the man versus the state-第13章

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y　leanings　towards　State…socialism。　　　　　　And　then　after　recognizing；　as　they　must　if　they　think　out　their　scheme；　the　power　possessed　by　the　regulative　agency　in　the　new　social　system　so　temptingly　pictured；　let　its　advocates　ask　themselves　to　what　end　this　power　must　be　used。　Not　dwelling　exclusively；　as　they　habitually　do；　on　the　material　well…being　and　the　mental　gratifications　to　be　provided　for　them　by　a　beneficent　administration；　let　them　dwell　a　little　on　the　price　to　be　paid。　The　officials　cannot　create　the　needful　supplies：　they　can　but　distribute　among　individuals　that　which　the　individuals　have　joined　to　produce。　If　the　public　agency　is　required　to　provide　for　them；　it　must　reciprocally　require　them　to　furnish　the　means。　There　cannot　be；　as　under　our　existing　system；　agreement　between　employer　and　employed　　this　the　scheme　excludes。　There　must　in　place　of　it　be　command　by　local　authorities　over　workers；　and　acceptance　by　the　workers　of　that　which　the　authorities　assign　to　them。　And　this；　indeed；　is　the　arrangement　distinctly；　but　as　it　would　seem　inadvertently；　pointed　to　by　the　members　of　the　Democratic　Federation。　For　they　propose　that　production　should　be　carried　on　by　〃agricultural　and　industrial　armies　under　State…control：〃　apparently　not　remembering　that　armies　pre…suppose　grades　of　officers；　by　whom　obedience　would　have　to　be　insisted　upon；　since　otherwise　neither　order　nor　efficient　work　could　be　ensured。　So　that　each　would　stand　toward　the　governing　agency　in　the　relation　of　slave　to　master。　　　　　　〃But　the　governing　agency　would　be　a　master　which　he　and　others　made　and　kept　constantly　in　check；　and　one　which　therefore　would　not　control　him　or　others　more　than　was　needful　for　the　benefit　of　each　and　all。〃　　　　　To　which　reply　the　first　rejoinder　is　that；　even　if　so；　each　member　of　the　community　as　an　individual　would　be　a　slave　to　the　community　as　a　whole。　Such　a　relation　has　habitually　existed　in　militant　communities；　even　under　quasi…popular　forms　of　government。　In　ancient　Greece　the　accepted　principle　was　that　the　citizen　belonged　neither　to　himself　nor　to　his　family；　but　belonged　to　his　city　　the　city　being　with　the　Greek　equivalent　to　the　community。　And　this　doctrine；　proper　to　a　state　of　constant　warfare；　is　a　doctrine　which　socialism　unawares　re…introduces　into　a　state　intended　to　be　purely　industrial。　The　services　of　each　will　belong　to　the　aggregate　of　all；　and　for　these　services；　such　returns　will　be　given　as　the　authorities　think　proper。　So　that　even　if　the　administration　is　of　the　beneficent　kind　intended　to　be　secured；　slavery；　however　mild；　must　be　the　outcome　of　the　arrangement。　　　　　　A　second　rejoinder　is　that　the　administration　will　presently　become　not　of　the　intended　kind；　and　that　the　slavery　will　not　be　mild。　The　socialist　speculation　is　vitiated　by　an　assumption　like　that　which　vitiates　the　speculations　of　the　〃practical〃　politician。　It　is　assumed　that　officialism　will　work　as　it　is　intended　to　work；　which　it　never　does。　The　machinery　of　Communism；　like　existing　social　machinery；　has　to　be　framed　out　of　existing　human　nature；　and　the　defects　of　existing　human　nature　will　generate　in　the　one　the　same　evils　as　in　the　other。　The　love　of　power；　the　selfishness；　the　injustice；　the　untruthfulness；　which　often　in　comparatively　short　times　bring　private　organizations　to　disaster；　will　inevitably；　where　their　effects　accumulate　from　generation　to　generation；　work　evils　far　greater　and　less　remediable；　since；　vast　and　complex　and　possessed　of　all　the　resources；　the　administrative　organization　once　developed　and　consolidated；　must　become　irresistible。　And　if　there　needs　proof　that　the　periodic　exercise　of　electoral　power　would　fail　to　prevent　this；　it　suffices　to　instance　the　French　Government；　which；　purely　popular　in　origin；　and　subject　at　short　intervals　to　popular　judgment；　nevertheless　tramples　on　the　freedom　of　citizens　to　an　extent　which　the　English　delegates　to　the　late　Trades　Unions　Congress　say　〃is　a　disgrace　to；　and　an　anomaly　in；　a　Republican　nation。〃　　　　　The　final　result　would　be　a　revival　of　despotism。　A　disciplined　army　of　civil　officials；　like　an　army　of　military　officials；　gives　supreme　power　to　its　head　　a　power　which　has　often　led　to　usurpation；　as　in　medieval　Europe　and　still　more　in　Japan　　nay；　has　thus　so　led　among　our　neighbours；　within　our　own　times。　The　recent　confessions　of　M。　de　Maupas　have　shown　how　readily　a　constitutional　head；　elected　and　trusted　by　the　whole　people；　may；　with　the　aid　of　a　few　unscrupulous　confederates；　paralyse　the　representative　body　and　make　himself　autocrat。　That　those　who　rose　to　power　in　a　socialistic　organization　would　not　scruple　to　carry　out　their　aims　at　all　costs；　we　have　good　reason　for　concluding。　When　we　find　that　shareholders　who；　sometimes　gaining　but　often　losing；　have　made　that　railway　system　by　which　national　prosperity　has　been　so　greatly　increased；　are　spoken　of　by　the　council　of　the　Democratic　Federation　as　having　〃laid　hands〃　on　the　means　of　communication；　we　may　infer　that　those　who　directed　a　socialistic　administration　might　interpret　with　extreme　perversity　the　claims　of　individuals　and　classes　under　their　control。　And　when；　further；　we　find　members　of　this　same　council　urging　that　the　State　should　take　possession　of　the　railways；　〃with　or　without　compensation；〃　we　may　suspect　that　the　heads　of　the　ideal　society　desired；　would　be　but　little　deterred　by　considerations　of　equity　from　pursuing　whatever　policy　they　thought　needful：　a　policy　which　would　always　be　one　identified　with　their　own　supremacy。　It　would　need　but　a　war　with　an　adjacent　society；　or　some　internal　discontent　demanding　forcible　suppression；　to　at　once　transform　a　socialistic　administration　into　a　grinding　tyranny　like　that　of　ancient　Peru；　under　which　the　mass　of　the　people；　controlled　by　grades　of　officials；　and　leading　lives　that　were　inspected　out…of…doors　and　indoors；　laboured　for　the　support　of　the　organization　which　regulated　them；　and　were　left　with　but　a　bare　subsistence　for　themselves。　And　then　would　be　completely　revived；　under　a　different　form；　that　regime　of　status　　that　system　of　compulsory　co…operation；　the　decaying　tradition　of　which　is　represented　by　the　old　Toryism；　and　towards　which　the　new　Toryism　is　caring　us　back。　　　　　　〃But　we　shall　be　on　our　guard　against　all　that　　we　shall　take　precautions　to　ward　off　such　disasters；〃　will　doubtless　say　the　enthusiasts。　Be　they　〃practical〃　politicians　with　their　new　regulative　measures；　or　communists　with　their　schemes　for　re…organizing　labour；　their　reply　is　ever　the　same：　　〃It　is　true　that　plans　of　kindred　nature　have；　from　unforeseen　causes　or　adverse　accidents；　or　the　misdeeds　of　those　concerned；　been　brought　to　failure；　but　this　time　we　shall　profit　by　past　experiences　and　succeed。〃　There　seems　no　getting　people　to　accept　the　truth；　which　nevertheless　is　conspicuous　enough；　that　the　welfare　of　a　society　and　the　justice　of　its　arrangements　are　at　bottom　dependent　on　the　characters　of　its　members；　and　that　improvement　in　neither　can　take　place　without　that　improvement　in　character　which　results　from　caring　on　peaceful　industry　under　the　restraints　imposed　by　an　orderly　social　life。　The　belief；　not　only　of　the　socialists　but　also　of　those　so…called　Liberals　who　are　diligently　preparing　the　way　for　them；　is　that　by　due　skill　an　ill…working　humanity　may　be　framed　into　well…working　institutions。　It　is　a　delusion。　The　defective　natures　of　citizens　will　show　themselves　in　the　bad　acting　of　whatever　social　structure　they　are　arranged　into。　There　is　no　political　alchemy　by　which　you　can　get　golden　conduct　out　of　leaden　instincts。　

NOTE　　Two　replies　by　socialists　to　the　foregoing　article　have　appeared　since　its　publication　　Socialism　and　Slavery　by　H。M。　Hyndman　and　Herbert　Spencer　on　Socialism　by　Frank　Fairman。　Notice　of　them　here　must　be　limited　to　saying　that；　as　usual　with　antagonists；　they　ascribe　to　me　opinions　which　I　do　not　hold。　Disapproval　of　Socialism　does　not；　as　Mr　Hyndman　assumes；　necessitate　approval　of　existing　arrangements。　Many　things　he　reprobates　I　reprobate　quite　as　much；　but　I　dissent　from　his　remedy。　The　gentleman　who　writes　under　the　pseudonym　of　〃Frank　Fairman；〃　reproaches　me　with　having　recede