evolution and ethics and other essays-第38章

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higher　branches　of　industrial　work；　to　reach　the　position　in　which
they　may　render　that　service　to　the　community。　If　all　our　educational
expenditure　did　nothing　but　pick　one　man　of　scientific　or　inventive
genius；　each　year；　from　amidst　the　hewers　of　wood　and　drawers　of
water；　and　give　him　the　chance　of　making　the　best　of　his　inborn
faculties；　it　would　be　a　very　good　investment。　　If　there　is　one　such
child　among　the　hundreds　of　thousands　of　our　annual　increase；　it　would
be　worth　any　money　to　drag　him　either　from　the　slough　of　misery；　or
from　the　hotbed　of　wealth；　and　teach　him　to　devote　himself　to　the
service　of　his　people。　Here；　again；　we　have　made　a　beginning　with　our
scholarships　and　the　like；　and　need　only　follow　in　the　tracks　already
worn。

The　programme　of　industrial　development　briefly　set　forth　in　the
preceding　pages　is　not　what　Kant　calls　a　〃Hirngespinnst；〃　a　cobweb
＇235＇　spun　in　the　brain　of　a　Utopian　philosopher。　More　or　less　of　it
has　taken　bodily　shape　in　many　parts　of　the　country；　and　there　are
towns　of　no　great　size　or　wealth　in　the　manufacturing　districts
（Keighley；　for　example）　in　which　almost　the　whole　of　it　has；　for　some
time；　been　carried　out；　so　far　as　the　means　at　the　disposal　of　the
energetic　and　public…spirited　men　who　have　taken　the　matter　in　hand
permitted。　The　thing　can　be　done；　I　have　endeavoured　to　show　good
grounds　for　the　belief　that　it　must　be　done；　and　that　speedily；　if　we
wish　to　hold　our　own　in　the　war　of　industry。　I　doubt　not　that　it　will
be　done；　whenever　its　absolute　necessity　becomes　as　apparent　to　all
those　who　are　absorbed　in　the　actual　business　of　industrial　life　as　it
is　to　some　of　the　lookers　on。

Perhaps　it　is　necessary　for　me　to　add　that　technical　education　is　not
here　proposed　as　a　panacea　for　social　diseases；　but　simply　as　a
medicament　which　will　help　the　patient　to　pass　through　an　imminent
crisis。

An　ophthalmic　surgeon　may　recommend　an　operation　for　cataract　in　a　man
who　is　going　blind；　without　being　supposed　to　undertake　that　it　will
cure　him　of　gout。　And　I　may　pursue　the　metaphor　so　far　as　to　remark；
that　the　surgeon　is　justified　in　pointing　out　that　a　diet　of
pork…chops　and　burgundy　will　probably　kill　his　patient；　though　he　may
be　quite　able　to　suggest　a　mode　of　living　＇236＇　which　will　free　him
from　his　constitutional　disorder。

Mr。　Booth　asks　me；　Why　do　you　not　propose　some　plan　of　your　own？
Really；　that　is　no　answer　to　my　argument　that　his　treatment　will　make
the　patient　very　much　worse。　＇Note　added　in　Social　Diseases　and　Worse
Remedies；　January；　1891。＇

＇237＇


　　　　　　　　　　LETTERS　TO　THE　〃Times〃

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ON　THE

　　　　　　　　　〃DARKEST　ENGLAND　SCHEME。〃

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　I。

The　〃Times；〃　December　1st；　1890

SIR：　A　short　time　ago　a　generous　and　philanthropic　friend　wrote　to　me；
placing　at　my　disposal　a　large　sum　of　money　for　the　furtherance　of　the
vast　scheme　which　the　〃General〃　of　the　Salvation　Army　has　propounded；
if　I　thought　it　worthy　of　support。　The　responsibility　of　advising　my
benevolent　correspondent　has　weighed　heavily　upon　me；　but　I　felt　that
it　would　be　cowardly；　as　well　as　ungracious；　to　refuse　to　accept　it。　I
have　therefore　studied　Mr。　Booth's　book　with　some　care；　for　the
purpose　of　separating　the　essential　from　the　accessory　features　of　his
project；　and　I　have　based　my　judgmentI　am　sorry　to　say　an
unfavourable　oneupon　the　data　thus　obtained。　Before　communicating　my
conclusions　to　my　friend；　however；　I　am　desirous　to　know　what　there
may　be　to　be　said　in　arrest　of　that　judgment；　＇238＇　and　the　matter　is
of　such　vast　public　importance　that　I　trust　you　will　aid　me　by
publishing　this　letter；　notwithstanding　its　length。

There　are　one　or　two　points　upon　which　I　imagine　all　thinking　men　have
arrived　at　the　same　convictions　as　those　from　which　Mr。　Booth　starts。
It　is　certain　that　there　is　an　immense　amount　of　remediable　misery
among　us；　that；　in　addition　to　the　poverty；　disease；　and　degradation
which　are　the　consequences　of　causes　beyond　human　control；　there　is　a
vast；　probably　a　very　much　larger；　quantity　of　misery　which　is　the
result　of　individual　ignorance；　or　misconduct；　and　of　faulty　social
arrangements。　Further；　I　think　it　is　not　to　be　doubted　that；　unless
this　remediable　misery　is　effectually　dealt　with；　the　hordes　of　vice
and　pauperism　will　destroy　modern　civilization　as　effectually　as
uncivilized　tribes　of　another　kind　destroyed　the　great　social
organization　which　preceded　ours。　Moreover；　I　think　all　will　agree
that　no　reforms　and　improvements　will　go　to　the　root　of　the　evil
unless　they　attack　it　in　its　ultimate　sourcenamely；　the　motives　of
the　individual　man。　Honest；　industrious；　and　self…restraining　men　will
make　a　very　bad　social　organization　prosper；　while　vicious；　idle；　and
reckless　citizens　will　bring　to　ruin　the　best　that　ever　was；　or　ever
will　be；　invented。

The　leading　propositions　which　are　peculiar　to　Mr。　Booth　I　take　to　be
these：

＇239＇　（1）　That　the　only　adequate　means　to　such　reformation　of　the
individual　man　is　the　adoption　of　that　form　of　somewhat　corybantic
Christianity　of　which　the　soldiers　of　the　Salvation　Army　are　the
militant　missionaries。　This　implies　the　belief　that　the　excitement　of
the　religious　emotions　（largely　by　processes　described　by　their
employers　as　〃rousing〃　and　〃convivial〃）　is　a　desirable　and　trustworthy
method　of　permanently　amending　the　conduct　of　mankind。

I　demur　to　these　propositions。　I　am　of　opinion　that　the　testimony　of
history；　no　less　than　the　cool　observation　of　that　which　lies　within
the　personal　experience　of　many　of　us；　is　wholly　adverse　to　it。

　　　（2）　That　the　appropriate　instrument　for　the　propagation　and
maintenance　of　this　peculiar　sacramental　enthusiasm　is　the　Salvation
Armya　body　of　devotees；　drilled　and　disciplined　as　a　military
organization；　and　provided　with　a　numerous　hierarchy　of　officers；
every　one　of　whom　is　pledged　to　blind　and　unhesitating　obedience　to
the　〃General；〃　who　frankly　tells　us　that　the　first　condition　of　the
service　is　〃implicit；　unquestioning　obedience。〃　〃A　telegram　from　me
will　send　any　of　them　to　the　uttermost　parts　of　the　earth〃；　every　one
〃has　taken　service　on　the　express　condition　that　he　or　she　will　obey；
without　questioning；　or　gainsaying；　the　orders　from　headquarters〃
（〃Darkest　England；〃　p。　243）。

＇240＇　This　proposition　seems　to　me　to　be　indisputable。　History　confirms
it。　　Francis　of　Assisi　and　Ignatius　Loyola　made　their　great
experiments　on　the　same　principle。　Nothing　is　more　certain　than　that　a
body　of　religious　enthusiasts　（perhaps　we　may　even　say　fanatics）
pledged　to　blind　obedience　to　their　chief；　is　one　of　the　most
efficient　instruments　for　effecting　any　purpose　that　the　wit　of　man
has　yet　succeeded　in　devising。　And　I　can　but　admire　the　insight　into
human　nature　which　has　led　Mr。　Booth　to　leave　his　unquestioning　and
unhesitating　instruments　unbound　by　vows。　A　volunteer　slave　is　worth
ten　sworn　bondsmen。

　　　（3）　That　the　success　of　the　Salvation　Army；　with　its　present　force
of　9416　officers　〃wholly　engaged　in　the　work；〃　its　capital　of　three
quarters　of　a　million；　its　income　of　the　same　amount；　its　1375　corps
at　home；　and　1499　in　the　colonies　and　foreign　countries　（Appendix；　pp。
3　and　4）；　is　a　proof　that　Divine　assistance　has　been　vouchsafed　to　its
efforts。

Here　I　am　not　able　to　agree　with　the　sanguine　Commander…in…chief　of
the　new　model；　whose　labours　in　creating　it　have　probably　interfered
with　his　acquisition　of　information　respecting　the　fate　of　previous
enterprises　of　like　kind。

It　does　not　appear　to　me　that　his　success　is　in　any　degree　more
remarkable　than　that　of　Francis　of　Assisi　or　that　of　Ignatius　Loyola；
than　that　＇241＇　of　George　Fox；　or　even　than　that　of　the　Mormons；　in
our　own　time。　When　I　observe　the　discrepancies　of　the　doctrinal
foundations　from　which　each　of　these　great　movements　set　out；　I　find
it　difficult　to　suppose　that　supernatural　aid　has　been　given　to　all　of
them；　still　more；　that　Mr。　Booth's　smaller　measure　of　success　is
evidence　that　it　has　been　granted　to　him。

But　what　became　of　the　Franciscan　experiment？*　If　there　was　one　rule
rather　than　another　on　which　the　founder　laid　stress；　it　was　that　his
army