the ragged trousered philanthropists-第105章

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n　he　（Didlum）　was　about　to　have　the　honour　of　proposing　was　one　that　he　believed　no　right…minded　man　…　no　matter　what　his　politics　or　religious　opinions　…　could　possibly　object　to；　and　he　trusted　that　for　the　credit　of　the　Council　it　would　be　entered　on　the　records　as　an　unopposed　motion。　The　resolution　was　as　follows：

‘That　from　this　date　all　the　meetings　of　this　Council　shall　be　opened　with　prayer　and　closed　with　the　singing　of　the　Doxology。'　（Loud　applause。）

Councillor　Rushton　seconded　the　resolution；　which　was　also　supported　by　Mr　Grinder；　who　said　that　at　a　time　like　the　present；　when　there　was　sich　a　lot　of　infiddles　about　who　said　that　we　all　came　from　monkeys；　the　Council　would　be　showing　a　good　example　to　the　working　classes　by　adopting　the　resolution。

Councillor　Weakling　said　nothing；　so　the　new　rule　was　carried　nem。　con。；　and　as　there　was　no　more　business　to　be　done　it　was　put　into　operation　for　the　first　time　there　and　then。　　Mr　Sweater　conducting　the　singing　with　a　roll　of　paper　…　the　plan　of　the　drain　of　‘The　Cave'　…　and　each　member　singing　a　different　tune。

Weakling　withdrew　during　the　singing；　and　afterwards；　before　the　Band　dispersed；　it　was　agreed　that　a　certain　number　of　them　were　to　meet　the　Chief　at　the　Cave；　on　the　following　evening　to　arrange　the　details　of　the　proposed　raid　on　the　finances　of　the　town　in　connection　with　the　sale　of　the　Electric　Light　Works。



Chapter　40

Vive　la　System！


The　alterations　which　the　Corporation　had　undertaken　to　make　in　the　Kiosk　on　the　Grand　Parade　provided　employment　for　several　carpenters　and　plasterers　for　about　three　weeks；　and　afterwards　for　several　painters。　　This　fact　was　sufficient　to　secure　the　working　men's　unqualified　approval　of　the　action　of　the　Council　in　letting　the　place　to　Grinder；　and　Councillor　Weakling's　opposition　…　the　reasons　of　which　they　did　not　take　the　trouble　to　inquire　into　or　understand　…　they　as　heartily　condemned。　　All　they　knew　or　cared　was　that　he　had　tried　to　prevent　the　work　being　done；　and　that　he　had　referred　in　insulting　terms　to　the　working　men　of　the　town。　　What　right　had　he　to　call　them　half…starved；　poverty…stricken；　poor　wretches？　　If　it　came　to　being　poverty…stricken；　according　to　all　accounts；　he　wasn't　any　too　well　orf　hisself。　　Some　of　those　blokes　who　went　swaggering　about　in　frock…coats　and　pot…'ats　was　just　as　'ard　up　as　anyone　else　if　the　truth　was　known。

As　for　the　Corporation　workmen；　it　was　quite　right　that　their　wages　should　be　reduced。　　Why　should　they　get　more　money　than　anyone　else？

‘It's　us　what's　got　to　find　the　money；'　they　said。　　‘We're　the　ratepayers；　and　why　should　we　have　to　pay　them　more　wages　than　we　get　ourselves？　　And　why　should　they　be　paid　for　holidays　any　more　than　us？'

During　the　next　few　weeks　the　dearth　of　employment　continued；　for；　of　course；　the　work　at　the　Kiosk　and　the　few　others　jobs　that　were　being　done　did　not　make　much　difference　to　the　general　situation。　　Groups　of　workmen　stood　at　the　corners　or　walked　aimlessly　about　the　streets。　Most　of　them　no　longer　troubled　to　go　to　the　different　firms　to　ask　for　work；　they　were　usually　told　that　they　would　be　sent　for　if　wanted。

During　this　time　Owen　did　his　best　to　convert　the　other　men　to　his　views。　　He　had　accumulated　a　little　library　of　Socialist　books　and　pamphlets　which　he　lent　to　those　he　hoped　to　influence。　　Some　of　them　took　these　books　and　promised；　with　the　air　of　men　who　were　conferring　a　great　favour；　that　they　would　read　them。　　As　a　rule；　when　they　returned　them　it　was　with　vague　expressions　of　approval；　but　they　usually　evinced　a　disinclination　to　discuss　the　contents　in　detail　because；　in　nine　instances　out　of　ten；　they　had　not　attempted　to　read　them。　　As　for　those　who　did　make　a　half…hearted　effort　to　do　so；　in　the　majority　of　cases　their　minds　were　so　rusty　and　stultified　by　long　years　of　disuse；　that；　although　the　pamphlets　were　generally　written　in　such　simple　language　that　a　child　might　have　understood；　the　argument　was　generally　too　obscure　to　be　grasped　by　men　whose　minds　were　addled　by　the　stories　told　them　by　their　Liberal　and　Tory　masters。　　Some；　when　Owen　offered　to　lend　them　some　books　or　pamphlets　refused　to　accept　them；　and　others　who　did　him　the　great　favour　of　accepting　them；　afterwards　boasted　that　they　had　used　them　as　toilet　paper。

Owen　frequently　entered　into　long　arguments　with　the　other　men；　saying　that　it　was　the　duty　of　the　State　to　provide　productive　work　for　all　those　who　were　willing　to　do　it。　　Some　few　of　them　listened　like　men　who　only　vaguely　understood；　but　were　willing　to　be　convinced。

‘Yes；　mate。　It's　right　enough　what　you　say；'　they　would　remark。　‘Something　ought　to　be　done。'

Others　ridiculed　this　doctrine　of　State　employment：　It　was　all　very　fine；　but　where　was　the　money　to　come　from？　　And　then　those　who　had　been　disposed　to　agree　with　Owen　could　relapse　into　their　old　apathy。

There　were　others　who　did　not　listen　so　quietly；　but　shouted　with　many　curses　that　it　was　the　likes　of　such　fellows　as　Owen　who　were　responsible　for　all　the　depression　in　trade。　　All　this　talk　about　Socialism　and　State　employment　was　frightening　Capital　out　of　the　country。　　Those　who　had　money　were　afraid　to　invest　it　in　industries；　or　to　have　any　work　done　for　fear　they　would　be　robbed。　　When　Owen　quoted　statistics　to　prove　that　as　far　as　commerce　and　the　quantity　produced　of　commodities　of　all　kinds　was　concerned；　the　last　year　had　been　a　record　one；　they　became　more　infuriated　than　ever；　and　talked　threateningly　of　what　they　would　like　to　do　to　those　bloody　Socialists　who　were　upsetting　everything。

One　day　Crass；　who　was　one　of　these　upholders　of　the　existing　system；　scored　off　Owen　finely。　　A　little　group　of　them　were　standing　talking　in　the　Wage　Slave　Market　near　the　Fountain。　　In　the　course　of　the　argument；　Owen　made　the　remark　that　under　existing　conditions　life　was　not　worth　living；　and　Crass　said　that　if　he　really　thought　so；　there　was　no　compulsion　about　it；　if　he　wasn't　satisfied　…　if　he　didn't　want　to　live　…　he　could　go　and　die。　　Why　the　hell　didn't　he　go　and　make　a　hole　in　the　water；　or　cut　his　bloody　throat？

On　this　particular　occasion　the　subject　of　the　argument　was　…　at　first　…　the　recent　increase　of　the　Borough　Engineer's　salary　to　seventeen　pounds　per　week。　　Owen　had　said　it　was　robbery；　but　the　majority　of　the　others　expressed　their　approval　of　the　increase。　　They　asked　Owen　if　he　expected　a　man　like　that　to　work　for　nothing！　　It　was　not　as　if　he　were　one　of　the　likes　of　themselves。　　They　said　that；　as　for　it　being　robbery；　Owen　would　be　very　glad　to　have　the　chance　of　getting　it　himself。　　Most　of　them　seemed　to　think　the　fact　that　anyone　would　be　glad　to　have　seventeen　pounds　a　week；　proved　that　it　was　right　for　them　to　pay　that　amount　to　the　Borough　Engineer！

Usually　whenever　Owen　reflected　upon　the　gross　injustices；　and　inhumanity　of　the　existing　social　disorder；　he　became　convinced　that　it　could　not　possibly　last；　it　was　bound　to　fall　to　pieces　because　of　its　own　rottenness。　　It　was　not　just；　it　was　not　common　sense；　and　therefore　it　could　not　endure。　　But　always　after　one　of　these　arguments　…　or；　rather；　disputes　…　with　his　fellow　workmen；　he　almost　relapsed　into　hopelessness　and　despondency；　for　then　he　realized　how　vast　and　how　strong　are　the　fortifications　that　surround　the　present　system；　the　great　barriers　and　ramparts　of　invincible　ignorance；　apathy　and　self…contempt；　which　will　have　to　be　broken　down　before　the　system　of　society　of　which　they　are　the　defences；　can　be　swept　away。

At　other　times　as　he　thought　of　this　marvellous　system；　it　presented　itself　to　him　in　such　an　aspect　of　almost　comical　absurdity　that　he　was　forced　to　laugh　and　to　wonder　whether　it　really　existed　at　all；　or　if　it　were　only　an　illusion　of　his　own　disordered　mind。

One　of　the　things　that　the　human　race　needed　in　order　to　exist　was　shelter；　so　with　much　painful　labour　they　had　constructed　a　large　number　of　houses。　　Thousands　of　these　houses　were　now　standing　unoccupied；　while　millions　of　the　people　who　had　helped　to　build　the　houses　were　either　homeless　or　herding　together　in　overcrowded　hovels。

These　human　beings　had　such　a　strange　system　of　arranging　their　affairs　t