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The¡¡Ragged¡¡Trousered¡¡Philanthropists

by¡¡Robert¡¡Tressell





Preface


In¡¡writing¡¡this¡¡book¡¡my¡¡intention¡¡was¡¡to¡¡present£»¡¡in¡¡the¡¡form¡¡of¡¡an¡¡interesting¡¡story£»¡¡a¡¡faithful¡¡picture¡¡of¡¡working¡­class¡¡life¡¡¡­¡¡more¡¡especially¡¡of¡¡those¡¡engaged¡¡in¡¡the¡¡Building¡¡trades¡¡¡­¡¡in¡¡a¡¡small¡¡town¡¡in¡¡the¡¡south¡¡of¡¡England¡£

I¡¡wished¡¡to¡¡describe¡¡the¡¡relations¡¡existing¡¡between¡¡the¡¡workmen¡¡and¡¡their¡¡employers£»¡¡the¡¡attitude¡¡and¡¡feelings¡¡of¡¡these¡¡two¡¡classes¡¡towards¡¡each¡¡other£»¡¡their¡¡circumstances¡¡when¡¡at¡¡work¡¡and¡¡when¡¡out¡¡of¡¡employment£»¡¡their¡¡pleasures£»¡¡their¡¡intellectual¡¡outlook£»¡¡their¡¡religious¡¡and¡¡political¡¡opinions¡¡and¡¡ideals¡£

The¡¡action¡¡of¡¡the¡¡story¡¡covers¡¡a¡¡period¡¡of¡¡only¡¡a¡¡little¡¡over¡¡twelve¡¡months£»¡¡but¡¡in¡¡order¡¡that¡¡the¡¡picture¡¡might¡¡be¡¡complete¡¡it¡¡was¡¡necessary¡¡to¡¡describe¡¡how¡¡the¡¡workers¡¡are¡¡circumstanced¡¡at¡¡all¡¡periods¡¡of¡¡their¡¡lives£»¡¡from¡¡the¡¡cradle¡¡to¡¡the¡¡grave¡£¡¡¡¡Therefore¡¡the¡¡characters¡¡include¡¡women¡¡and¡¡children£»¡¡a¡¡young¡¡boy¡¡¡­¡¡the¡¡apprentice¡¡¡­¡¡some¡¡improvers£»¡¡journeymen¡¡in¡¡the¡¡prime¡¡of¡¡life£»¡¡and¡¡worn¡­out¡¡old¡¡men¡£

I¡¡designed¡¡to¡¡show¡¡the¡¡conditions¡¡relating¡¡from¡¡poverty¡¡and¡¡unemployment£º¡¡to¡¡expose¡¡the¡¡futility¡¡of¡¡the¡¡measures¡¡taken¡¡to¡¡deal¡¡with¡¡them¡¡and¡¡to¡¡indicate¡¡what¡¡I¡¡believe¡¡to¡¡be¡¡the¡¡only¡¡real¡¡remedy£»¡¡namely¡¡¡­¡¡Socialism¡£¡¡¡¡I¡¡intended¡¡to¡¡explain¡¡what¡¡Socialists¡¡understand¡¡by¡¡the¡¡word¡¡¡®poverty'£º¡¡to¡¡define¡¡the¡¡Socialist¡¡theory¡¡of¡¡the¡¡causes¡¡of¡¡poverty£»¡¡and¡¡to¡¡explain¡¡how¡¡Socialists¡¡propose¡¡to¡¡abolish¡¡poverty¡£

It¡¡may¡¡be¡¡objected¡¡that£»¡¡considering¡¡the¡¡number¡¡of¡¡books¡¡dealing¡¡with¡¡these¡¡subjects¡¡already¡¡existing£»¡¡such¡¡a¡¡work¡¡as¡¡this¡¡was¡¡uncalled¡¡for¡£¡¡The¡¡answer¡¡is¡¡that¡¡not¡¡only¡¡are¡¡the¡¡majority¡¡of¡¡people¡¡opposed¡¡to¡¡Socialism£»¡¡but¡¡a¡¡very¡¡brief¡¡conversation¡¡with¡¡an¡¡average¡¡anti¡­socialist¡¡is¡¡sufficient¡¡to¡¡show¡¡that¡¡he¡¡does¡¡not¡¡know¡¡what¡¡Socialism¡¡means¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡same¡¡is¡¡true¡¡of¡¡all¡¡the¡¡anti¡­socialist¡¡writers¡¡and¡¡the¡¡¡®great¡¡statesmen'¡¡who¡¡make¡¡anti¡­socialist¡¡speeches£º¡¡unless¡¡we¡¡believe¡¡that¡¡they¡¡are¡¡deliberate¡¡liars¡¡and¡¡imposters£»¡¡who¡¡to¡¡serve¡¡their¡¡own¡¡interests¡¡labour¡¡to¡¡mislead¡¡other¡¡people£»¡¡we¡¡must¡¡conclude¡¡that¡¡they¡¡do¡¡not¡¡understand¡¡Socialism¡£¡¡¡¡There¡¡is¡¡no¡¡other¡¡possible¡¡explanation¡¡of¡¡the¡¡extraordinary¡¡things¡¡they¡¡write¡¡and¡¡say¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡thing¡¡they¡¡cry¡¡out¡¡against¡¡is¡¡not¡¡Socialism¡¡but¡¡a¡¡phantom¡¡of¡¡their¡¡own¡¡imagining¡£

Another¡¡answer¡¡is¡¡that¡¡¡®The¡¡Philanthropists'¡¡is¡¡not¡¡a¡¡treatise¡¡or¡¡essay£»¡¡but¡¡a¡¡novel¡£¡¡¡¡My¡¡main¡¡object¡¡was¡¡to¡¡write¡¡a¡¡readable¡¡story¡¡full¡¡of¡¡human¡¡interest¡¡and¡¡based¡¡on¡¡the¡¡happenings¡¡of¡¡everyday¡¡life£»¡¡the¡¡subject¡¡of¡¡Socialism¡¡being¡¡treated¡¡incidentally¡£

This¡¡was¡¡the¡¡task¡¡I¡¡set¡¡myself¡£¡¡¡¡To¡¡what¡¡extent¡¡I¡¡have¡¡succeeded¡¡is¡¡for¡¡others¡¡to¡¡say£»¡¡but¡¡whatever¡¡their¡¡verdict£»¡¡the¡¡work¡¡possesses¡¡at¡¡least¡¡one¡¡merit¡¡¡­¡¡that¡¡of¡¡being¡¡true¡£¡¡¡¡I¡¡have¡¡invented¡¡nothing¡£¡¡¡¡There¡¡are¡¡no¡¡scenes¡¡or¡¡incidents¡¡in¡¡the¡¡story¡¡that¡¡I¡¡have¡¡not¡¡either¡¡witnessed¡¡myself¡¡or¡¡had¡¡conclusive¡¡evidence¡¡of¡£¡¡¡¡As¡¡far¡¡as¡¡I¡¡dared¡¡I¡¡let¡¡the¡¡characters¡¡express¡¡themselves¡¡in¡¡their¡¡own¡¡sort¡¡of¡¡language¡¡and¡¡consequently¡¡some¡¡passages¡¡may¡¡be¡¡considered¡¡objectionable¡£¡¡¡¡At¡¡the¡¡same¡¡time¡¡I¡¡believe¡¡that¡¡¡­¡¡because¡¡it¡¡is¡¡true¡¡¡­¡¡the¡¡book¡¡is¡¡not¡¡without¡¡its¡¡humorous¡¡side¡£

The¡¡scenes¡¡and¡¡characters¡¡are¡¡typical¡¡of¡¡every¡¡town¡¡in¡¡the¡¡South¡¡of¡¡England¡¡and¡¡they¡¡will¡¡be¡¡readily¡¡recognized¡¡by¡¡those¡¡concerned¡£¡¡¡¡If¡¡the¡¡book¡¡is¡¡published¡¡I¡¡think¡¡it¡¡will¡¡appeal¡¡to¡¡a¡¡very¡¡large¡¡number¡¡of¡¡readers¡£¡¡¡¡Because¡¡it¡¡is¡¡true¡¡it¡¡will¡¡probably¡¡be¡¡denounced¡¡as¡¡a¡¡libel¡¡on¡¡the¡¡working¡¡classes¡¡and¡¡their¡¡employers£»¡¡and¡¡upon¡¡the¡¡religious¡­professing¡¡section¡¡of¡¡the¡¡community¡£¡¡But¡¡I¡¡believe¡¡it¡¡will¡¡be¡¡acknowledged¡¡as¡¡true¡¡by¡¡most¡¡of¡¡those¡¡who¡¡are¡¡compelled¡¡to¡¡spend¡¡their¡¡lives¡¡amid¡¡the¡¡surroundings¡¡it¡¡describes£»¡¡and¡¡it¡¡will¡¡be¡¡evident¡¡that¡¡no¡¡attack¡¡is¡¡made¡¡upon¡¡sincere¡¡religion¡£






Chapter¡¡1£º

An¡¡Imperial¡¡Banquet¡£¡¡¡¡A¡¡Philosophical¡¡Discussion¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡Mysterious¡¡Stranger¡£¡¡¡¡Britons¡¡Never¡¡shall¡¡be¡¡Slaves


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