the ragged trousered philanthropists-第4部分

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‘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　never　occurred　to　what　he　called　his　mind；　that　this　doctrine　is　an　insult　to　the　Founder　of　Christianity。

‘Yes；'　said　Crass；　agreeing　with　Slyme；　‘an'　thers　plenty　of　'em　wot's　too　lazy　to　work　when　they　can　get　it。　　Some　of　the　bs　who　go　about　pleading　poverty　'ave　never　done　a　fair　day's　work　in　all　their　bloody　lives。　　Then　thers　all　this　new…fangled　machinery；'　continued　Crass。　‘That's　wot's　ruinin'　everything。　　Even　in　our　trade　ther's　them　machines　for　trimmin'　wallpaper；　an'　now　they've　brought　out　a　paintin'　machine。　　Ther's　a　pump　an'　a　'ose　pipe；　an'　they　reckon　two　men　can　do　as　much　with　this　'ere　machine　as　twenty　could　without　it。'

‘Another　thing　is　women；'　said　Harlow；　‘there's　thousands　of　'em　nowadays　doin'　work　wot　oughter　be　done　by　men。'

‘In　my　opinion　ther's　too　much　of　this　'ere　eddication；　nowadays；'　remarked　old　Linden。　　‘Wot　the　'ell's　the　good　of　eddication　to　the　likes　of　us？'

‘None　whatever；'　said　Crass；　‘it　just　puts　foolish　idears　into　people's　'eds　and　makes　'em　too　lazy　to　work。'

Barrington；　who　took　no　part　in　the　conversation；　still　sat　silently　smoking。　　Owen　was　listening　to　this　pitiable　farrago　with　feelings　of　contempt　and　wonder。　　Were　they　all　hopelessly　stupid？　　Had　their　intelligence　never　developed　beyond　the　childhood　stage？　　Or　was　he　mad　himself？

‘Early　marriages　is　another　thing；'　said　Slyme：　‘no　man　oughtn't　to　be　allowed　to　get　married　unless　he's　in　a　position　to　keep　a　family。'

‘How　can　marriage　be　a　cause　of　poverty？'　said　Owen；　contemptuously。　‘A　man　who　is　not　married　is　living　an　unnatural　life。　　Why　don't　you　continue　your　argument　a　little　further　and　say　that　the　practice　of　eating　and　drinking　is　the　cause　of　poverty　or　that　if　people　were　to　go　barefoot　and　naked　there　would　be　no　poverty？　　The　man　who　is　so　poor　that　he　cannot　marry　is　in　a　condition　of　poverty　already。'

‘Wot　I　mean；'　said　Slyme；　‘is　that　no　man　oughtn't　to　marry　till　he's　saved　up　enough　so　as　to　'ave　some　money　in　the　bank；　an'　another　thing；　I　reckon　a　man　oughtn't　to　get　married　till　'e's　got　an　'ouse　of　'is　own。　　It's　easy　enough　to　buy　one　in　a　building　society　if　you're　in　reg'lar　work。'

At　this　there　was　a　general　laugh。

‘Why；　you　bloody　fool；'　said　Harlow；　scornfully；　‘most　of　us　is　walkin'　about　'arf　our　time。　　It's　all　very　well　for　you　to　talk；　you've　got　almost　a　constant　job　on　this　firm。　　If　they're　doin'　anything　at　all　you're　one　of　the　few　gets　a　show　in。　　And　another　thing；'　he　added　with　a　sneer；　‘we　don't　all　go　to　the　same　chapel　as　old　Misery；'

‘Old　Misery'　was　Ruston　&　Co。's　manager　or　walking　foreman。　　‘Misery'　was　only　one　of　the　nicknames　bestowed　upon　him　by　the　hands：　he　was　also　known　as　‘Nimrod'　and　‘Pontius　Pilate'。

‘And　even　if　it's　not　possible；'　Harlow　continued；　winking　at　the　others；　‘what's　a　man　to　do　during　the　years　he's　savin'　up？'

‘Well；　he　must　conquer　hisself；'　said　Slyme；　getting　red。

‘Conquer　hisself　is　right！'　said　Harlow　and　the　others　laughed　again。

‘Of　course　if　a　man　tried　to　conquer　hisself　by　his　own　strength；'　replied　Slyme；　‘'e　would　be　sure　to　fail；　but　when　you've　got　the　Grace　of　God　in　you　it's　different。'

‘Chuck　it；　fer　Christ's　sake！'　said　Harlow　in　a　tone　of　disgust。　‘We've　only　just　'ad　our　dinner！'

‘And　wot　about　drink？'　demanded　old　Joe　Philpot；　suddenly。

‘'Ear；　'ear；'　cried　Harlow。　　‘That's　the　bleedin'　　talk。　　I　wouldn't　mind　'avin　'arf　a　pint　now；　if　somebody　else　will　pay　for　it。'

Joe　Philpot　…　or　as　he　was　usually　called；　‘Old　Joe'　…　was　in　the　habit　of　indulging　freely　in　the　cup　that　inebriates。　　He　was　not　very　old；　being　only　a　little　over　fifty；　but　he　looked　much　older。　　He　had　lost　his　wife　some　five　years　ago　and　was　now　alone　in　the　world；　for　his　three　children　had　died　in　their　infancy。　　Slyme's　reference　to　drink　had　roused　Philpot's　indignation；　he　felt　that　it　was　directed　against　himself。　　The　muddled　condition　of　his　brain　did　not　permit　him　to　take　up　the　cudgels　in　his　own　behalf；　but　he　knew　that　although　Owen　was　a　tee…totaller　himself；　he　disliked　Slyme。

‘There's　no　need　for　us　to　talk　about　drink　or　laziness；'　returned　Owen；　impatiently；　‘because　they　have　nothing　to　do　with　the　matter。　The　question　is；　what　is　the　cause　of　the　lifelong　poverty　of　the　majority　of　those　who　are　not　drunkards　and　who　DO　work？　　Why；　if　all　the　drunkards　and　won't…works　and　unskilled　or　inefficient　workers　could　be　by　some　miracle　transformed　into　sober；　industrious　and　skilled　workers　tomorrow；　it　would；　under　the　present　conditions；　be　so　much　the　worse　for　us；　because　there　isn't　enough　work　for　all　NOW　and　those　people　by　increasing　the　competition　for　what　work　there　is；　would　inevitably　cause　a　reduction　of　wages　and　a　greater　scarcity　of　employment。　　The　theories　that　drunkenness；　laziness　or　inefficiency　are　the　causes　of　poverty　are　so　many　devices　invented　and　fostered　by　those　who　are　selfishly　interested　in　maintaining　the　present　states　of　affairs；　for　the　purpose　of　preventing　us　from　discovering　the　real　causes　of　our　present　condition。'

‘Well；　if　we're　all　wrong；'　said　Crass；　with　a　sneer；　‘praps　you　can　tell　us　what　the　real　cause　is？'

‘An'　praps　you　think　you　know　how　it's　to　be　altered；'　remarked　Harlow；　winking　at　the　others。

‘Yes；　I　do　think　I　know　the　cause；'　declared　Owen；　‘and　I　do　think　I　know　how　it　could　be　altered　…'

‘It　can't　never　be　haltered；'　interrupted　old　Linden。　　‘I　don't　see　no　sense　in　all　this　'ere　talk。　　There's　always　been　rich　and　poor　in　the　world；　and　there　always　will　be。'

‘Wot　I　always　say　is　there　'ere；'　remarked　Philpot；　whose　principal　characteristic　…　apart　from　thirst　…　was　a　desire　to　see　everyone　comfortable；　and　who　hated　rows　of　any　kind。　　‘There　ain't　no　use　in　the　likes　of　us　trubblin　our　'eds　or　quarrelin　about　politics。　　It　don't　make　a　dam　bit　of　difference　who　you　votes　for　or　who　gets　in。　They're　hall　the　same；　workin　the　horicle　for　their　own　benefit。　　You　can　talk　till　you're　black　in　the　face；　but　you　won't　never　be　able　to　alter　it。　　It's　no　use　worrying。　　The　sensible　thing　is　to　try　and　make　the　best　of　things　as　we　find　'em：　enjoy　ourselves；　and　do　the　best　we　can　for　each　other。　　Life's　too　short　to　quarrel　and　we'll　hall　soon　be　dead！'

At　the　end　of　this　lengthy　speech；　the　philosophic　Philpot　abstractedly　grasped　a　jam…jar　and　raised　it　to　his　lips；　but　suddenly　remembering　that　it　contained　stewed　tea　and　not　beer；　set　it　down　again　without　drinking。

‘Let　us　begin　at　the　beginning；'　continued　Owen；　taking　no　notice　of　these　interruptions。　　‘First　of　all；　what　do　you　mean　by　Poverty？'

‘Why；　if　you've　got　no　money；　of　course；'　said　Crass　impatiently。

The　others　laughed　disdainfully。　　It　seemed　to　them　such　a　foolish　question。

‘Well；　that's　true　enough　as　far　as　it　goes；'　returned　Owen；　‘that　is；　as　things　are　arranged　in　the　world　at　present。　　But　money　itself　is　not　wealth：　it's　of　no　use　whatever。'

At　this　there　was　another　outburst　of　jeering　laughter。

‘Supposing　for　example　that　you　and　Harlow　were　shipwrecked　on　a　desolate　island；　and　YOU　had　saved　nothing　from　the　wreck　but　a　bag　containing　a　thousand　sovereigns；　and　he　had　a　tin　of　biscuits　and　a　bottle　of　water。'

‘Make　it　beer！'　cried　Harlow　appealingly。

‘Who　would　be　the　richer　man；　you　or　Harlow？'

‘But　then　you　see　we　ain't　shipwrecked　on　no　dissolute　island　at　all；'　sneered　Crass。　　‘That's　the　worst　of　your　arguments。　　You　can't　never　get　very　far　without　supposing　some　bloody　ridclus　thing　or　other。　Never　mind　about　supposing　things　wot　ain't　true；　let's　'ave　facts　and　common　sense。'

‘'Ear；　'ear；'　said　old　Linden。　　‘That's　wot　we　want　…　a　little　common　sense。'

‘What　do　YOU　mean　by　poverty；　then？'　asked　Easton。

‘What　I　call　poverty　is　when　people　are　not　able　to　secure　for　themselves　all　the　benefits　of　civilization；　the　necessaries；　comforts；　pleasures　and　refinements　of　life；　leisure；　books；　theatres；　pictures；　music；　holidays；　travel；　good　and　beautiful　homes；　good　clothes；　good　and　pleasant　food。'

Everybody　laughed。　　It　was　so　ridi