the ragged trousered philanthropists-第131节

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‘Is　there　any　more　questions？'　cried　Philpot。

‘Is　it　true；'　said　Easton；　‘that　Socialists　intend　to　do　away　with　the　Army　and　Navy？'

‘Yes；　it　is　true。　　Socialists　believe　in　International　Brotherhood　and　peace。　　Nearly　all　wars　are　caused　by　profit…seeking　capitalists；　seeking　new　fields　for　commercial　exploitation；　and　by　aristocrats　who　make　it　the　means　of　glorifying　themselves　in　the　eyes　of　the　deluded　common　people。　　You　must　remember　that　Socialism　is　not　only　a　national；　but　an　international　movement　and　when　it　is　realized；　there　will　be　no　possibility　of　war；　and　we　shall　no　longer　seed　to　maintain　an　army　and　navy；　or　to　waste　a　lot　of　labour　building　warships　or　manufacturing　arms　and　ammunition。　　All　those　people　who　are　now　employed　will　then　be　at　liberty　to　assist　in　the　great　work　of　producing　the　benefits　of　civilization；　creating　wealth　and　knowledge　and　happiness　for　themselves　and　others　…　Socialism　means　Peace　on　earth　and　goodwill　to　all　mankind。　　But　in　the　meantime　we　know　that　the　people　of　other　nations　are　not　yet　all　Socialists；　we　do　not　forget　that　in　foreign　countries　…　just　the　same　as　in　Britain　…　there　are　large　numbers　of　profit　seeking　capitalists；　who　are　so　destitute　of　humanity；　that　if　they　thought　it　could　be　done　successfully　and　with　profit　to　themselves　they　would　not　scruple　to　come　here　to　murder　and　to　rob。　　We　do　not　forget　that　in　foreign　countries　…　the　same　as　here　…　there　are　plenty　of　so…called　〃Christian〃　bishops　and　priests　always　ready　to　give　their　benediction　to　any　such　murderous　projects；　and　to　blasphemously　pray　to　the　Supreme　Being　to　help　his　children　to　slay　each　other　like　wild　beasts。　　And　knowing　and　remembering　all　this；　we　realize　that　until　we　have　done　away　with　capitalism；　aristocracy　and　anti…Christian　clericalism；　it　is　our　duty　to　be　prepared　to　defend　our　homes　and　our　native　land。　　And　therefore　we　are　in　favour　of　maintaining　national　defensive　forces　in　the　highest　possible　state　of　efficiency。　　But　that　does　not　mean　that　we　are　in　favour　of　the　present　system　of　organizing　those　forces。　　We　do　not　believe　in　conscription；　and　we　do　not　believe　that　the　nation　should　continue　to　maintain　a　professional　standing　army　to　be　used　at　home　for　the　purpose　of　butchering　men　and　women　of　the　working　classes　in　the　interests　of　a　handful　of　capitalists；　as　has　been　done　at　Featherstone　and　Belfast；　or　to　be　used　abroad　to　murder　and　rob　the　people　of　other　nations。　　Socialists　advocate　the　establishment　of　a　National　Citizen　Army；　for　defensive　purposes　only。　　We　believe　that　every　able　bodied　man　should　be　compelled　to　belong　to　this　force　and　to　undergo　a　course　of　military　training；　but　without　making　him　into　a　professional　soldier；　or　taking　him　away　from　civil　life；　depriving　him　of　the　rights　of　citizenship　or　making　him　subject　to　military　〃law〃　which　is　only　another　name　for　tyranny　and　despotism。　　This　Citizen　Army　could　be　organized　on　somewhat　similar　lines　to　the　present　Territorial　Force；　with　certain　differences。　　For　instance；　we　do　not　believe　…　as　our　present　rulers　do　…　that　wealth　and　aristocratic　influence　are　the　two　most　essential　qualifications　for　an　efficient　officer；　we　believe　that　all　ranks　should　be　attainable　by　any　man；　no　matter　how　poor；　who　is　capable　of　passing　the　necessary　examinations；　and　that　there　should　be　no　expense　attached　to　those　positions　which　the　Government　grant；　or　the　pay；　is　not　sufficient　to　cover。　　The　officers　could　be　appointed　in　any　one　of　several　ways：　They　might　be　elected　by　the　men　they　would　have　to　command；　the　only　qualification　required　being　that　they　had　passed　their　examinations；　or　they　might　be　appointed　according　to　merit　…　the　candidate　obtaining　the　highest　number　of　marks　at　the　examinations　to　have　the　first　call　on　any　vacant　post；　and　so　on　in　order　of　merit。　　We　believe　in　the　total　abolition　of　courts　martial；　any　offence　against　discipline　should　be　punishable　by　the　ordinary　civil　law　…　no　member　of　the　Citizen　Army　being　deprived　of　the　rights　of　a　citizen。'

‘What　about　the　Navy？'　cried　several　voices。

‘Nobody　wants　to　interfere　with　the　Navy　except　to　make　its　organization　more　democratic　…　the　same　as　that　of　the　Citizen　Army　…　and　to　protect　its　members　from　tyranny　by　entitling　them　to　be　tried　in　a　civil　court　for　any　alleged　offence。

‘It　has　been　proved　that　if　the　soil　of　this　country　were　scientifically　cultivated；　it　is　capable　of　producing　sufficient　to　maintain　a　population　of　a　hundred　millions　of　people。　　Our　present　population　is　only　about　forty　millions；　but　so　long　as　the　land　remains　in　the　possession　of　persons　who　refuse　to　allow　it　to　be　cultivated　we　shall　continue　to　be　dependent　on　other　countries　for　our　food　supply。　　So　long　as　we　are　in　that　position；　and　so　long　as　foreign　countries　are　governed　by　Liberal　and　Tory　capitalists；　we　shall　need　the　Navy　to　protect　our　overseas　commerce　from　them。　　If　we　had　a　Citizen　Army　such　as　I　have　mentioned；　of　nine　or　ten　millions　of　men　and　if　the　land　of　this　country　was　properly　cultivated；　we　should　be　invincible　at　home。　　No　foreign　power　would　ever　be　mad　enough　to　attempt　to　land　their　forces　on　our　shores。　　But　they　would　now　be　able　to　starve　us　all　to　death　in　a　month　if　it　were　not　for　the　Navy。　　It's　a　sensible　and　creditable　position；　isn't　it？'　concluded　Barrington。　　‘Even　in　times　of　peace；　thousands　of　people　standing　idle　and　tamely　starving　in　their　own　fertile　country；　because　a　few　land　〃Lords〃　forbid　them　to　cultivate　it。'

‘Is　there　any　more　questions？'　demanded　Philpot；　breaking　a　prolonged　silence。

‘Would　any　Liberal　or　Tory　capitalist　like　to　get　up　into　the　pulpit　and　oppose　the　speaker？'　the　chairman　went　on；　finding　that　no　one　responded　to　his　appeal　for　questions。

The　silence　continued。

‘As　there's　no　more　questions　and　no　one　won't　get　up　into　the　pulpit；　it　is　now　my　painful　duty　to　call　upon　someone　to　move　a　resolution。'

‘Well；　Mr　Chairman；'　said　Harlow；　‘I　may　say　that　when　I　came　on　this　firm　I　was　a　Liberal；　but　through　listenin'　to　several　lectures　by　Professor　Owen　and　attendin'　the　meetings　on　the　hill　at　Windley　and　reading　the　books　and　pamphlets　I　bought　there　and　from　Owen；　I　came　to　the　conclusion　some　time　ago　that　it's　a　mug's　game　for　us　to　vote　for　capitalists　whether　they　calls　theirselves　Liberals　or　Tories。　They're　all　alike　when　you're　workin'　for　'em；　I　defy　any　man　to　say　what's　the　difference　between　a　Liberal　and　a　Tory　employer。　　There　is　none　…　there　can't　be；　they're　both　sweaters；　and　they've　got　to　be；　or　they　wouldn't　be　able　to　compete　with　each　other。　　And　since　that's　what　they　are；　I　say　it's　a　mug's　game　for　us　to　vote　'em　into　Parliament　to　rule　over　us　and　to　make　laws　that　we've　got　to　abide　by　whether　we　like　it　or　not　。　There's　nothing　to　choose　between　'em；　and　the　proof　of　it　is　that　it's　never　made　much　difference　to　us　which　party　was　in　or　which　was　out。　　It's　quite　true　that　in　the　past　both　of　'em　have　passed　good　laws；　but　they've　only　done　it　when　public　opinion　was　so　strong　in　favour　of　it　that　they　knew　there　was　no　getting　out　of　it；　and　then　it　was　a　toss　up　which　side　did　it。

‘That's　the　way　I've　been　lookin'　at　things　lately；　and　I'd　almost　made　up　my　mind　never　to　vote　no　more；　or　to　trouble　myself　about　politics　at　all；　because　although　I　could　see　there　was　no　sense　in　voting　for　Liberal　or　Tory　capitalists；　at　the　same　time　I　must　admit　I　couldn't　make　out　how　Socialism　was　going　to　help　us。　　But　the　explanation　of　it　which　Professor　Barrington　has　given　us　this　afternoon　has　been　a　bit　of　an　eye　opener　for　me；　and　with　your　permission　I　should　like　to　move　as　a　resolution；　〃That　it　is　the　opinion　of　this　meeting　that　Socialism　is　the　only　remedy　for　Unemployment　and　Poverty。〃'

The　conclusion　of　Harlow's　address　was　greeted　with　loud　cheers　from　the　Socialists；　but　most　of　the　Liberal　and　Tory　supporters　of　the　present　system　maintained　a　sulky　silence。

‘I'll　second　that　resolution；'　said　Easton。

‘And　I'll　lay　a　bob　both　ways；'　remarked　Bundy。　　The　resolution　was　then　put；　and　though　the　majority　were　against　it；　the　Chairman　declared　it　was　carried　unanimously。

By　this　time　the　violence　of　the　storm　had　in　a　great　measure　abated；　but　as　rain　was　still　falling　it　was　decided　not　to　attempt　to　resume　work　that　day。　　Besides；　it　would　have　been　too　late；　even　if　the　weather　had　cleared　up。

‘P'raps　it's　just　as　well　it　'as　rained；'　remarked　one　man。　　‘If　it　'adn't　some　of　us　might　'ave　got　the　sack　tonight。　　As　it　is；　there'll　be　hardly　enough　for　all　of　us　to　do　tomorrer　and　Saturday　mornin'　even　if　it　is　fine。'

This　was　true：　nearly　all　the　outside　was　finished；　and　what　remained　to　be　done　was　ready　for　the　final　coat。　　Inside　all　there　was　to　do　was　to　colour　wash　the　walls　and　to　give　the　woodwork　of　the　kitchen　and　scullery　the　last　coat　of　paint。

It　was　inevitable　…　unless　the　firm　had　some　other　work　for　them　to　do　somewhere　else　…　that　there　would　be　a　great　slaughter　on　Saturday。

‘Now；'　said　Philpot；　assuming　what　he　meant　to　be　the　manner　of　a　school　teacher　addressing　children；　‘I　wants　you　hall　to　make　a　speshall　heffort　and　get　'ere　very　early　in　the　mornin'