was　thoroughly　immoral；　unreasonable　and　hypocritical：　like　all
frenzies；　as　a　matter　of　course　it　died　down　after　the　campaign　was　over。
Moreover；　the　American　people　had　shown　that　they　were　unwilling　to　make
any　sacrifices　for　the　permanent　betterment　of　conditions；　and　as　soon　as
their　incomes　began　to　fall　off　they　turned　again　to　the　bosses　and
capitalists　like　an　abject　flock　of　sheep。

He　went　on　to　explain　that　he　wasn't　referring　now　to　that　part　of　the
electorate　known　as　the　labour　element；　the　men　who　worked　with　their
hands　in　mills；　factories；　etc。　　They　had　their　faults；　yet　they
possessed　at　least　the　virtue　of　solidarity；　a　willingness　to　undergo
sacrifices　in　order　to　advance　the　standard　of　conditions；　they　too　had　a
tenacity　of　purpose　and　a　plan；　such　as　it　was；　which　the　small　business
men；　the　clerks　lacked。。。。

We　must　wake　up　to　the　fact　that　we　shouldn't　get　Utopia　by　turning　out
Mr。　Jason　and　the　highly　efficient　gentlemen　who　hired　and　financed　him。
It　wasn't　so　simple　as　that。　　Utopia　was　not　an　achievement　after　all；
but　an　undertaking；　a　state　of　mind；　the　continued　overcoming　of
resistance　by　a　progressive　education　and　effort。　　And　all　this　talk　of
political　and　financial　〃wickedness〃　was　rubbish；　the　wickedness　they
complained　of　did　not　reside　merely　in　individuals　it　was　a　social
disorder；　or　rather　an　order　that　no　longer　suited　social　conditions。　　If
the　so…called　good　citizens　would　take　the　trouble　to　educate　themselves；
to　think　instead　of　allowing　their　thinking　to　be　done　for　them　they
would　see　that　the　〃evils〃　which　had　been　published　broadcast　were　merely
the　symptoms　of　that　disease　which　had　come　upon　the　social　body　through
their　collective　neglect　and　indifference。　　They　held　up　their　hands　in
horror　at　the　spectacle　of　a　commercial；　licensed　prostitution；　they
shunned　the　prostitute　and　the　criminal；　but　there　was　none　of　us；　if
honest；　who　would　not　exclaim　when　he　saw　them；　〃there；　but　for　the　Grace
of　God；　go　I！〃　　What　we　still　called　〃sin〃　was　largely　the　result　of　lack
of　opportunity；　and　the　active　principle　of　society　as　at　present
organized　tended　more　and　more　to　restrict　opportunity。　　Lack　of
opportunity；　lack　of　proper　nutrition；these　made　sinners　by　the
wholesale；　made；　too；　nine…tenths　of　the　inefficient　of　whom　we　self…
righteously　complained。　　We　had　a　national　philosophy　that　measured
prosperity　in　dollars　and　cents；　included　in　this　measurement　the　profits
of　liquor　dealers　who　were　responsible　for　most　of　our　idiots。　　So　long
as　we　set　our　hearts　on　that　kind　of　prosperity；　so　long　as　we　failed　to
grasp　the　simple　and　practical　fact　that　the　greatest　assets　of　a　nation
are　healthy　and　sane　and　educated；　clear…thinking　human　beings；　just　so
long　was　prostitution　logical；　Riverside　Franchises；　traction　deals；　Judd
Jasons；　and　the　respectable　gentlemen　who　continued　to　fill　their　coffers
out　of　the　public　purse　inevitable。

The　speaker　turned　his　attention　to　the　〃respectable　gentlemen〃　with　the
full　coffers；　amongst　whom　I　was　by　implication　included。　　We　had　simply
succeeded　under　the　rules　to　which　society　tacitly　agreed。　　That　was　our
sin。　　He　ventured　to　say　that　there　were　few　men　in　the　hall　who　at　the
bottom　of　their　hearts　did　not　envy　and　even　honour　our　success。　　He；　for
one；　did　not　deem　these　〃respectable　gentlemen〃　utterly　reprehensible；　he
was　sufficiently　emancipated　to　be　sorry　for　us。　　He　suspected　that　we
were　not　wholly　happy　in　being　winners　in　such　a　game；he　even　believed
that　we　could　wish　as　much　as　any　others　to　change　the　game　and　the
prizes。　　What　we　represented　was　valuable　energy　misdirected　and
misplaced；　and　in　a　reorganized　community　he　would　not　abolish　us；　but
transform　us：　transform；　at　least；　the　individuals　of　our　type；　who　were
the　builders　gone　wrong　under　the　influence　of　an　outworn　philosophy。　　We
might　be　made　to　serve　the　city　and　the　state　with　the　same　effectiveness
that　we　had　served　ourselves。

If　the　best　among　the　scientists；　among　the　university　professors　and
physicians　were　willing　to　labourand　they　werefor　the　advancement　of
humanity；　for　the　very　love　of　the　work　and　service　without
disproportionate　emoluments；　without　the　accumulation　of　a　wealth
difficult　to　spend；　why　surely　these　big　business　men　had　been　moulded　in
infancy　from　no　different　clay！　　All　were　Americans。　　Instance　after
instance　might　be　cited　of　business　men　and　lawyers　of　ability　making
sacrifices；　giving　up　their　personal　affairs　in　order　to　take　places　of
honour　in　the　government　in　which　the　salary　was　comparatively　small；
proving　that　even　these　were　open　to　inducements　other　than　merely
mercenary　ones。

It　was　unfortunate；　he　went　on；　but　true；　that　the　vast　majority　of
people　of　voting　age　in　the　United　States　to…day　who　thought　they　had
been　educated　were　under　the　obligation　to　reeducate　themselves。　　He
suggested；　whimsically；　a　vacation　school　for　Congress　and　all
legislative　bodies　as　a　starter。　　Until　the　fact　of　the　utter　inadequacy
of　the　old　education　were　faced；　there　was　little　or　no　hope　of　solving
the　problems　that　harassed　us。　　One　thing　was　certainthat　they　couldn't
be　solved　by　a　rule…of…thumb　morality。　　Coincident　with　the　appearance　of
these　new　and　mighty　problems；　perhaps　in　response