the days of my life-第71部分

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Ever　since　I　came　to　manhood　I　have　taken　an　interest　in　politics；　though　at　first　it　was　the　foreign　branch　of　the　subject　that　attracted　me　most。　Like　most　country　squires　my　father　was　a　Tory　to　the　backbone；　and；　although　one　of　them　broke　away；　all　his　sons　were　brought　up　in　the　strictest　sect　of　that　somewhat　fossilised　creed。　People　generally　remain　in　the　political　fold　wherein　they　chance　to　be　born；　much　as　they　generally　remain　Protestants　or　Roman　Catholics；　or　Wesleyans　or　Unitarians；　according　to　the　faith　of　their　fathers。　Now　I　understand　that　I　never　was　a　real　Tory　—　that；　in　short；　as　a　party　man　I　am　the　most　miserable　failure。　As　a　politician　I　should　have　been　useless　from　any　whip’s　point　of　view。　He　would　—　well；　have　struck　me　off　his　list　as　neither　hot　nor　cold；　as　a　dangerous　and　undesirable　individual　who；　refusing　to　swallow　the　shibboleths　of　his　tribe　with　shut　eyes；　actually　dared　to　think　for　himself　and　to　possess　that　hateful　thing；　“a　cross…bench　mind。”
I　believe　in　conscription。　I　think　it　would　be　the　grandest　gift　that　Heaven　could　give　to　Britain；　that　it　would　lighten　the　terrible　burden　of　anxiety　which　haunts　many　of　us26　by　at　least　one…half；　that　it　would　make　men　of　tens　of　thousands　among　us　who　are　now　but　loafers　without　ambition；　without　prospects；　save　such　as　the　relief　that　State　or　private　charity　may　afford；　that　it　would　inculcate　patriotism　and　the　sense　of　discipline；　lacking　which　every　country　must　in　time　e　to　an　inglorious　end。　Indeed　my　greatest　grudge　against　Mr。　Balfour　and　his　colleagues　is　that　they　did　not　take　the　opportunity　given　to　them　during　the　dark　days　of　the　South　African　War　to　introduce　this　reform；　which　would　then；　I　believe；　have　been　passed　without　a　murmur。　Of　course　I　understand　that　they　feared　lest　a　bold　step　of　the　sort　should　tell　against　them　at　the　polls。　How　superfluous　were　their　fears　was　shown　by　the　ultimate　disaster　to　which　their　do…nothing　policy　led　the　party　at　last。　At　the　best；　failure　was　in　front　of　them；　and　it　would　have　been　better　to　fail　with　something　done；　if　such　should　prove　their　fate；　leaving　a　great　name　behind　them　which　ere　long　their　country　would　have　crowned　with　the　honour　it　deserved。
25　Written　in　1912。
These　are　sentiments　which；　however　much　they　were　disapproved　of　by　the　party　manager　on　the　hunt　for　votes；　would；　if　adequately　presented；　probably　provoke　a　cheer　from　a　Conservative　audience。　But　suppose　that　I　were　the　speaker　on　such　an　occasion；　and　followed　that　up　by　stating　that　I　had　grave　misgivings　as　to　the　authorised　programme　of　Protection；　alias　Tariff　Reform？　Suppose　I　pointed　out　that　in　my　view；　which　is　possibly　quite　erroneous；　duties　on　food…stuffs　are　scarcely　practicable　in　this　land　of　city…dwellers；　who　not　unnaturally　object　to　paying　more　for　the　necessaries　of　life；　as；　however　moderate　those　duties　might　be；　the　British　middle…man　would　be　careful　to　see　they　did？　Suppose；　further；　that　I　showed　what　I　take　to　be　an　unanswerable　fact；　that　any　scheme　of　Tariff　Reform　which　omitted　duties　on　food…stuffs　would　result　in　the　final　ruin　of　British　agriculture；　and　in　the　consequent　progressive　deterioration　of　the　race；　what　would　the　Conservative　Party　say　then？　That　they　had　no　use　for　me；　I　imagine！
In　the　same　way；　what　place　is　there　in　politics　for　a　man　like　myself　who　has　the　most　earnest　sympathies　with　the　poor　and　who　desires　to　advance　their　lot　in　every　reasonable　way；　but　who　loathes　and　detests　the　Radical　method　of　attempting　to　set　class　against　class；　and　of　aiming　all　their　artillery　at　the　middle　section　of　society　—　the　real　prop　of　the　race　—　for　the　reason　that　it　is　Conservative　in　its　instincts　and　votes　against　them　at　the　polls？　Again；　what　would　be　thought　of　one　who；　posing　as　a　member　of　the　Tory　party；　yet　earnestly　advocated　the　division　of　the　land　amongst　about　ten　times　as　many　as　hold　it　at　present；　thereby　spoiling　a　great　many　great　estates；　and　often　enough　interfering　with　the　interests　and　pleasures　of　those　who　shoot　and　hunt；　or　who　seek　this　road　to　social　success？　Assuredly　for　such　a　one　there　is　no　standing…room　upon　any　of　our　political　platforms。　“Away　with　him！”　would　be　the　cry。　Therefore　he　must　be　content　to　remain　outside；　doing　whatever　work　may　e　to　his　hand　which　he　conceives　to　be　clean　and；　in　however　humble　a　measure；　useful。　It　is　hard　to　be　an　out…and…out　party　politician　and　yet　remain　honest　—　or　at　least　some　of　us　find　it　so；　though　the　consciences　of　others　are　more　acmodating。　Perhaps；　however；　this　saying　is　not　true　in　every　sense；　since　some　minds　cannot　consider　a　subject　in　all　its　aspects；　to　them　light　has　but　a　single　colour。　What　they　want　to　believe；　that　they　believe。
Such　are　the　views　to　which　I　have　attained　at　my　present　age。　Five…and…twenty　years　ago；　even　fifteen　years　ago；　they　were　different。　For　then　I　still　smarted　from　the　whip　of　Mr。　Gladstone’s　Colonial　policy；　and　had　less　practical　experience　of　social　questions　than　I　have　today。　The　great　wrongs　which　Radicals　were　capable　of　working　upon　loyal　Englishmen　to　serve　their　party　interests　dominated　my　mind。　In　short；　Mr。　Gladstone　turned　one　who　in　all　essentials　would　have　been　a　moderate　Liberal　into　an　Imperialist　who　made　the　mistake；　that　is　mon　to　those　who　“think　in　continents；”　of　underrating　the　needs　and　circumstances　of　the　Home　Country。　The　Empire　is　very　large　and　England　is　very　small。　So　is　the　heart　small　in　proportion　to　a　great　body；　but　after　all　it　is　an　important　organ；　and　if　it　bees　diseased　or　stops　—　what　happens　to　the　body？　Even　today；　when　the　Colonies　are　more　powerful　than　they　were　a　score　of　years　ago；　they　would　find　this　question　awkward　to　answer；　since　there　are　peoples　who；　in　such　an　event　as　the　stoppage　of　our　national　heart；　might　be　anxious　to　possess　themselves　of　a　limb　or　two　of　that　weakened　or　paralysed　body。　Indeed；　as　we　see　by　many　signs；　this　is　a　fact　whereof　the　Dominions　have　bee　painfully　aware　in　these　latter　days。　Realising　that　an　empire　cannot　be　kept　together　merely　by　taxing　the　Mother　Country’s　goods　and　affording　homes　for　such　of　her　surplus　population　as　it　suits　them　to　receive；　they　now　show　themselves　eager　to　adopt　a　scheme　of　Imperial　Preference　and　to　bear　some　share　of　the　cost　of　her　armaments。　There　they　are　surely　wise；　since　if　England　falls；　say　within　the　next　fifty　years；　then　—　God　help　these　half…empty　lands；　one　of　which　at　least　has　been　reduced　to　the　strange　expedient　of　offering　a　money　bonus　for　every　child　born　within　its　coasts！
In　the　future；　however；　all　this　may　change；　it　is　even　possible　that　they　may　bee　the　protectors　of　the　worn…out　and　decrepit　parent　from　which　they　sprang。　Absit　omen！
My　first　chance　of　entering　Parliament　occurred　in　1893；　e　speeches　that　I　had　made　and　certain　letters　I　had　written　in　the　papers；　I　was　asked　if　I　would　contest　King’s　Lynn。　I　declined　because　of　the　expense　and　the　difficulty　of　getting　backwards　and　forwards　between　my　home　and　the　borough；　since　this　was　before　the　day　of　motors。　Herein　I　was　foolish；　that　is　if　I　wished　to　enter　politics；　since　I　think　I　could　have　won　that　seat　easily　enough；　and　it　would　have　been　much　less　costly　to　fight　and　hold　than　a　county　constituency。
A　couple　of　years　later　the　question　arose　again。　By　this　time；　as　I　have　explained；　I　was　utterly　weary　of　a　retired　life　and　of　the　writing　of　books；　from　which　I　sought　eagerly　for　some　avenue　of　escape。
My　letters　in　The　Times　on　matters　connected　with　South　Africa　had　attracted　some　notice；　and　as　a　result　I　was　again　brought　into　contact　with　those　interested　in　the　affairs　of　that　country。　Ultimately　I　was　elected　Chairman　of　the　Anglo…African　Writer’s　Club；　a　pleasant　and　useful　dining　society　that　is　now　defunct。　Also　I　became　co…director　of　a　weekly　paper　called　the　African　Review；　which　some　years　ago　was　absorbed　by　another　journal。　It　was　a　very　good　paper　of　its　sort　—　too　good　for　the　market　to　which　it　appealed　—　and　run　on　the　most　straightforward　lines。　The　end　of　these　activities　was　that；　greatly　daring；　I　entered　into　a　partnership　with　my　fellow…director；　who　was　a　financier　in　the　African　market；　with　whom　it　was　understood　that　I　should　stand　for　Parliament；　with　the　general　idea　of　giving　my　attention　to　African　affairs　in　the　House　of　mons。
Mercifully　the　thing　miscarried；　for　had　it　been　otherwise　I　might　have　had　to　bear　upon　my　shoulders　much　of　the　burden　of　the　Parliamentary　defence　of　the　inspirers　and　perpetrators　of　the　Jameson　Raid；　which　would　have　been　neither　a　pleasant　nor　an　easy　task。
The　constituency　which　I　was　weak　enough　to　undertake　to　contest　was；　and　still　remains；　one　of　the　most　difficult　in　the　kingdom　from　the　Conservative　point　of　view　—　namely；　East　Norfolk。　In　the　old　days　before　the　lowering　of　the　franchise　it　was　represented　by　the　late　Sir　Edward　Birkbeck；　who；　however；　after　that　event　was　defeated　by　a　majority　of　440　by　Mr。　（now　Sir　R。　J。）　Price；　a　gentleman　unconnected　with　the　county。　Seeing　the　hopelessness　of　winning　the　seat；　Sir　Edward　Birkbeck　made　no　further　attempt　in　that　direction；　and　the　late　Colonel　MacCalmont　was　invited　to　take　his　place。　He　came；　he　saw；　and　he　retired；　like　a　wise　man；　leaving　me　to　fill　his　shoes。
I　may　as　well　state　the　result　at　once。　I　reduced　the　adverse　majority　to　198。　Since　that　time　sundry　other　Unionists　have　fought　the　place；　with　the　result　that　on　each　occasion　it　has　risen。　I　believe　that　at　the　last　election　it　reached　the　grand　total　of　somewhere　about　1200。
My　programme　was　Unionist　and　Agricultural。　I　quote　a　few　lines　from　the　speech　which　I　made　when　I　was　selected　as　a　Conservative　candidate；　as　it　puts　my　position　in　a　nutshell。
These　are　the　measures　that　I　would　suggest　as　a　means　towards　that　remedial　legislation　to　which　you　are　entitled。　First　I　am　of　opinion　that　the　60；000　pounds　per　annum　at　present　raised　by　Land…tax　in　this　country　should　be　kept　at　home　and　should　go　to　the　relief　of　the　Poor…rate　in　the　districts　in　which　it　is　collected。　Secondly　I　would　advocate　that　foreign　barley　ing　into　this　country；　unless　it　be　crushed　barley　to　be　used　as　food　for　cattle；　should　be　su