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     A    vast    empire     is  foundering      on   the    hands    of   this   incapable 

management。         And   by   empire   is   meant   the   political   machinery   which 

holds   together   the   English…speaking   people   of   the   world   outside   of   the 

United States。       Nor is this charged in a pessimistic spirit。 Blood empire is 

greater than political empire; and the English of the New World and the 

Antipodes are strong and vigorous as ever。 But the political empire under 

which they are nominally assembled is perishing。                  The political machine 

known      as   the  British   Empire     is  running    down。     In   the   hands    of  its 

management it is losing momentum every day。 

     It is inevitable that this management; which has grossly and criminally 

mismanaged;   shall   be   swept   away。        Not   only   has   it   been   wasteful   and 

inefficient;   but   it   has   misappropriated   the   funds。   Every   worn…out;   pasty… 

faced pauper; every blind man; every prison babe; every man; woman; and 

child   whose  belly   is   gnawing   with   hunger   pangs;   is   hungry  because   the 

funds have been misappropriated by the management。 

     Nor can one member of this managing class plead not guilty before the 

judgment bar of Man。          〃The living in their houses; and in their graves the 

dead;〃 are challenged by every babe that dies of innutrition; by every girl 

that   flees   the   sweater's   den   to   the   nightly   promenade   of   Piccadilly;   by 

every     worked…out      toiler  that   plunges    into   the  canal。    The     food    this 

managing class eats; the wine it drinks; the shows it makes; and the fine 

clothes it wears; are challenged by eight million mouths which have never 

had   enough   to   fill   them;   and   by   twice   eight   million   bodies   which   have 

never been sufficiently clothed and housed。 

     There can be no mistake。           Civilisation has increased man's producing 

power      an    hundred…fold;      and    through     mismanagement         the    men    of 

Civilisation live worse than the beasts; and have less to eat and wear and 

protect them from the elements than the savage Innuit in a frigid climate 

who lives to…day as he lived in the stone age ten thousand years ago。 

       CHALLENGE 

       I have a vague remembrance Of a story that is told In some ancient 

Spanish legend Or chronicle of old。 



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… Page 174…

                              THE PEOPLE OF THE ABYSS 



    It   was   when   brave   King   Sanche   Was   before   Zamora   slain;  And   his 

great besieging army Lay encamped upon the plain。 

    Don Diego de Ordenez Sallied forth in front of all; And shouted loud 

his challenge To the warders on the wall。 

    All the people   of Zamora; Both the born and  the unborn; As   traitors 

did he challenge With taunting words of scorn。 

    The living in their houses; And in their graves the dead; And the waters 

in their rivers; And their wine; and oil; and bread。 

    There   is   a   greater   army That   besets   us   round   with   strife; A  starving; 

numberless army At all the gates of life。 

    The poverty…stricken millions Who challenge our wine and bread; And 

impeach us all as traitors; Both the living and the dead。 

    And whenever I sit at the banquet; Where the feast and song are high; 

Amid the mirth and music I can hear that fearful cry。 

    And hollow and haggard faces Look into the lighted hall; And wasted 

hands are extended To catch the crumbs that fall 

    And     within   there   is   light   and  plenty;   And  odours   fill   the   air;  But 

without there is cold and darkness; And hunger and despair。 

    And there in the camp of famine; In wind; and cold; and rain; Christ; 

the great Lord of the Army; Lies dead upon the plain。 

    LONGFELLOW 



    Footnotes: 

     {1}    This in the Klondike。J。 L。 

     {2}    〃Runt〃 in America is the equivalent of the English 〃crowl;〃 the 

dwarf of a litter。 

     {3}    The San Francisco bricklayer receives twenty shillings per day; 

and at present is on strike for twenty…four shillings。 



    End of Project Gutenberg Etext of The People of the Abyss; by Jack 

London 



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