an unsocial socialist-第51章

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customers　have　set　up　in　their　own　countries　improved　copies　of
our　industrial　organization；　and　have　discovered　places　where
iron　and　coal　are　even　handier　than　they　are　by　this　time　in
England。　They　produce　for　themselves；　or　buy　elsewhere；　what　they
formerly　bought　from　us。　Our　profits　are　vanishing；　our　machinery
is　standing　idle；　our　workmen　are　locked　out。　It　pays　now　to　stop
the　mills　and　fight　and　crush　the　unions　when　the　men　strike；　no
longer　for　an　advance；　but　against　a　reduction。　Now　that　these
unions　are　beaten；　helpless；　and　drifting　to　bankruptcy　as　the
proportion　of　unemployed　men　in　their　ranks　becomes　greater；　they
are　being　petted　and　made　much　of　by　our　class；　an　infallible
sign　that　they　are　making　no　further　progress　in　their　duty　of
destroying　us。　The　small　capitalists　are　left　stranded　by　the
ebb；　the　big　ones　will　follow　the　tide　across　the　water；　and
rebuild　their　factories　where　steam　power；　water　power；　labor
power；　and　transport　are　now　cheaper　than　in　England；　where　they
used　to　be　cheapest。　The　workers　will　emigrate　in　pursuit　of　the
factory；　but　they　will　multiply　faster　than　they　emigrate；　and　be
told　that　their　own　exorbitant　demand　for　wages　is　driving
capital　abroad；　and　must　continue　to　do　so　whilst　there　is　a
Chinaman　or　a　Hindoo　unemployed　to　underbid　them。　As　the　British
factories　are　shut　up；　they　will　be　replaced　by　villas；　the
manufacturing　districts　will　become　fashionable　resorts　for
capitalists　living　on　the　interest　of　foreign　investments；　the
farms　and　sheep　runs　will　be　cleared　for　deer　forests。　All
products　that　can　in　the　nature　of　things　be　manufactured
elsewhere　than　where　they　are　consumed　will　be　imported　in
payment　of　deer…forest　rents　from　foreign　sportsmen；　or　of
dividends　due　to　shareholders　resident　in　England；　but　holding
shares　in　companies　abroad；　and　these　imports　will　not　be　paid
for　by　ex　ports；　because　rent　and　interest　are　not　paid　for　at
alla　fact　which　the　Free　Traders　do　not　yet　see；　or　at　any　rate
do　not　mention；　although　it　is　the　key　to　the　whole　mystery　of
their　opponents。　The　cry　for　Protection　will　become　wild；　but　no
one　will　dare　resort　to　a　demonstrably　absurd　measure　that　must
raise　prices　before　it　raises　wages；　and　that　has　everywhere
failed　to　benefit　the　worker。　There　will　be　no　employment　for
anyone　except　in　doing　things　that　must　be　done　on　the　spot；　such
as　unpacking　and　distributing　the　imports；　ministering　to　the
proprietors　as　domestic　servants；　or　by　acting；　preaching；
paving；　lighting；　housebuilding；　and　the　rest；　and　some　of　these；
as　the　capitalist　comes　to　regard　ostentation　as　vulgar；　and　to
enjoy　a　simpler　life；　will　employ　fewer　and　fewer　people。　A　vast
proletariat；　beginning　with　a　nucleus　of　those　formerly　employed
in　export　trades；　with　their　multiplying　progeny；　will　be　out　of
employment　permanently。　They　will　demand　access　to　the　land　and
machinery　to　produce　for　themselves。　They　will　be　refused。　They
will　break　a　few　windows　and　be　dispersed　with　a　warning　to　their
leaders。　They　will　burn　a　few　houses　and　murder　a　policeman　or
two；　and　then　an　example　will　be　made　of　the　warned。　They　will
revolt；　and　be　shot　down　with
machine…gunsemigratedexterminated　anyhow　and　everyhow；　for
the　proprietary　classes　have　no　idea　of　any　other　means　of
dealing　with　the　full　claims　of　labor。　You　yourself；　though　you
would　give　fifty　pounds　to　Jansenius's　emigration　fund　readily
enough；　would　call　for　the　police；　the　military；　and　the　Riot
Act；　if　the　people　came　to　Brandon　Beeches　and　bade　you　turn　out
and　work　for　your　living　with　the　rest。　Well；　the　superfluous
proletariat　destroyed；　there　will　remain　a　population　of
capitalists　living　on　gratuitous　imports　and　served　by　a
disaffected　retinue。　One　day　the　gratuitous　imports　will　stop　in
consequence　of　the　occurrence　abroad　of　revolution　and
repudiation；　fall　in　the　rate　of　interest；　purchase　of　industries
by　governments　for　lump　sums；　not　reinvestable；　or　what　not。　Our
capitalist　community　is　then　thrown　on　the　remains　of　the　last
dividend；　which　it　consumes　long　before　it　can　rehabilitate　its
extinct　machinery　of　production　in　order　to　support　itself　with
its　own　hands。　Horses；　dogs；　cats；　rats；　blackberries；　mushrooms；
and　cannibalism　only　postpone〃

〃Ha！　ha！　ha！〃　shouted　Sir　Charles。　〃On　my　honor；　I　thought　you
were　serious　at　first；　Trefusis。　Come；　confess；　old　chap；　it's
all　a　fad　of　yours。　I　half　suspected　you　of　being　a　bit　of　a
crank。〃　And　he　winked　at　Erskine。　

〃What　I　have　described　to　you　is　the　inevitable　outcome　of　our
present　Free　Trade　policy　without　Socialism。　The　theory　of　Free
Trade　is　only　applicable　to　systems　of　exchange；　not　to　systems
of　spoliation。　Our　system　is　one　of　spoliation；　and　if　we　don't
abandon　it；　we　must　either　return　to　Protection　or　go　to　smash　by
the　road　I　have　just　mapped。　Now；　sooner　than　let　the
Protectionists　triumph；　the　Cobden　Club　itself　would　blow　the
gaff　and　point　out　to　the　workers　that　Protection　only　means
compelling　the　proprietors　of　England　to　employ　slaves　resident
in　England　and　therefore　presumablythough　by　no　means
necessarilyEnglishmen。　This　would　open　the　eyes　of　the　nation
at　last　to　the　fact　that　England　is　not　their　property。　Once　let
them　understand　that　and　they　would　soon　make　it　so。　When　England
is　made　the　property　of　its　inhabitants　collectively；　England
becomes　socialistic。　Artificial　inequality　will　vanish　then
before　real　freedom　of　contract；　freedom　of　competition；　or
unhampered　emulation；　will　keep　us　moving　ahead；　and　Free　Trade
will　fulfil　its　promises　at　last。〃

〃And　the　idlers　and　loafers；〃　said　Erskine。　〃What　of　them？〃

〃You　and　I；　in　fact；〃　said　Trefusis；　〃die　of　starvation；　I
suppose；　unless　we　choose　to　work；　or　unless　they　give　us　a
little　out…door　relief　in　consideration　of　our　bad　bringing…up。〃

〃Do　you　mean　that　they　will　plunder　us？〃　said　Sir　Charles。

〃I　mean　that　they　will　make　us　stop　plundering　them。　If　they
hesitate　to　strip　us　naked；　or　to　cut　our　throats　if　we　offer
them　the　smallest　resistance；　they　will　show　us　more　mercy　than
we　ever　showed　them。　Consider　what　we　have　done　to　get　our　rents
in　Ireland　and　Scotland；　and　our　dividends　in　Egypt；　if　you　have
already　forgotten　my　photographs　and　their　lesson　in　our
atrocities　at　home。　Why；　man；　we　murder　the　great　mass　of　these
toilers　with　overwork　and　hardship；　their　average　lifetime　is　not
half　as　long　as　ours。　Human　nature　is　the　same　in　them　as　in　us。
If　we　resist　them；　and　succeed　in　restoring　order；　as　we　call　it；
we　will　punish　them　mercilessly　for　their　insubordination；　as　we
did　in　Paris　in　1871；　where；　by…the…bye；　we　taught　them　the　folly
of　giving　their　enemies　quarter。　If　they　beat　us；　we　shall　catch
it；　and　serve　us　right。　Far　better　turn　honest　at　once　and　avert
bloodshed。　Eh；　Erskine？〃

Erskine　was　considering　what　reply　he　should　make；　when　Trefusis
disconcerted　him　by　ringing　a　bell。　Presently　the　elderly　woman
appeared；　pushing　before　her　an　oblong　table　mounted　on　wheels；
like　a　barrow。

〃Thank　you；〃　said　Trefusis；　and　dismissed　her。　〃Here　is　some　good
wine；　some　good　water；　some　good　fruit；　and　some　good　bread。　I
know　that　you　cling　to　wine　as　to　a　good　familiar　creature。　As
for　me；　I　make　no　distinction　between　it　and　other　vegetable
poisons。　I　abstain　from　them　all。　Water　for　serenity；　wine　for
excitement。　I；　having　boiling　springs　of　excitement　within
myself；　am　never　at　a　loss　for　it；　and　have　only　to　seek
serenity。　However；〃　（here　he　drew　a　cork）；　〃a　generous　goblet　of
this　will　make　you　feel　like　gods　for　half　an　hour　at　least。
Shall　we　drink　to　your　conversion　to　Socialism？〃

Sir　Charles　shook　his　head。

〃Come；　Mr。　Donovan　Brown；　the　great　artist；　is　a　Socialist；　and
why　should　not　you　be　one？〃

〃Donovan　Brown！〃　exclaimed　Sir　Charles　with　interest。　〃Is　it
possible？　Do　you　know　him　personally？〃

〃Here　are　several　letters　from　him。　You　may　read　them；　the　mere
autograph　of　such　a　man　is　interesting。〃

Sir　Charles　took　the　letters　and　read　them　earnestly；　Erskine
reading　over　his　shoulder。

〃I　most　cordially　agree　with　everything　he　says　here；〃　said　Sir
Charles。　〃It　is　quite　true；　quit