an unsocial socialist-第17章

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I　can　almost　fancy　stains　of　blood　〃

〃Stop；　Sidney。　I　don't　like　this　sort　of　romancing。　It's　all
nonsense。　DO　be　nice　to　me。〃

〃There　are　stains　of　sweat　on　it；　I　know。〃

〃You　nasty　wretch！〃

〃I　am　thinking；　not　of　you；　my　dainty　one；　but　of　the　unfortunate
people　who　slave　that　we　may　live　idly。　Let　me　explain　to　you　why
we　are　so　rich。　My　father　was　a　shrewd；　energetic；　and　ambitious
Manchester　man；　who　understood　an　exchange　of　any　sort　as　a
transaction　by　which　one　man　should　lose　and　the　other　gain。　He
made　it　his　object　to　make　as　many　exchanges　as　possible；　and　to
be　always　the　gaining　party　in　them。　I　do　not　know　exactly　what
he　was；　for　he　was　ashamed　both　of　his　antecedents　and　of　his
relatives；　from　which　I　can　only　infer　that　they　were　honest；
and；　therefore；　unsuccessful　people。　However；　he　acquired　some
knowledge　of　the　cotton　trade；　saved　some　money；　borrowed　some
more　on　the　security　of　his　reputation　for　getting　the　better　of
other　people　in　business；　and；　as　he　accurately　told　me
afterwards；　started　FOR　HIMSELF。　He　bought　a　factory　and　some　raw
cotton。　Now　you　must　know　that　a　man；　by　laboring　some　time　on　a
piece　of　raw　cotton；　can　turn　it　into　a　piece　of　manufactured
cotton　fit　for　making　into　sheets　and　shifts　and　the　like。　The
manufactured　cotton　is　more　valuable　than　the　raw　cotton；　because
the　manufacture　costs　wear　and　tear　of　machinery；　wear　and　tear
of　the　factory；　rent　of　the　ground　upon　which　the　factory　is
built；　and　human　labor；　or　wear　and　tear　of　live　men；　which　has
to　be　made　good　by　food；　shelter；　and　rest。　Do　you　understand
that？〃

〃We　used　to　learn　all　about　it　at　college。　I　don't　see　what　it
has　to　do　with　us；　since　you　are　not　in　the　cotton　trade。〃

〃You　learned　as　much　as　it　was　thought　safe　to　teach　you；　no
doubt；　but　not　quite　all；　I　should　think。　When　my　father　started
for　himself；　there　were　many　men　in　Manchester　who　were　willing
to　labor　in　this　way；　but　they　had　no　factory　to　work　in；　no
machinery　to　work　with；　and　no　raw　cotton　to　work　on；　simply
because　all　this　indispensable　plant；　and　the　materials　for
producing　a　fresh　supply　of　it；　had　been　appropriated　by　earlier
comers。　So　they　found　themselves　with　gaping　stomachs；　shivering
limbs；；　and　hungry　wives　and　children；　in　a　place　called　their
own　country；　in　which；　nevertheless；　every　scrap　of　ground　and
possible　source　of　subsistence　was　tightly　locked　up　in　the　hands
of　others　and　guarded　by　armed　soldiers　and　policemen。　In　this
helpless　condition；　the　poor　devils　were　ready　to　beg　for　access
to　a　factory　and　to　raw　cotton　on　any　conditions　compatible　with
life。　My　father　offered　them　the　use　of　his　factory；　his
machines；　and　his　raw　cotton　on　the　following　conditions：　They
were　to　work　long　and　hard；　early　and　late；　to　add　fresh　value　to
his　raw　cotton　by　manufacturing　it。　Out　of　the　value　thus　created
by　them；　they　were　to　recoup　him　for　what　he　supplied　them　with：
rent；　shelter；　gas；　water；　machinery；　raw　cottoneverything；　and
to　pay　him　for　his　own　services　as　superintendent；　manager；　and
salesman。　So　far　he　asked　nothing　but　just　remuneration。　But
after　this　had　been　paid；　a　balance　due　solely　to　their　own　labor
remained。　'Out　of　this；'　said　my　father；　'you　shall　keep　just
enough　to　save　you　from　starving；　and　of　the　rest　you　shall　make
me　a　present　to　reward　me　for　my　virtue　in　saving　money。　Such　is
the　bargain　I　propose。　It　is；　in　my　opinion；　fair　and　calculated
to　encourage　thrifty　habits。　If　it　does　not　strike　you　in　that
light；　you　can　get　a　factory　and　raw　cotton　for　yourselves；　you
shall　not　use　mine。'　In　other　words；　they　might　go　to　the　devil
and　starveHobson's　choice！for　all　the　other　factories　were
owned　by　men　who　offered　no　better　terms。　The　Manchesterians
could　not　bear　to　starve　or　to　see　their　children　starve；　and　so
they　accepted　his　terms　and　went　into　the　factory。　The　terms；　you
see；　did　not　admit　of　their　beginning　to　save　for　themselves　as
he　had　done。　Well；　they　created　great　wealth　by　their　labor；　and
lived　on　very　little；　so　that　the　balance　they　gave　for　nothing
to　my　father　was　large。　He　bought　more　cotton；　and　more
machinery；　and　more　factories　with　it；　employed　more　men　to　make
wealth　for　him；　and　saw　his　fortune　increase　like　a　rolling
snowball。　He　prospered　enormously；　but　the　work　men　were　no
better　off　than　at　first；　and　they　dared　not　rebel　and　demand
more　of　the　money　they　had　made；　for　there　were　always　plenty　of
starving　wretches　outside　willing　to　take　their　places　on　the　old
terms。　Sometimes　he　met　with　a　check；　as；　for　instance；　when；　in
his　eagerness　to　increase　his　store；　he　made　the　men　manufacture
more　cotton　than　the　public　needed；　or　when　he　could　not　get
enough　of　raw　cotton；　as　happened　during　the　Civil　War　in
America。　Then　he　adapted　himself　to　circumstances　by　turning　away
as　many　workmen　as　he　could　not　find　customers　or　cotton　for；　and
they；　of　course；　starved　or　subsisted　on　charity。　During　the
war…time　a　big　subscription　was　got　up　for　these　poor　wretches；
and　my　father　subscribed　one　hundred　pounds；　in　spite；　he　said；
of　his　own　great　losses。　Then　he　bought　new　machines；　and；　as
women　and　children　could　work　these　as　well　as　men；　and　were
cheaper　and　more　docile；　he　turned　away　about　seventy　out　of
every　hundred　of　his　HANDS　（so　he　called　the　men）；　and　replaced
them　by　their　wives　and　children；　who　made　money　for　him　faster
than　ever。　By　this　time　he　had　long　ago　given　up　managing　the
factories；　and　paid　clever　fellows　who　had　no　money　of　their　own
a　few　hundreds　a　year　to　do　it　for　him。　He　also　purchased　shares
in　other　concerns　conducted　on　the　same　principle；　pocketed
dividends　made　in　countries　which　he　had　never　visited　by　men
whom　he　had　never　seen；　bought　a　seat　in　Parliament　from　a　poor
and　corrupt　constituency；　and　helped　to　preserve　the　laws　by
which　he　had　thriven。　Afterwards；　when　his　wealth　grew　famous；　he
had　less　need　to　bribe；　for　modern　men　worship　the　rich　as　gods；
and　will　elect　a　man　as　one　of　their　rulers　for　no　other　reason
than　that　he　is　a　millionaire。　He　aped　gentility；　lived　in　a
palace　at　Kensington；　and　bought　a　part　of　Scotland　to　make　a
deer　forest　of。　It　is　easy　enough　to　make　a　deer　forest；　as　trees
are　not　necessary　there。　You　simply　drive　off　the　peasants；
destroy　their　houses；　and　make　a　desert　of　the　land。　However；　my
father　did　not　shoot　much　himself；　he　generally　let　the　forest
out　by　the　season　to　those　who　did。　He　purchased　a　wife　of　gentle
blood　too；　with　the　unsatisfactory　result　now　before　you。　That　is
how　Jesse　Trefusis；　a　poor　Manchester　bagman；　contrived　to　be
come　a　plutocrat　and　gentleman　of　landed　estate。　And　also　how　I；
who　never　did　a　stroke　of　work　in　my　life；　am　overburdened　with
wealth；　whilst　the　children　of　the　men　who　made　that　wealth　are
slaving　as　their　fathers　slaved；　or　starving；　or　in　the
workhouse；　or　on　the　streets；　or　the　deuce　knows　where。　What　do
you　think　of　that；　my　love？〃

〃What　is　the　use　of　worrying　about　it；　Sidney？　It　cannot　be
helped　now。　Besides；　if　your　father　saved　money；　and　the　others
were　improvident；　he　deserved　to　make　a　fortune。〃

〃Granted；　but　he　didn't　make　a　fortune。　He　took　a　fortune　that
others　made。　At　Cambridge　they　taught　me　that　his　profits　were
the　reward　of　abstinencethe　abstinence　which　enabled　him　to
save。　That　quieted　my　conscience　until　I　began　to　wonder　why　one
man　should　make　another　pay　him　for　exercising　one　of　the
virtues。　Then　came　the　question：　what　did　my　father　abstain　from？
The　workmen　abstained　from　meat；　drink；　fresh　air；　good　clothes；
decent　lodging；　holidays；　money；　the　society　of　their　families；
and　pretty　nearly　everything　that　makes　life　worth　living；　which
was　perhaps　the　reason　why　they　usually　died　twenty　years　or　so
sooner　than　people　in　our　circumstances。　Yet　no　one　rewarded　them
for　their　abstinence。　The　reward　came　to　my　father；　who　abstained
from　none　of　these　things；　but　indulged　in　them　all　to　his
heart's　content。　Besides；　if　the　money　was　the　reward　of
abstinence；　it　seemed　logical　to　infer　that　he　must　abstain　ten
times　as　much　when　he　bad　fifty　thousand　a　year　as　when　he　had
only　five　thousand。　Here　was　a　prob