the man versus the state-第9节

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hopes　of　further　ones。　Indeed　the　more　numerous　public　instrumentalities　become；　the　more　is　there　generated　in　citizens　the　notion　that　everything　is　to　be　done　for　them；　and　nothing　by　them。　Each　generation　is　made　less　familiar　with　the　attainment　of　desired　ends　by　individual　actions　or　private　combinations；　and　more　familiar　with　the　attainment　of　them　by　governmental　agencies；　until；　eventually；　governmental　agencies　come　to　be　thought　of　as　the　only　available　agencies。　This　result　was　well　shown　in　the　recent　Trades…Unions　Congress　at　Paris。　The　English　delegates；　reporting　to　their　constituents；　said　that　between　themselves　and　their　foreign　colleagues　〃the　point　of　difference　was　the　extent　to　which　the　State　should　be　asked　to　protect　labour：〃　reference　being　thus　made　to　the　fact；　conspicuous　in　the　reports　of　the　proceedings；　that　the　French　delegates　always　invoked　governmental　power　as　the　only　means　of　satisfying　their　wishes。　　　　　　The　diffusion　of　education　has　worked；　and　will　work　still　more；　in　the　same　direction。　〃We　must　educate　our　masters；〃　is　the　well…known　saying　of　a　Liberal　who　opposed　the　last　extension　of　the　franchise。　Yes；　if　the　education　were　worthy　to　be　so　called；　and　were　relevant　to　the　political　enlightenment　needed；　much　might　be　hoped　from　it。　But　knowing　rules　of　syntax；　being　able　to　add　up　correctly；　having　geographical　information；　and　a　memory　stocked　with　the　dates　of　kings'　accessions　and　generals'　victories；　no　more　implies　fitness　to　form　political　conclusions　than　acquirement　of　skill　in　drawing　implies　expertness　in　telegraphing；　or　than　ability　to　play　cricket　implies　proficiency　on　the　violin。　〃Surely；〃　rejoins　some　one；　〃facility　in　reading　opens　the　way　to　political　knowledge。〃　Doubtless；　but　will　the　way　be　followed？　Table…talk　proves　that　nine　out　of　ten　people　read　what　amuses　them　or　interests　them　rather　than　what　instructs　them；　and　that　the　last　thing　they　read　is　something　which　tells　them　disagreeable　truths　or　dispels　groundless　hopes。　That　popular　education　results　in　an　extensive　reading　of　publications　which　foster　pleasant　illusions　rather　than　of　those　which　insist　on　hard　realities；　is　beyond　question。　Says　〃A　Mechanic；〃　writing　in　the　Pall　Mall　Gazette　of　December　3；　1883：　　

〃Improved　education　instills　the　desire　for　culture　　culture　instills　the　desire　for　many　things　as　yet　quite　beyond　working　men's　reach。。。　in　the　furious　competition　to　which　the　present　age　is　given　up　they　are　utterly　impossible　to　the　poorer　classes；　hence　they　are　discontented　with　things　as　they　are；　and　the　more　educated　the　more　discontented。　Hence；　too；　Mr　Ruskin　and　Mr　Morris　are　regarded　as　true　prophets　by　many　of　us。〃　

And　that　the　connexion　of　cause　and　effect　here　alleged　is　a　real　one；　we　may　see　clearly　enough　in　the　present　state　of　Germany。　　　　　　Being　possessed　of　electoral　power；　as　are　now　the　mass　of　those　who　are　thus　led　to　nurture　sanguine　anticipations　of　benefits　to　be　obtained　by　social　reorganization；　it　results　that　whoever　seeks　their　votes　must　at　least　refrain　from　exposing　their　mistaken　beliefs；　even　if　he　does　not　yield　to　the　temptation　to　express　agreement　with　them。　Every　candidate　for　Parliament　is　prompted　to　propose　or　support　some　new　piece　of　ad　captandum　legislation。　Nay；　even　the　chiefs　of　parties　　these　anxious　to　retain　office　and　those　to　wrest　it　from　them　　severally　aim　to　get　adherents　by　outbidding　one　another。　Each　seeks　popularity　by　promising　more　than　his　opponent　has　promised；　as　we　have　lately　seen。　And　then；　as　divisions　in　Parliament　show　us；　the　traditional　loyalty　to　leaders　overrides　questions　concerning　the　intrinsic　propriety　of　proposed　measures。　Representatives　are　unconscientious　enough　to　vote　for　Bills　which　they　believe　to　be　wrong　in　principle；　because　party…needs　and　regard　for　the　net　election　demand　it。　And　thus　a　vicious　policy　is　strengthened　even　by　those　who　see　its　viciousness。　　　　　　Meanwhile　there　goes　on　out…of…doors　an　active　propaganda　to　which　all　these　influences　are　ancillary。　Communistic　theories；　partially　indorsed　by　one　Act　of　Parliament　after　another；　and　tacitly　if　not　avowedly　favoured　by　numerous　public　men　seeking　supporters；　are　being　advocated　more　and　more　vociferously　under　one　or　other　form　by　popular　leaders；　and　urged　on　by　organized　societies。　There　is　the　movement　for　land…nationalization　which；　aiming　at　a　system　of　land…tenure　equitable　in　the　abstract；　is；　as　all　the　world　knows；　pressed　by　Mr　George　and　his　friends　with　avowed　disregard　for　the　just　claims　of　existing　owners；　and　as　the　basis　of　a　scheme　going　more　than　half…way　to　State…socialism。　And　then　there　is　the　thorough…going　Democratic　Federation　of　Mr　Hyndman　and　his　adherents。　We　are　told　by　them　that　〃the　handful　of　marauders　who　now　hold　possession　＇of　the　land＇　have　and　can　have　no　right　save　brute　force　against　the　tens　of　millions　whom　they　wrong。〃　They　exclaim　against　〃the　shareholders　who　have　been　allowed　to　lay　hands　upon　（！）　our　great　railway　communications。〃　They　condemn　〃above　all；　the　active　capitalist　class；　the　loan…mongers；　the　farmers；　the　mine　exploiters；　the　contractors；　the　middle…men；　the　factory　lords　　these；　the　modern　slave　drivers〃　who　exact　〃more　and　yet　more　surplus　value　out　of　the　wage…slaves　whom　they　employ。〃　And　they　think　it　〃high　time〃　that　trade　should　be　〃removed　from　the　control　of　individual　greed。〃（8*）　　　　　It　remains　to　point　out　that　the　tendencies　thus　variously　displayed；　are　being　strengthened　by　press…advocacy；　daily　more　pronounced。　Journalists；　always　chary　of　saying　that　which　is　distasteful　to　their　readers；　are　some　of　them　going　with　the　stream　and　adding　to　its　force。　Legislative　meddlings　which　they　would　once　have　condemned　they　now　pass　in　silence；　if　they　do　not　advocate　them；　and　they　speak　of　laissez…faire　as　an　exploded　doctrine。　〃People　are　no　longer　frightened　at　the　thought　of　socialism；〃　is　the　statement　which　meets　us　one　day。　On　another　day；　a　town　which　does　not　adopt　the　Free　Libraries　Act　is　sneered　at　as　being　alarmed　by　a　measure　so　moderately　communistic。　And　then；　along　with　editorial　assertions　that　this　economic　evolution　is　coming　and　must　be　accepted；　there　is　prominence　given　to　the　contributions　of　its　advocates。　Meanwhile　those　who　regard　the　recent　course　of　legislation　as　disastrous；　and　see　that　its　future　course　is　likely　to　be　still　more　disastrous；　are　being　reduced　to　silence　by　the　belief　that　it　is　useless　to　reason　with　people　in　a　state　of　political　intoxication。　　　　　　See；　then；　the　many　concurrent　causes　which　threaten　continually　to　accelerate　the　transformation　now　going　on。　There　is　that　spread　of　regulation　caused　by　following　precedents；　which　become　the　more　authoritative　the　further　the　policy　is　carried。　There　is　that　increasing　need　for　administrative　compulsions　and　restraints；　which　results　from　the　unforeseen　evils　and　shortcomings　of　preceding　compulsions　and　restraints。　Moreover；　every　additional　State…interference　strengthens　the　tacit　assumption　that　it　is　the　duty　of　the　State　to　deal　with　all　evils　and　secure　all　benefits。　Increasing　power　of　a　growing　administrative　organization　is　accompanied　by　decreasing　power　of　the　rest　of　the　society　to　resist　its　further　growth　and　control。　The　multiplication　of　careers　opened　by　a　developing　bureaucracy；　tempts　members　of　the　classes　regulated　by　it　to　favour　its　extension；　as　adding　to　the　chances　of　safe　and　respectable　places　for　their　relatives。　The　people　at　large；　led　to　look　on　benefits　received　through　public　agencies　as　gratis　benefits；　have　their　hopes　continually　excited　by　the　prospects　of　more。　A　spreading　education；　furthering　the　diffusion　of　pleasing　errors　rather　than　of　stern　truths；　renders　such　hopes　both　stronger　and　more　general。　Worse　still；　such　hopes　are　ministered　to　by　candidates　for　public　choice；　to　augment　their　chances　of　success；　and　leading　statesmen；　in　pursuit　of　party　ends；　bid　for　popular　favour　by　countenancing　them。　Getting　repeated　justifications　from　new　laws　harmonizing　with　their　doctrines；　political　enthusiasts　and　unwise　philanthropists　push　their　agitations　with　growing　confidence　and　success。　Journalism；　ever　responsive　to　popular　opinion；　daily　strengthens　it　by　giving　it　voice；　while　counter…opinion；　more　and　more　discouraged；　finds　little　utterance。　　　　　　Thus　influences　of　various　kinds　conspire　to　increase　corporate　action　and　decrease　individual　action。　And　the　change　is　being　on　all　sides　aided　by　schemers；　each　of　whom　thinks　only　of　his　pet　project　and　not　at　all　of　the　general　re…organization　which　his；　joined　with　others　such；　are　working　out。　It　is　said　that　the　French　Revolution　devoured　its　own　children。　Here　an　analogous　catastrophe　seems　not　unlikely。　The　numerous　socialistic　changes　made　by　Act　of　Parliament；　joined　with　the　numerous　others　presently　to　be　made；　will　by…and…by　be　all　merged　in　State…Socialism　　swallowed　in　the　vast　wave　which　they　have　little　by　little　raised。　

〃But　why　is　this　change　described　as　'the　coming　slavery'？〃　is　a　question　which　many　will　still　ask。　The　reply　is　simple。　All　socialism　involves　slavery。　　　　　　What　is　essential　to　the　idea　of　a　slave？　We　primarily　think　of　him　as　one　w