speeches-literary & social-第29章

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conventional　messenger　from　the　clouds；　and　although　we　must　allow

that　he　is　of　this　earth；　and　has　a　good　deal　of　it　on　his　boots；

still　that　he　has　two　very　remarkable　characteristics；　to　which

none　of　his　celestial　predecessors　can　lay　the　slightest　claim。

One　is　that　he　is　always　the　messenger　of　civilization；　the　other

that　he　is　at　least　equally　so　…　not　only　in　what　he　brings；　but　in

what　he　ceases　to　bring。　　Thus　the　time　was；　and　not　so　many　years

ago　either；　when　the　newsman　constantly　brought　home　to　our　doors　…

though　I　am　afraid　not　to　our　hearts；　which　were　custom…hardened　…

the　most　terrific　accounts　of　murders；　of　our　fellow…creatures

being　publicly　put　to　death　for　what　we　now　call　trivial　offences；

in　the　very　heart　of　London；　regularly　every　Monday　morning。　　At

the　same　time　the　newsman　regularly　brought　to　us　the　infliction　of

other　punishments；　which　were　demoralising　to　the　innocent　part　of

the　community；　while　they　did　not　operate　as　punishments　in

deterring　offenders　from　the　perpetration　of　crimes。　　In　those　same

days；　also；　the　newsman　brought　to　us　daily　accounts　of　a　regularly

accepted　and　received　system　of　loading　the　unfortunate　insane　with

chains；　littering　them　down　on　straw；　starving　them　on　bread　and

water；　damaging　their　clothes；　and　making　periodical　exhibitions　of

them　at　a　small　charge；　and　that　on　a　Sunday　one　of　our　public

resorts　was　a　kind　of　demoniacal　zoological　gardens。　　They　brought

us　accounts　at　the　same　time　of　some　damage　done　to　the　machinery

which　was　destined　to　supply　the　operative　classes　with　employment。

In　the　same　time　they　brought　us　accounts　of　riots　for　bread；　which

were　constantly　occurring；　and　undermining　society　and　the　state；

of　the　most　terrible　explosions　of　class　against　class；　and　of　the

habitual　employment　of　spies　for　the　discovery　…　if　not　for　the

origination　…　of　plots；　in　which　both　sides　found　in　those　days

some　relief。　　In　the　same　time　the　same　newsmen　were　apprising　us

of　a　state　of　society　all　around　us　in　which　the　grossest

sensuality　and　intemperance　were　the　rule；　and　not　as　now；　when　the

ignorant；　the　wicked；　and　the　wretched　are　the　inexcusably　vicious

exceptions　…　a　state　of　society　in　which　the　professional　bully　was

rampant；　and　when　deadly　duels　were　daily　fought　for　the　most

absurd　and　disgraceful　causes。　　All　this　the　newsman　has　ceased　to

tell　us　of。　　This　state　of　society　has　discontinued　in　England　for

ever；　and　when　we　remember　the　undoubted　truth；　that　the　change

could　never　have　been　effected　without　the　aid　of　the　load　which

the　newsman　carries；　surely　it　is　not　very　romantic　to　express　the

hope　on　his　behalf　that　the　public　will　show　to　him　some　little

token　of　the　sympathetic　remembrance　which　we　are　all　of　us　glad　to

bestow　on　the　bearers　of　happy　tidings　…　the　harbingers　of　good

news。



Now；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　you　will　be　glad　to　hear　that　I　am

coming　to　a　conclusion；　for　that　conclusion　I　have　a　precedent。

You　all　of　you　know　how　pleased　you　are　on　your　return　from　a

morning's　walk　to　learn　that　the　collector　has　called。　　Well；　I　am

the　collector　for　this　district；　and　I　hope　you　will　bear　in　mind

that　I　have　respectfully　called。　　Regarding　the　institution　on

whose　behalf　I　have　presented　myself；　I　need　only　say　technically

two　things。　　First；　that　its　annuities　are　granted　out　of　its

funded　capital；　and　therefore　it　is　safe　as　the　Bank；　and；

secondly；　that　they　are　attainable　by　such　a　slight　exercise　of

prudence　and　fore…thought；　that　a　payment　of　25S。　extending　over　a

period　of　five　years；　entitles　a　subscriber　…　if　a　male　…　to　an

annuity　of　16　pounds　a…year；　and　a　female　to　12　pounds　a…year。

Now；　bear　in　mind　that　this　is　an　institution　on　behalf　of　which

the　collector　has　called；　leaving　behind　his　assurance　that　what

you　can　give　to　one　of　the　most　faithful　of　your　servants　shall　be

well　bestowed　and　faithfully　applied　to　the　purposes　to　which　you

intend　them；　and　to　those　purposes　alone。







SPEECH：　　NEWSPAPER　PRESS　FUND。　…　LONDON；　MAY　20；　1865。







＇At　the　second　annual　dinner　of　the　Institution；　held　at　the

Freemasons'　Tavern；　on　Saturday；　the　20th　May；　1865；　the　following

speech　was　delivered　by　the　chairman；　Mr。　Charles　Dickens；　in

proposing　the　toast　of　the　evening：＇



LADIES　AND　GENTLEMEN；　…　When　a　young　child　is　produced　after　dinner

to　be　shown　to　a　circle　of　admiring　relations　and　friends；　it　may

generally　be　observed　that　their　conversation　…　I　suppose　in　an

instinctive　remembrance　of　the　uncertainty　of　infant　life　…　takes　a

retrospective　turn。　　As　how　much　the　child　has　grown　since　the　last

dinner；　what　a　remarkably　fine　child　it　is；　to　have　been　born　only

two　or　three　years　ago；　how　much　stronger　it　looks　now　than　before

it　had　the　measles；　and　so　forth。　　When　a　young　institution　is

produced　after　dinner；　there　is　not　the　same　uncertainty　or

delicacy　as　in　the　case　of　the　child；　and　it　may　be　confidently

predicted　of　it　that　if　it　deserve　to　live　it　will　surely　live；　and

that　if　it　deserve　to　die　it　will　surely　die。　　The　proof　of　desert

in　such　a　case　as　this　must　be　mainly　sought；　I　suppose；　firstly；

in　what　the　society　means　to　do　with　its　money；　secondly；　in　the

extent　to　which　it　is　supported　by　the　class　with　whom　it

originated；　and　for　whose　benefit　it　is　designed；　and；　lastly；　in

the　power　of　its　hold　upon　the　public。　　I　add　this　lastly；　because

no　such　institution　that　ever　I　heard　of　ever　yet　dreamed　of

existing　apart　from　the　public；　or　ever　yet　considered　it　a

degradation　to　accept　the　public　support。



Now；　what　the　Newspaper　Press　Fund　proposes　to　do　with　its　money　is

to　grant　relief　to　members　in　want　or　distress；　and　to　the　widows；

families；　parents；　or　other　near　relatives　of　deceased　members　in

right　of　a　moderate　provident　annual　subscription　…　commutable；　I

observe；　for　a　moderate　provident　life　subscription　…　and　its

members　comprise　the　whole　paid　class　of　literary　contributors　to

the　press　of　the　United　Kingdom；　and　every　class　of　reporters。　　The

number　of　its　members　at　this　time　last　year　was　something　below

100。　　At　the　present　time　it　is　somewhat　above　170；　not　including

30　members　of　the　press　who　are　regular　subscribers；　but　have　not

as　yet　qualified　as　regular　members。　　This　number　is　steadily　on

the　increase；　not　only　as　regards　the　metropolitan　press；　but　also

as　regards　the　provincial　throughout　the　country。　　I　have　observed

within　these　few　days　that　many　members　of　the　press　at　Manchester

have　lately　at　a　meeting　expressed　a　strong　brotherly　interest　in

this　Institution；　and　a　great　desire　to　extend　its　operations；　and

to　strengthen　its　hands；　provided　that　something　in　the　independent

nature　of　life　assurance　and　the　purchase　of　deferred　annuities

could　be　introduced　into　its　details；　and　always　assuming　that　in

it　the　metropolis　and　the　provinces　stand　on　perfectly　equal

ground。　　This　appears　to　me　to　be　a　demand　so　very　moderate；　that　I

can　hardly　have　a　doubt　of　a　response　on　the　part　of　the　managers；

or　of　the　beneficial　and　harmonious　results。　　It　only　remains　to

add；　on　this　head　of　desert；　the　agreeable　circumstance　that　out　of

all　the　money　collected　in　aid　of　the　society　during　the　last　year

more　than　one…third　came　exclusively　from　the　press。



Now；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　in　regard　to　the　last　claim　…　the　last

point　of　desert　…　the　hold　upon　the　public　…　I　think　I　may　say　that

probably　not　one　single　individual　in　this　great　company　has　failed

to…day　to　see　a　newspaper；　or　has　failed　to…day　to　hear　something

derived　from　a　newspaper　which　was　quite　unknown　to　him　or　to　her

yesterday。　　Of　all　those　restless　crowds　that　have　this　day

thronged　the　streets　of　this　enormous　city；　the　same　may　be　said　as

the　general　gigantic　rule。　　It　may　be　said　almost　equally；　of　the

brightest　and　the　dullest；　the　largest　and　the　least　provincial

town　in　the　empire；　and　this；　observe；　not　only　as　to　the