an unsocial socialist-第50章

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his　own　mind　and　manhood　for　luxuries　and　delicacies　that　he　was
too　lowlived　to　enjoy；　and　for　the　society　of　people　who　made　him
feel　his　inferiority　at　every　turn。〃

〃And　the　man　to　whom　you　owe　everything　you　possess；〃　said
Erskine　boldly。

〃I　possess　very　little。　Everything　he　left　me；　except　a　few
pictures；　I　spent　long　ago；　and　even　that　was　made　by　his　slaves
and　not　by　him。　My　wealth　comes　day　by　day　fresh　from　the　labor
of　the　wretches　who　live　in　the　dens　I　have　just　shown　you；　or　of
a　few　aristocrats　of　labor　who　are　within　ten　shillings　a　week　of
being　worse　off。　However；　there　is　some　excuse　for　my　father。
Once；　at　an　election　riot；　I　got　into　a　free　fight。　I　am　a
peaceful　man；　but　as　I　had　either　to　fight　or　be　knocked　down　and
trampled　upon；　I　exchanged　blows　with　men　who　were　perhaps　as
peacefully　disposed　as　I。　My　father；　launched　into　a　free
competition　（free　in　the　sense　that　the　fight　is　free：　that　is；
lawless）my　father　had　to　choose　between　being　a　slave　himself
and　enslaving　others。　He　chose　the　latter；　and　as　he　was
applauded　and　made　much　of　for　succeeding；　who　dare　blame　him？
Not　I。　Besides；　he　did　something　to　destroy　the　anarchy　that
enabled　him　to　plunder　society　with　impunity。　He　furnished　me；
its　enemy；　with　the　powerful　weapon　of　a　large　fortune。　Thus　our
system　of　organizing　industry　sometimes　hatches　the　eggs　from
which　its　destroyers　break。　Does　Lady　Brandon　wear　much　lace？〃

〃INo；　that　isHow　the　deuce　dO　I　know；　Trefusis？　What　an
extraordinary　question！〃

〃This　is　a　photograph　of　a　lace　school。　It　was　a　filthy　room；
twelve　feet　square。　It　was　paved　with　brick；　and　the　children
were　not　allowed　to　wear　their　boots；　lest　the　lace　should　get
muddy。　However；　as　there　were　twenty　of　them　working　there　for
fifteen　hours　a　dayall　girlsthey　did　not　suffer　much　from
cold。　They　were　pretty　tightly　packedmay　be　still；　for　aught　I
know。　They　brought　three　or　four　shillings　a　week　sometimes　to
their　fond　parents；　and　they　were　very　quick…fingered　little
creatures；　and　stuck　intensely　to　their　work；　as　the　overseer
always　hit　them　when　they　looked　up　or〃

〃Trefusis；〃　said　Sir　Charles；　turning　away　from　the　table；　〃I　beg
your　pardon；　but　I　have　no　appetite　for　horrors。　You　really　must
not　ask　me　to　go　through　your　collection。　It　is　no　doubt　very
interesting；　but　I　can't　stand　it。　Have　you　nothing　pleasant　to
entertain　me　with？〃

〃Pooh！　you　are　squeamish。　However；　as　you　are　a　novice；　let　us
put　off　the　rest　until　you　are　seasoned。　The　pictures　are　not　all
horrible。　Each　book　refers　to　a　different　country。　That　one
contains　illustrations　of　modern　civilization　in　Germany；　for
instance。　That　one　is　France；　that；　British　India。　Here　you　have
the　United　States　of　America；　home　of　liberty；　theatre　of　manhood
suffrage；　kingless　and　lordless　land　of　Protection；
Republicanism；　and　the　realized　Radical　Programme；　where　all　the
black　chattel　slaves　were　turned　into　wage…slaves　（like　my
father's　white　fellows）　at　a　cost　of　800；000　lives　and　wealth
incalculable。　You　and　I　are　paupers　in　comparison　with　the　great
capitalists　of　that　country；　where　the　laborers　fight　for　bones
with　the　Chinamen；　like　dogs。　Some　of　these　great　men　presented
me　with　photographs　of　their　yachts　and　palaces；　not　anticipating
the　use　to　which　I　would　put　them。　Here　are　some　portraits　that
will　not　harrow　your　feelings。　This　is　my　mother；　a　woman　of　good
family；　every　inch　a　lady。　Here　is　a　Lancashire　lass；　the
daughter　of　a　common　pitman。　She　has　exactly　the　same　physical
characteristics　as　my　well…born　motherthe　same　small　head；
delicate　features；　and　so　forth；　they　might　be　sisters。　This
villainous…looking　pair　might　be　twin　brothers；　except　that　there
is　a　trace　of　good　humor　about　the　one　to　the　right。　The
good…humored　one　is　a　bargee　on　the　Lyvern　Canal。　The　other　is
one　of　the　senior　noblemen　of　the　British　Peerage。　They
illustrate　the　fact　that　Nature；　even　when　perverted　by
generations　of　famine　fever；　ignores　the　distinctions　we　set　up
between　men。　This　group　of　men　and　women；　all　tolerably
intelligent　and　thoughtful　looking；　are　so…called　enemies　of
societyNihilists；　Anarchists；　Communards；　members　of　the
International；and　so　on。　These　other　poor　devils；　worried；　stiff；
strumous；　awkward；　vapid；　and　rather　coarse；　with　here　and　there
a　passably　pretty　woman；　are　European　kings；　queens；　grand…dukes；
and　the　like。　Here　are　ship…captains；　criminals；　poets；　men　of
science；　peers；　peasants；　political　economists；　and
representatives　of　dozens　of　degrees。　The　object　of　the
collection　is　to　illustrate　the　natural　inequality　of　man；　and
the　failure　of　our　artificial　inequality　to　correspond　with　it。〃

〃It　seems　to　me　a　sort　of　infernal　collection　for　the　upsetting
of　people's　ideas；〃　said　Erskine。　〃You　ought　to　label　it　'A
Portfolio　of　Paradoxes。'〃

〃In　a　rational　state　of　society　they　would　be　paradoxes；　but　now
the　time　gives　them　prooflike　Hamlet's　paradox。　It　is；　however；
a　collection　of　facts；　and　I　will　give　no　fanciful　name　to　it。
You　dislike　figures；　don't　you？〃

〃Unless　they　are　by　Phidias；　yes。〃

〃Here　are　a　few；　not　by　Phidias。　This　is　the　balance　sheet　of　an
attempt　I　made　some　years　ago　to　carry　out　the　idea　of　an
International　Association　of　Laborerscommonly　known　as　THE
Internationalor　union　of　all　workmen　throughout　the　world　in
defence　of　the　interests　of　labor。　You　see　the　result。
Expenditure；　four　thousand　five　hundred　pounds。　Subscriptions
received　from　working…men；　twenty…two　pounds　seven　and　ten　pence
halfpenny。　The　British　workmen　showed　their　sense　of　my　efforts
to　emancipate　them　by　accusing　me　of　making　a　good　thing　out　of
the　Association　for　my　own　pocket；　and　by　mobbing　and　stoning　me
twice。　I　now　help　them　only　when　they　show　some　disposition　to
help　themselves。　I　occupy　myself　partly　in　working　out　a　scheme
for　the　reorganization　of　industry；　and　partly　in　attacking　my
own　class；　women　and　all；　as　I　am　attacking　you。〃

〃There　is　little　use　in　attacking　us；　I　fear；〃　said　Sir　Charles。

〃Great　use；〃　said　Trefusis　confidently。　〃You　have　a　very
different　opinion　of　our　boasted　civilization　now　from　that　which
you　held　when　I　broke　your　wall　down　and　invited　those　Land
Nationalization　zealots　to　march　across　your　pleasure　ground。　You
have　seen　in　my　album　something　you　had　not　seen　an　hour　ago；　and
you　are　consequently　not　quite　the　same　man　you　were　an　hour　ago。
My　pictures　stick　in　the　mind　longer　than　your　scratchy　etchings；
or　the　leaden　things　in　which　you　fancy　you　see　tender　harmonies
in　gray。　Erskine's　next　drama　may　be　about　liberty；　but　its
Patriot　Martyrs　will　have　something　better　to　do　than　spout
balderdash　against　figure…head　kings　who　in　all　their　lives　never
secretly　plotted　as　much　dastardly　meanness；　greed；　cruelty；　and
tyranny　as　is　openly　voted　for　in　London　by　every　half…yearly
meeting　of　dividend…consuming　vermin　whose　miserable　wage…slaves
drudge　sixteen　hours　out　of　the　twenty…four。〃

〃What　is　going　to　be　the　end　of　it　all？〃　said　Sir　Charles；　a
little　dazed。

〃Socialism　or　Smash。　Socialism　if　the　race　has　at　last　evolved
the　faculty　of　coordinating　the　functions　of　a　society　too
crowded　and　complex　to　be　worked　any　longer　on　the　old　haphazard
private…property　system。　Unless　we　reorganize　our　society
socialisticallyhumanly　a　most　arduous　and　magnificent
enterprise；　economically　a　most　simple　and　sound　oneFree　Trade
by　itself　will　ruin　England；　and　I　will　tell　you　exactly　how。
When　my　father　made　his　fortune　we　had　the　start　of　all　other
nations　in　the　organization　of　our　industry　and　in　our　access　to
iron　and　coal。　Other　nations　bought　our　products　for　less　than
they　must　have　spent　to　raise　them　at　home；　and　yet　for　so　much
more　than　they　cost　us；　that　profits　rolled　in　Atlantic　waves
upon　our　capitalists。　When　the　workers；　by　their　trades…unions；
demanded　a　share　of　the　luck　in　the　form　of　advanced　wages；　it
paid　better　to　give　them　the　little　they　dared　to　ask　than　to
stop　gold…gathering　to　fight　and　crush　them。　But　now　our
customers　have　set　up　in　their　own　countries　improved　copies　of
our　industrial　organization；　and　have　discovered　places　where
iron