the ragged trousered philanthropists-第130章

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echmaking；　and　they　had　agreed　together　beforehand　to　take　no　part　one　way　or　the　other；　and　to　refrain　from　openly　dissenting　from　anything　that　might　be　said；　but　they　had　not　anticipated　anything　quite　so　strong　as　this。

When　Grinder　sat　down　some　of　those　who　had　applauded　him　began　to　jeer　at　the　Socialists。

‘What　have　you　got　to　say　to　that？'　they　shouted。　　‘That's　up　against　yer！'

‘They　ain't　got　nothing　to　say　now。'

‘Why　don't　some　of　you　get　up　and　make　a　speech？'

This　last　appeared　to　be　a　very　good　idea　to　those　Liberals　and　Tories　who　had　not　liked　Grinder's　observations；　so　they　all　began　to　shout　‘Owen！'　‘Owen！'　‘Come　on　'ere。　　Get　up　and　make　a　speech！'　‘Be　a　man！'　and　so　on。　　Several　of　those　who　had　been　loudest　in　applauding　Grinder　also　joined　in　the　demand　that　Owen　should　make　a　speech；　because　they　were　certain　that　Grinder　and　the　other　gentlemen　would　be　able　to　dispose　of　all　his　arguments；　but　Owen　and　the　other　Socialists　made　no　response　except　to　laugh；　so　presently　Crass　tied　a　white　handkerchief　on　a　cane　walking…stick　that　belonged　to　Mr　Didlum；　and　stuck　it　in　the　vase　of　flowers　that　stood　on　the　end　of　the　table　where　the　Socialist　group　were　sitting。

When　the　noise　had　in　some　measure　ceased；　Grinder　again　rose。　　‘When　I　made　the　few　remarks　that　I　did；　I　didn't　know　as　there　was　any　Socialists　'ere：　I　could　tell　from　the　look　of　you　that　most　of　you　had　more　sense。　　At　the　same　time　I'm　rather　glad　I　said　what　I　did；　because　it　just　shows　you　what　sort　of　chaps　these　Socialists　are。　They're　pretty　artful　…　they　know　when　to　talk　and　when　to　keep　their　mouths　shut。　　What　they　like　is　to　get　hold　of　a　few　ignorant　workin'　men　in　a　workshop　or　a　public　house；　and　then　they　can　talk　by　the　mile　…　reg'ler　shop　lawyers；　you　know　wot　I　mean　…　I'm　right　and　everybody　else　is　wrong。　　（Laughter。）　　You　know　the　sort　of　thing　I　mean。　　When　they　finds　theirselves　in　the　company　of　edicated　people　wot　knows　a　little　more　than　they　does　theirselves；　and　who　isn't　likely　to　be　misled　by　a　lot　of　claptrap；　why　then；　mum's　the　word。　So　next　time　you　hears　any　of　these　shop　lawyers'　arguments；　you'll　know　how　much　it's　worth。'

Most　of　the　men　were　delighted　with　this　speech；　which　was　received　with　much　laughing　and　knocking　on　the　tables。　　They　remarked　to　each　other　that　Grinder　was　a　smart　man：　he'd　got　the　Socialists　weighed　up　just　about　right　…　to　an　ounce。

Then；　it　was　seen　that　Barrington　was　on　his　feet　facing　Grinder　and　a　sudden；　awe…filled　silence　fell。

‘It　may　or　may　not　be　true；'　began　Barrington；　‘that　Socialists　always　know　when　to　speak　and　when　to　keep　silent；　but　the　present　occasion　hardly　seemed　a　suitable　one　to　discuss　such　subjects。

‘We　are　here　today　as　friends　and　want　to　forget　our　differences　and　enjoy　ourselves　for　a　few　hours。　　But　after　what　Mr　Grinder　has　said　I　am　quite　ready　to　reply　to　him　to　the　best　of　my　ability。

‘The　fact　that　I　am　a　Socialist　and　that　I　am　here　today　as　one　of　Mr　Rushton's　employees　should　be　an　answer　to　the　charge　that　Socialists　are　too　lazy　to　work　for　their　living。　　And　as　to　taking　advantage　of　the　ignorance　and　simplicity　of　working　men　and　trying　to　mislead　them　with　nonsensical　claptrap；　it　would　have　been　more　to　the　point　if　Mr　Grinder　had　taken　some　particular　Socialist　doctrine　and　had　proved　it　to　be　untrue　or　misleading；　instead　of　adopting　the　cowardly　method　of　making　vague　general　charges　that　he　cannot　substantiate。　　He　would　find　it　far　more　difficult　to　do　that　than　it　would　be　for　a　Socialist　to　show　that　most　of　what　Mr　Grinder　himself　has　been　telling　us　is　nonsensical　claptrap　of　the　most　misleading　kind。　　He　tells　us　that　the　employers　work　with　their　brains　and　the　men　with　their　hands。　　If　it　is　true　that　no　brains　are　required　to　do　manual　labour；　why　put　idiots　into　imbecile　asylums？　　Why　not　let　them　do　some　of　the　hand　work　for　which　no　brains　are　required？　　As　they　are　idiots；　they　would　probably　be　willing　to　work　for　even　less　than　the　ideal　〃living　wage〃。　　If　Mr　Grinder　had　ever　tried；　he　would　know　that　manual　workers　have　to　concentrate　their　minds　and　their　attention　on　their　work　or　they　would　not　be　able　to　do　it　at　all。　　His　talk　about　employers　being　not　only　the　masters　but　the　〃friends〃　of　their　workmen　is　also　mere　claptrap　because　he　knows　as　well　as　we　do；　that　no　matter　how　good　or　benevolent　an　employer　may　be；　no　matter　how　much　he　might　desire　to　give　his　men　good　conditions；　it　is　impossible　for　him　to　do　so；　because　he　has　to　compete　against　other　employers　who　do　not　do　that。　　It　is　the　bad　employer　…　the　sweating；　slave…driving　employer　…　who　sets　the　pace　and　the　others　have　to　adopt　the　same　methods　…　very　often　against　their　inclinations　…　or　they　would　not　be　able　to　compete　with　him。　　If　any　employer　today　were　to　resolve　to　pay　his　workmen　not　less　wages　than　he　would　be　able　to　live　upon　in　comfort　himself；　that　he　would　not　require　them　to　do　more　work　in　a　day　than　he　himself　would　like　to　perform　every　day　of　his　own　life；　Mr　Grinder　knows　as　well　as　we　do　that　such　an　employer　would　be　bankrupt　in　a　month；　because　he　would　not　be　able　to　get　any　work　except　by　taking　it　at　the　same　price　as　the　sweaters　and　the　slave…drivers。

‘He　also　tells　us　that　the　interests　of　masters　and　men　are　identical；　but　if　an　employer　has　a　contract；　it　is　to　his　interest　to　get　the　work　done　as　soon　as　possible；　the　sooner　it　is　done　the　more　profit　he　will　make；　but　the　more　quickly　it　is　done；　the　sooner　will　the　men　be　out　of　employment。　　How　then　can　it　be　true　that　their　interests　are　identical？

‘Again；　let　us　suppose　that　an　employer　is；　say；　thirty　years　of　age　when　he　commences　business；　and　that　he　carries　it　on　for　twenty　years。　　Let　us　assume　that　he　employs　forty　men　more　or　less　regularly　during　that　period　and　that　the　average　age　of　these　men　is　also　thirty　years　at　the　time　the　employer　commences　business。　　At　the　end　of　the　twenty　years　it　usually　happens　that　the　employer　has　made　enough　money　to　enable　him　to　live　for　the　remainder　of　his　life　in　ease　and　comfort。　　But　what　about　the　workman？　　All　through　those　twenty　years　they　have　earned　but　a　bare　living　wage　and　have　had　to　endure　such　privations　that　those　who　are　not　already　dead　are　broken　in　health。

‘In　the　case　of　the　employer　there　had　been　twenty　years　of　steady　progress　towards　ease　and　leisure　and　independence。　　In　the　case　of　the　majority　of　the　men　there　were　twenty　years　of　deterioration；　twenty　years　of　steady；　continuous　and　hopeless　progress　towards　physical　and　mental　inefficiency：　towards　the　scrap…heap；　the　work…house；　and　premature　death。　　What　is　it　but　false；　misleading；　nonsensical　claptrap　to　say　that　their　interests　were　identical　with　those　of　their　employer？

‘Such　talk　as　that　is　not　likely　to　deceive　any　but　children　or　fools。　We　are　not　children；　but　it　is　very　evident　that　Mr　Grinder　thinks　that　we　are　fools。

‘Occasionally　it　happens；　through　one　or　more　of　a　hundred　different　circumstances　over　which　he　has　no　control；　or　through　some　error　of　judgement；　that　after　many　years　of　laborious　mental　work　an　employer　is　overtaken　by　misfortune；　and　finds　himself　no　better　and　even　worse　off　than　when　he　started；　but　these　are　exceptional　cases；　and　even　if　he　becomes　absolutely　bankrupt　he　is　no　worse　off　than　the　majority　of　the　workmen。

‘At　the　same　time　it　is　quite　true　that　the　real　interests　of　employers　and　workmen　are　the　same；　but　not　in　the　sense　that　Mr　Grinder　would　have　us　believe。　　Under　the　existing　system　of　society　but　a　very　few　people；　no　matter　how　well　off　they　may　be；　can　be　certain　that　they　or　their　children　will　not　eventually　come　to　want；　and　even　those　who　think　they　are　secure　themselves；　find　their　happiness　diminished　by　the　knowledge　of　the　poverty　and　misery　that　surrounds　them　on　every　side。

‘In　that　sense　only　is　it　true　that　the　interests　of　masters　and　men　are　identical；　for　it　is　to　the　interest　of　all；　both　rich　and　poor；　to　help　to　destroy　a　system　that　inflicts　suffering　upon　the　many　and　allows　true　happiness　to　none。　　It　is　to　the　interest　of　all　to　try　and　find　a　better　way。'

Here　Crass　jumped　up　and　interrupted；　shout