utopia of usurers and other essays-第14部分

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employed　to　the　employers　is　brought　about；　we　all　know　the　answer。　　It　is
brought　about　by　hunger　and　hardness　of　heart；　accelerated　by　a　certain
kind　of　legislation；　of　which　we　have　had　a　good　deal　lately　in　England；
but　which　was　almost　invariably　borrowed　from　Prussia。　　Mr。　　Herbert
Samuel's　suggestion　that　the　poor　should　be　able　to　put　their　money　in
little　boxes　and　not　be　able　to　get　it　out　again　is　a　sort　of　standing
symbol　of　all　the　rest。　　I　have　forgotten　how　the　poor　were　going　to
benefit　eventually　by　what　is　for　them　indistinguishable　from　dropping
sixpence　down　a　drain。　　Perhaps　they　were　going　to　get　it　back　some　day；
perhaps　when　they　could　produce　a　hundred　coupons　out　of　the　Daily　Citizen；
perhaps　when　they　got　their　hair　cut；　perhaps　when　they　consented　to　be
inoculated；　or　trepanned；　or　circumcised；　or　something。　　Germany　is　full
of　this　sort　of　legislation；　and　if　you　asked　an　innocent　German；　who
honestly　believed　in　it；　what　it　was；　he　would　answer　that　it　was　for　the
protection　of　workmen。

And　if　you　asked　again　〃Their　protection　from　what？〃　　you　would　have　the
whole　plan　and　problem　of　the　Servile　State　plain　in　front　of　you。
Whatever　notion　there　is；　there　is　no　notion　whatever　of　protecting　the
employed　person　_from　his　employer_。　　Much　less　is　there　any　idea　of　his
ever　being　anywhere　except　under　an　employer。　　Whatever　the　Capitalist
wants　he　gets。　　He　may　have　the　sense　to　want　washed　and　well…fed
labourers　rather　than　dirty　and　feeble　ones；　and　the　restrictions　may
happen　to　exist　in　the　form　of　laws　from　the　Kaiser　or　by…laws　from　the
Krupps。　　But　the　Kaiser　will　not　offend　the　Krupps；　and　the　Krupps　will
not　offend　the　Kaiser。　　Laws　of　this　kind；　then；　do　not　attempt　to　protect
workmen　against　the　injustice　of　the　Capitalist　as　the　English　Trade
Unions　did。　　They　do　not　attempt　to　protect　workmen　against　the　injustice
of　the　State　as　the　mediaeval　guilds　did。　　Obviously　they　cannot　protect
workmen　against　the　foreign　invaderespecially　when　（as　in　the　comic　case
of　Belgium）　they　are　imposed　by　the　foreign　invader。　　What　then　are　such
laws　designed　to　protect　workmen　against？　　Tigers；　rattlesnakes；　hyenas？

Oh；　my　young　friends；　oh；　my　Christian　brethren；　they　are　designed　to
protect　this　poor　person　from　something　which　to　those　of　established　rank
is　more　horrid　than　many　hyenas。　　They　are　designed；　my　friends；　to
protect　a　man　from　himselffrom　something　that　the　masters　of　the　earth
fear　more　than　famine　or　war；　and　which　Prussia　especially　fears　as
everything　fears　that　which　would　certainly　be　its　end。　　They　are　meant　to
protect　a　man　against　himselfthat　is；　they　are　meant　to　protect　a　man
against　his　manhood。

And　if　anyone　reminds　me　that　there　is　a　Socialist　Party　in　Germany；　I
reply　that　there　isn't。



THE　EMPIRE　OF　THE　IGNORANT

That　anarchic　future　which　the　more　timid　Tories　professed　to　fear　has
already　fallen　upon　us。　　We　are　ruled　by　ignorant　people。　　But　the　most
ignorant　people　in　modern　Britain　are　to　be　found　in　the　upper　class；　the
middle　class；　and　especially　the　upper　middle　class。　　I　do　not　say　it
with　the　smallest　petulance　or　even　distaste；　these　classes　are　often
really　beneficent　in　their　breeding　or　their　hospitality；　or　their
humanity　to　animals。

There　is　still　no　better　company　than　the　young　at　the　two　Universities；
or　the　best　of　the　old　in　the　Army　or　some　of　the　other　services。　　Also；
of　course；　there　are　exceptions　in　the　matter　of　learning；　real　scholars
like　Professor　Gilbert　Murray　or　Professor　Phillimore　are　not　ignorant；
though　they　_are_　gentlemen。　　But　when　one　looks　up　at　any　mass　of　the
wealthier　and　more　powerful　classes；　at　the　Grand　Stand　at　Epsom；　at　the
windows　of　Park…lane；　at　the　people　at　a　full…dress　debate　or　a
fashionable　wedding；　we　shall　be　safe　in　saying　that　they　are；　for　the
most　part；　the　most　ill…taught；　or　untaught；　creatures　in　these　islands。


Literally　Illiterate

It　is　indeed　their　feeble　boast　that　they　are　not　literally　illiterate。
They　are　always　saying　the　ancient　barons　could　not　sign　their　own
namesfor　they　know　less　of　history　perhaps　than　of　anything　else。　　The
modern　barons；　however；　can　sign　their　own　namesor　someone　else's　for　a
change。　　They　can　sign　their　own　names；　and　that　is　about　all　they　can　do。
They　cannot　face　a　fact；　or　follow　an　argument；　or　feel　a　tradition；　but；
least　of　all；　can　they；　upon　any　persuasion；　read　through　a　plain
impartial　book；　English　or　foreign；　that　is　not　specially　written　to
soothe　their　panic　or　to　please　their　pride。　　Looking　up　at　these　seats　of
the　mighty　I　can　only　say；　with　something　of　despair；　what　Robert　Lowe
said　of　the　enfranchised　workmen：　〃We　must　educate　our　masters。〃

I　do　not　mean　this　as　paradoxical；　or　even　as　symbolical；　it　is　simply
tame　and　true。　　The　modern　English　rich　know　nothing　about　things；　not
even　about　the　things　to　which　they　appeal。　　Compared　with　them；　the　poor
are　pretty　sure　to　get　some　enlightenment；　even　if　they　cannot　get　liberty；
they　must　at　least　be　technical。　　An　old　apprentice　learnt　a　trade；　even
if　his　master　came　like　any　Turk　and　banged　him　most　severely。　　The　old
housewife　knew　which　side　her　bread　was　buttered；　even　if　it　were　so　thin
as　to　be　almost　imperceptible。　　The　old　sailor　knew　the　ropes；　even　if　he
knew　the　rope's　end。　　Consequently；　when　any　of　these　revolted；　they　were
concerned　with　things　they　knew；　pains；　practical　impossibilities；　or　the
personal　record。


But　They　Know

The　apprentice　cried　〃Clubs？〃　　and　cracked　his　neighbours'　heads　with　the
precision　and　fineness　of　touch　which　only　manual　craftsmanship　can　give。
The　housewives　who　flatly　refused　to　cook　the　hot　dinner　knew　how　much　or
how　little；　cold　meat　there　was　in　the　house。　　The　sailor　who　defied
discipline　by　mutinying　at　the　Nore　did　not　defy　discipline　in　the　sense
of　falling　off　the　rigging　or　letting　the　water　into　the　hold。　　Similarly
the　modern　proletariat；　however　little　it　may　know；　knows　what　it　is
talking　about。

But　the　curious　thing　about　the　educated　class　is　that　exactly　what　it
does　not　know　is　what　it　is　talking　about。　　I　mean　that　it　is　startlingly
ignorant　of　those　special　things　which　it　is　supposed　to　invoke　and　keep
inviolate。　　The　things　that　workmen　invoke　may　be　uglier；　more　acrid；　more
sordid；　but　they　know　all　about　them。　　They　know　enough　arithmetic　to　know
that　prices　have　risen；　the　kind　Levantine　gentleman　is　always　there　to
make　them　fully　understand　the　meaning　of　an　interest　sum；　and　the
landlord　will　define　Rent　as　rigidly　as　Ricardo。　　The　doctors　can　always
tell　them　the　Latin　for　an　empty　stomach；　and　when　the　poor　man　is　treated
for　the　time　with　some　human　respect　（by　the　Coronet）　it　almost　seems　a
pity　he　is　not　alive　to　hear　how　legally　he　died。

Against　this　bitter　shrewdness　and　bleak　realism　in　the　suffering　classes
it　is　commonly　supposed　that　the　more　leisured　classes　stand　for　certain
legitimate　ideas　which　also　have　their　place　in　life；　such　as　history；
reverence；　the　love　of　the　land。　　Well；　it　might　be　no　bad　thing　to　have
something；　even　if　it　were　something　narrow；　that　testified　to　the　truths
of　religion　or　patriotism。　　But　such　narrow　things　in　the　past　have　always
at　least　known　their　own　history；　the　bigot　knew　his　catechism；　the
patriot　knew　his　way　home。　　The　astonishing　thing　about　the　modern　rich　is
their　real　and　sincere　ignoranceespecially　of　the　things　they　like。


No！

Take　the　most　topical　case　you　can　find　in　any　drawing…room：　Belfast。
Ulster　is　most　assuredly　a　matter　of　history；　and　there　is　a　sense　in
which　Orange　resistance　is　a　matter　of　religion。　　But　go　and　ask　any　of
the　five　hundred　fluttering　ladies　at　a　garden　party　（who　find　Carson　so
splendid　and　Belfast　so　thrilling）　what　it　is　all　about；　when　it　began；
where　it　came　from；　what　it　really　maintains？　What　was　the　history　of
Ulster？　　What　is　the　religion　of　Belfast？　　Do　any　of　them　know　where
Ulstermen　were　in　Grattan's　time；　do　any　of　them　know　what　was　the
〃Protestantism〃　that　came　from　Scotland　to　that　isle；　could　any　of　them
tell　what　part　of　the　old　Catholic　system　it　really　denied？

It　was　generally　something　that　the　fluttering　ladies　find　in　their　own
Anglican　churches　every　Sunday。　　It　were　vain　to　ask　them　to　state　the
doctrines　of　the　Calvinist　creed；　they　could　not　state　the　doctrines　of
their　own　creed。　　It　were　vain　to　tell　them　to　read　the　history　of
Ireland；　they　have　never　read　the　history　of　England。　　It　would　matter　as
little　that　they　do　not　know　these　things；　as　that　I　do　not　know　German；
but　then　German　is　not　the　only　thing　I　am　supposed　to　know。　　History　and
ritual　are　the　only　things　aristocrats　are　supposed　to　know；　and　they
don't　know　them。


Smile　and　Smile

I　am　not　fed　on　turtle　soup　and　Tokay　because　of　my　exquisite　intimacy
with　the　style　and　idiom　of　Heine　and　Richter。　　The　English　governing
class　is　fed　on　turtle　soup　and　Tokay　to　represent　the　past；　of　which　it
is　literally　ignorant；　as　I　am　of　German　irregular　verbs；　and　to　represent
the　religious　traditions　of　the　State；　when　it　does　not　know　three　words
of　theology；　as　I　do　not　know　three　words　of　German。

This　is　the　last　insult　offered　by　the　proud　to　the　humble。　　They　rule
them　by　the　smiling　terror　of　an　ancient　secret。　　They　smile　and　smile；
but　they　have　forgotten　the　secret。



THE　SYMBOLISM　OF　KRUPP

The　curious　position　of　the　Krupp　firm　in　the　awful　story　developing
around　us　is　not　quite　sufficiently　grasped。　　There　is　a　kind　of　academic
clarity　of　definition　which　does　not　see　the　proportions　of　things　for
which　everything　falls　within　a　definition；　and　nothing　ever　breaks　beyond
it。　　To　this　type　of　mind　（which　is　valuable　when　set　to　its　special　and
narrow　work）　there　is　no　such　thing　as　an　exception　that　proves　the　rule。
If　I　vote　for　confiscating　some　usurer's　millions　I　am　doing；　they　say；
precisely　what　I　should　be　doing　if　I　took　pennies　out　of　a　blind　man's
hat。　　They　are　both　denials　of　the　principle　of　private　property；　and　are
equally　right　and　equally　wrong；　according　to　our　view　of　that　principle。
I　should　find　a　great　many　distinctions　to　draw　in　such　a　matte