utopia of usurers and other essays-第2部分

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a　few　actors　on　the　stage。　　And　the　back　scene　is　kept　quite　dark；　though
it　is　really　a　throng　of　faces。　　Home　Rule　tended　to　be　not　so　much　the
Irish　as　the　Grand　Old　Man。　　The　Boer　War　tended　not　to　be　so　much　South
Africa　as　simply　〃Joe。〃　　And　it　is　the　amusing　but　distressing　fact　that
every　class　of　political　leadership；　as　it　comes　to　the　front　in　its　turn；
catches　the　rays　of　this　isolating　lime…light；　and　becomes　a　small
aristocracy。　　Certainly　no　one　has　the　aristocratic　complaint　so　badly　as
the　Labour　Party。　　At　the　recent　Congress；　the　real　difference　between
Larkin　and　the　English　Labour　leaders　was　not　so　much　in　anything　right　or
wrong　in　what　he　said；　as　in　something　elemental　and　even　mystical　in　the
way　he　suggested　a　mob。　　But　it　must　be　plain；　even　to　those　who　agree
with　the　more　official　policy；　that　for　Mr。　Havelock　Wilson　the　principal
question　was　Mr。　Havelock　Wilson；　and　that　Mr。　Sexton　was　mainly
considering　the　dignity　and　fine　feelings　of　Mr。　Sexton。　　You　may　say　they
were　as　sensitive　as　aristocrats；　or　as　sulky　as　babies；　the　point　is　that
the　feeling　was　personal。　　But　Larkin；　like　Danton；　not　only　talks　like
ten　thousand　men　talking；　but　he　also　has　some　of　the　carelessness　of　the
colossus　of　Arcis；　〃Que　mon　nom　soit　fletri；　que　la　France　soit　libre。〃


A　Dance　of　Degradation

It　is　needless　to　say　that　this　respecting　of　persons　has　led　all　the
other　parties　a　dance　of　degradation。　　We　ruin　South　Africa　because　it
would　be　a　slight　on　Lord　Gladstone　to　save　South　Africa。　　We　have　a　bad
army；　because　it　would　be　a　snub　to　Lord　Haldane　to　have　a　good　army。　　And
no　Tory　is　allowed　to　say　〃Marconi〃　for　fear　Mr。　George　should　say　〃Kynoch。〃
But　this　curious　personal　element；　with　its　appalling　lack　of
patriotism；　has　appeared　in　a　new　and　curious　form　in　another　department
of　life；　the　department　of　literature；　especially　periodical　literature。
And　the　form　it　takes　is　the　next　example　I　shall　give　of　the　way　in　which
the　capitalists　are　now　appearing；　more　and　more　openly；　as　the　masters
and　princes　of　the　community。

I　will　take　a　Victorian　instance　to　mark　the　change；　as　I　did　in　the　case
of　the　advertisement　of　〃Bubbles。〃　　It　was　said　in　my　childhood；　by　the
more　apoplectic　and　elderly　sort　of　Tory；　that　W。　E。　Gladstone　was　only　a
Free　Trader　because　he　had　a　partnership　in　Gilbey's　foreign　wines。　　This
was；　no　doubt；　nonsense；　but　it　had　a　dim　symbolic；　or　mainly　prophetic；
truth　in　it。　　It　was　true；　to　some　extent　even　then；　and　it　has　been
increasingly　true　since；　that　the　statesman　was　often　an　ally　of　the
salesman；　and　represented　not　only　a　nation　of　shopkeepers；　but　one
particular　shop。　　But　in　Gladstone's　time；　even　if　this　was　true；　it　was
never　the　whole　truth；　and　no　one　would　have　endured　it　being　the　admitted
truth。　　The　politician　was　not　solely　an　eloquent　and　persuasive　bagman
travelling　for　certain　business　men；　he　was　bound　to　mix　even　his
corruption　with　some　intelligible　ideals　and　rules　of　policy。　　And　the
proof　of　it　is　this：　that　at　least　it　was　the　statesman　who　bulked　large
in　the　public　eye；　and　his　financial　backer　was　entirely　in　the　background。
Old　gentlemen　might　choke　over　their　port；　with　the　moral　certainty　that
the　Prime　Minister　had　shares　in　a　wine　merchant's。　　But　the　old　gentleman
would　have　died　on　the　spot　if　the　wine　merchant　had　really　been　made　as
important　as　the　Prime　Minister。　　If　it　had　been　Sir　Walter　Gilbey　whom
Disraeli　denounced；　or　Punch　caricatured；　if　Sir　Walter　Gilbey's　favourite
collars　（with　the　design　of　which　I　am　unacquainted）　had　grown　as　large　as
the　wings　of　an　archangel；　if　Sir　Walter　Gilbey　had　been　credited　with
successfully　eliminating　the　British　Oak　with　his　little　hatchet；　if；　near
the　Temple　and　the　Courts　of　Justice；　our　sight　was　struck　by　a　majestic
statue　of　a　wine　merchant；　or　if　the　earnest　Conservative　lady　who　threw　a
gingerbread…nut　at　the　Premier　had　directed　it　towards　the　wine　merchant
instead；　the　shock　to　Victorian　England　would　have　been　very　great　indeed。


Haloes　for　Employers

Now　something　very　like　that　is　happening；　the　mere　wealthy　employer　is
beginning　to　have　not　only　the　power　but　some　of　the　glory。　　I　have　seen
in　several　magazines　lately；　and　magazines　of　a　high　class；　the　appearance
of　a　new　kind　of　article。　　Literary　men　are　being　employed　to　praise　a　big
business　man　personally；　as　men　used　to　praise　a　king。　　They　not　only　find
political　reasons　for　the　commercial　schemesthat　they　have　done　for　some
time　pastthey　also　find　moral　defences　for　the　commercial　schemers。
They　describe　the　capitalist's　brain　of　steel　and　heart　of　gold　in　a　way
that　Englishmen　hitherto　have　been　at　least　in　the　habit　of　reserving　for
romantic　figures　like　Garibaldi　or　Gordon。　　In　one　excellent　magazine　Mr。
T。　P。　O'Connor；　who；　when　he　likes；　can　write　on　letters　like　a　man　of
letters；　has　some　purple　pages　of　praise　of　Sir　Joseph　Lyonsthe　man　who
runs　those　teashop　places。　　He　incidentally　brought　in　a　delightful
passage　about　the　beautiful　souls　possessed　by　some　people　called　Salmon
and　Gluckstein。　　I　think　I　like　best　the　passage　where　he　said　that
Lyons's　charming　social　acaccomplishments　included　a　talent　for　〃imitating
a　Jew。〃　　The　article　is　accompanied　with　a　large　and　somewhat　leering
portrait　of　that　shopkeeper；　which　makes　the　parlour…trick　in　question
particularly　astonishing。　　Another　literary　man；　who　certainly　ought　to
know　better；　wrote　in　another　paper　a　piece　of　hero…worship　about　Mr。
Selfridge。　　No　doubt　the　fashion　will　spread；　and　the　art　of　words；　as
polished　and　pointed　by　Ruskin　or　Meredith；　will　be　perfected　yet　further
to　explore　the　labyrinthine　heart　of　Harrod；　or　compare　the　simple
stoicism　of　Marshall　with　the　saintly　charm　of　Snelgrove。

Any　man　can　be　praisedand　rightly　praised。　　If　he　only　stands　on　two
legs　he　does　something　a　cow　cannot　do。　　If　a　rich　man　can　manage　to　stand
on　two　legs　for　a　reasonable　time；　it　is　called　self…control。　　If　he　has
only　one　leg；　it　is　called　（with　some　truth）　self…sacrifice。　　I　could　say
something　nice　（and　true）　about　every　man　I　have　ever　met。　　Therefore；　I
do　not　doubt　I　could　find　something　nice　about　Lyons　or　Selfridge　if　I
searched　for　it。　　But　I　shall　not。　　The　nearest　postman　or　cab…man　will
provide　me　with　just　the　same　brain　of　steel　and　heart　of　gold　as　these
unlucky　lucky　men。　　But　I　do　resent　the　whole　age　of　patronage　being
revived　under　such　absurd　patrons；　and　all　poets　becoming　court　poets；
under　kings　that　have　taken　no　oath；　nor　led　us　into　any　battle。



III。　Unbusinesslike　Business

The　fairy　tales　we　were　all　taught　did　not；　like　the　history　we　were　all
taught；　consist　entirely　of　lies。　　Parts　of　the　tale　of　〃Puss　in　Boots〃　or
〃Jack　and　the　Beanstalk〃　may　strike　the　realistic　eye　as　a　little　unlikely
and　out　of　the　common　way；　so　to　speak；　but　they　contain　some　very　solid
and　very　practical　truths。　　For　instance；　it　may　be　noted　that　both　in
〃Puss　in　Boots〃　and　〃Jack　and　the　Beanstalk〃　if　I　remember　aright；　the
ogre　was　not　only　an　ogre　but　also　a　magician。　　And　it　will　generally　be
found　that　in　all　such　popular　narratives；　the　king；　if　he　is　a　wicked
king；　is　generally　also　a　wizard。　　Now　there　is　a　very　vital　human　truth
enshrined　in　this。　　Bad　government；　like　good　government；　is　a　spiritual
thing。　　Even　the　tyrant　never　rules　by　force　alone；　but　mostly　by　fairy
tales。　　And　so　it　is　with　the　modern　tyrant；　the　great　employer。　　The
sight　of　a　millionaire　is　seldom；　in　the　ordinary　sense；　an　enchanting
sight：　nevertheless；　he　is　in　his　way　an　enchanter。　　As　they　say　in　the
gushing　articles　about　him　in　the　magazines；　he　is　a　fascinating
personality。　　So　is　a　snake。　　At　least　he　is　fascinating　to　rabbits；　and
so　is　the　millionaire　to　the　rabbit…witted　sort　of　people　that　ladies　and
gentlemen　have　allowed　themselves　to　become。　　He　does；　in　a　manner；　cast　a
spell；　such　as　that　which　imprisoned　princes　and　princesses　under　the
shapes　of　falcons　or　stags。　　He　has　truly　turned　men　into　sheep；　as　Circe
turned　them　into　swine。

Now；　the　chief　of　the　fairy　tales；　by　which　he　gains　this　glory　and
glamour；　is　a　certain　hazy　association　he　has　managed　to　create　between
the　idea　of　bigness　and　the　idea　of　practicality。　　Numbers　of　the
rabbit…witted　ladies　and　gentlemen　do　really　think；　in　spite　of　themselves
and　their　experience；　that　so　long　as　a　shop　has　hundreds　of　different
doors　and　a　great　many　hot　and　unhealthy　underground　departments　（they
must　be　hot；　this　is　very　important）；　and　more　people　than　would　be　needed
for　a　man…of…war；　or　crowded　cathedral；　to　say：　〃This　way；　madam；〃　and
〃The　next　article；　sir；〃　it　follows　that　the　goods　are　good。　　In　short；
they　hold　that　the　big　businesses　are　businesslike。　　They　are　not。　　Any
housekeeper　in　a　truthful　mood；　that　is　to　say；　any　housekeeper　in　a　bad
temper；　will　tell　you　that　they　are　not。　　But　housekeepers；　too；　are　human；
and　therefore　inconsistent　and　complex；　and　they　do　not　always　stick　to
truth　and　bad　temper。　　They　are　also　affected　by　this　queer　idolatry　of
the　enormous　and　elaborate；　and　cannot　help　feeling　that　anything　so
complicated　must　go　like　clockwork。　　But　complexity　is　no　guarantee　of
accuracyin　clockwork　or　in　anything　else。　　A　clock　can　be　as　wrong　as
the　human　head；　and　a　clock　can　stop；　as　suddenly　as　the　human　heart。

But　this　strange　poetry　of　plutocracy　prevails　over　people　against　their
very　senses。　　You　write　to　one　of　the　great　London　stores　or　emporia；
asking；　let　us　say；　for　an　umbrella。　　A　month　or　two　afterwards　you
receive　a　very　elaborately　constructed　parcel；　containing　a　broken　parasol。
You　are　very　pleased。　　You　are　gratified　to　reflect　on　what　a　vast
number　of　assistants　and　employees　had　combined　to　break　that　parasol。
You　luxuriate　in　the　memory　of　all　those　long　rooms　and　departments　and
wonder　in　which　of　them　the　parasol　that　you　never　ordered　was　broken。　　Or
you　want　a　toy　elephant　for　your　child　on　Christmas　Day；　as　children；　like
all　nice　and　healthy　people；　are　very　ritualistic。　　Some　week　or　so　after
Twelfth　Night；　let　us　say；　you　have　the　pleasure　of　removing　three　layers
of　pasteboards；　five　layers　o