the ragged trousered philanthropists-第4章

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To　them　the　mysterious　thing　they　variously　called　the　‘Friscal　Policy'；　the　‘Fistical　Policy'；　or　the　‘Fissical　Question'　was　a　great　Anti…Foreign　Crusade。　　The　country　was　in　a　hell　of　a　state；　poverty；　hunger　and　misery　in　a　hundred　forms　had　already　invaded　thousands　of　homes　and　stood　upon　the　thresholds　of　thousands　more。　　How　came　these　things　to　be？　　It　was　the　bloody　foreigner！　　Therefore；　down　with　the　foreigners　and　all　their　works。　　Out　with　them。　　Drive　them　bs　into　the　bloody　sea！　　The　country　would　be　ruined　if　not　protected　in　some　way。　　This　Friscal；　Fistical；　Fissical　or　whatever　the　hell　policy　it　was　called；　WAS　Protection；　therefore　no　one　but　a　bloody　fool　could　hesitate　to　support　it。　　It　was　all　quite　plain　…　quite　simple。　　One　did　not　need　to　think　twice　about　it。　　It　was　scarcely　necessary　to　think　about　it　at　all。

This　was　the　conclusion　reached　by　Crass　and　such　of　his　mates　who　thought　they　were　Conservatives　…　the　majority　of　them　could　not　have　read　a　dozen　sentences　aloud　without　stumbling　…　it　was　not　necessary　to　think　or　study　or　investigate　anything。　　It　was　all　as　clear　as　daylight。　　The　foreigner　was　the　enemy；　and　the　cause　of　poverty　and　bad　trade。

When　the　storm　had　in　some　degree　subsided；

‘Some　of　you　seem　to　think；'　said　Owen；　sneeringly；　‘that　it　was　a　great　mistake　on　God's　part　to　make　so　many　foreigners。　　You　ought　to　hold　a　mass　meeting　about　it：　pass　a　resolution　something　like　this：　〃This　meeting　of　British　Christians　hereby　indignantly　protests　against　the　action　of　the　Supreme　Being　in　having　created　so　many　foreigners；　and　calls　upon　him　to　forthwith　rain　down　fire；　brimstone　and　mighty　rocks　upon　the　heads　of　all　those　Philistines；　so　that　they　may　be　utterly　exterminated　from　the　face　of　the　earth；　which　rightly　belongs　to　the　British　people〃。'

Crass　looked　very　indignant；　but　could　think　of　nothing　to　say　in　answer　to　Owen；　who　continued：

‘A　little　while　ago　you　made　the　remark　that　you　never　trouble　yourself　about　what　you　call　politics；　and　some　of　the　rest　agreed　with　you　that　to　do　so　is　not　worth　while。　　Well；　since　you　never　〃worry〃　yourself　about　these　things；　it　follows　that　you　know　nothing　about　them；　yet　you　do　not　hesitate　to　express　the　most　decided　opinions　concerning　matters　of　which　you　admittedly　know　nothing。　Presently；　when　there　is　an　election；　you　will　go　and　vote　in　favour　of　a　policy　of　which　you　know　nothing。　　I　say　that　since　you　never　take　the　trouble　to　find　out　which　side　is　right　or　wrong　you　have　no　right　to　express　any　opinion。　　You　are　not　fit　to　vote。　　You　should　not　be　allowed　to　vote。'

Crass　was　by　this　time　very　angry。

‘I　pays　my　rates　and　taxes；'　he　shouted；　‘an'　I've　got　as　much　right　to　express　an　opinion　as　you　'ave。　　I　votes　for　who　the　bloody　'ell　I　likes。　　I　shan't　arst　your　leave　nor　nobody　else's！　　Wot　the　'ell's　it　got　do　with　you　who　I　votes　for？'

‘It　has　a　great　deal　to　do　with　me。　　If　you　vote　for　Protection　you　will　be　helping　to　bring　it　about；　and　if　you　succeed；　and　if　Protection　is　the　evil　that　some　people　say　is　is；　I　shall　be　one　of　those　who　will　suffer。　　I　say　you　have　no　right　to　vote　for　a　policy　which　may　bring　suffering　upon　other　people；　without　taking　the　trouble　to　find　out　whether　you　are　helping　to　make　things　better　or　worse。'

Owen　had　risen　from　his　seat　and　was　walking　up　and　down　the　room　emphasizing　his　words　with　excited　gestures。

‘As　for　not　trying　to　find　out　wot　side　is　right；'　said　Crass；　somewhat　overawed　by　Owen's　manner　and　by　what　he　thought　was　the　glare　of　madness　in　the　latter's　eyes；　‘I　reads　the　Ananias　every　week；　and　I　generally　takes　the　Daily　Chloroform；　or　the　Hobscurer；　so　I　ought　to　know　summat　about　it。'

‘Just　listen　to　this；'　interrupted　Easton；　wishing　to　create　a　diversion　and　beginning　to　read　from　the　copy　of　the　Obscurer　which　he　still　held　in　his　hand：

　　‘GREAT　DISTRESS　IN　MUGSBOROUGH。　　　HUNDREDS　OUT　OF　EMPLOYMENT。　　　WORK　OF　THE　CHARITY　SOCIETY。　　　789　CASES　ON　THE　BOOKS。

　　‘Great　as　was　the　distress　among　the　working　classes　last　year；　　　unfortunately　there　seems　every　prospect　that　before　the　winter　　　which　has　just　commenced　is　over　the　distress　will　be　even　more　　　acute。

　　Already　the　Charity　Society　and　kindred　associations　are　relieving　　　more　cases　than　they　did　at　the　corresponding　time　last　year。　　　Applications　to　the　Board　of　Guardians　have　also　been　much　more　　　numerous；　and　the　Soup　Kitchen　has　had　to　open　its　doors　on　Nov。　7th　　　a　fortnight　earlier　than　usual。　　The　number　of　men；　women　and　　　children　provided　with　meals　is　three　or　four　times　greater　than　　　last　year。'

Easton　stopped：　reading　was　hard　work　to　him。

‘There's　a　lot　more；'　he　said；　‘about　starting　relief　works：　two　shillings　a　day　for　married　men　and　one　shilling　for　single　and　something　about　there's　been　1；572　quarts　of　soup　given　to　poor　families　wot　was　not　even　able　to　pay　a　penny；　and　a　lot　more。　　And　'ere's　another　thing；　an　advertisement：

　　‘THE　SUFFERING　POOR

　　Sir：　Distress　among　the　poor　is　so　acute　that　I　earnestly　ask　you　　　for　aid　for　The　Salvation　Army's　great　Social　work　on　their　behalf。　　　Some　600　are　being　sheltered　nightly。　　Hundreds　are　found　work　　　daily。　　Soup　and　bread　are　distributed　in　the　midnight　hours　to　　　homeless　wanderers　in　London。　　Additional　workshops　for　the　　　unemployed　have　been　established。　　Our　Social　Work　for　men；　women　　　and　children；　for　the　characterless　and　the　outcast；　is　the　largest　　　and　oldest　organized　effort　of　its　kind　in　the　country；　and　greatly　　　needs　help。　　？0；000　is　required　before　Christmas　Day。　　Gifts　may　be　　　made　to　any　specific　section　or　home；　if　desired。　　Can　you　please　　　send　us　something　to　keep　the　work　going？　　Please　address　cheques；　　　crossed　Bank　of　England　（Law　Courts　Branch）；　to　me　at　101；　Queen　　　Victoria　Street；　EC。　　Balance　Sheets　and　Reports　upon　application。　　　　　　　　　　　‘BRAMWELL　BOOTH。'

‘Oh；　that's　part　of　the　great　'appiness　an'　prosperity　wot　Owen　makes　out　Free　Trade　brings；'　said　Crass　with　a　jeering　laugh。

‘I　never　said　Free　Trade　brought　happiness　or　prosperity；'　said　Owen。

‘Well；　praps　you　didn't　say　exactly　them　words；　but　that's　wot　it　amounts　to。'

‘I　never　said　anything　of　the　kind。　　We've　had　Free　Trade　for　the　last　fifty　years　and　today　most　people　are　living　in　a　condition　of　more　or　less　abject　poverty；　and　thousands　are　literally　starving。　　When　we　had　Protection　things　were　worse　still。　　Other　countries　have　Protection　and　yet　many　of　their　people　are　glad　to　come　here　and　work　for　starvation　wages。　　The　only　difference　between　Free　Trade　and　Protection　is　that　under　certain　circumstances　one　might　be　a　little　worse　that　the　other；　but　as　remedies　for　Poverty；　neither　of　them　are　of　any　real　use　whatever；　for　the　simple　reason　that　they　do　not　deal　with　the　real　causes　of　Poverty。'

‘The　greatest　cause　of　poverty　is　hover…population；'　remarked　Harlow。

‘Yes；'　said　old　Joe　Philpot。　　‘If　a　boss　wants　two　men；　twenty　goes　after　the　job：　ther's　too　many　people　and　not　enough　work。'

‘Over…population！'　cried　Owen；　‘when　there's　thousands　of　acres　of　uncultivated　land　in　England　without　a　house　or　human　being　to　be　seen。　　Is　over…population　the　cause　of　poverty　in　France？　　Is　over…population　the　cause　of　poverty　in　Ireland？　　Within　the　last　fifty　years　the　population　of　Ireland　has　been　reduced　by　more　than　half。　　Four　millions　of　people　have　been　exterminated　by　famine　or　got　rid　of　by　emigration；　but　they　haven't　got　rid　of　poverty。　　P'raps　you　think　that　half　the　people　in　this　country　ought　to　be　exterminated　as　well。'

Here　Owen　was　seized　with　a　violent　fit　of　coughing；　and　resumed　his　seat。　　When　the　cough　had　ceased　he　say　wiping　his　mouth　with　his　handkerchief　and　listening　to　the　talk　that　ensued。

‘Drink　is　the　cause　of　most　of　the　poverty；'　said　Slyme。

This　young　man　had　been　through　some　strange　process　that　he　called　‘conversion'。　　He　had　had　a　‘change　of　'art'　and　looked　down　with　pious　pity　upon　those　he　called　‘worldly'　people。　　He　　was　not　‘worldly'；　he　did　not　smoke　or　drink　and　never　went　to　the　theatre。　He　had　an　extraordinary　notion　that　total　abstinence　was　one　of　the　fundamental　principles　of　the　Christian　religion。　　It