utopia of usurers and other essays-第6部分

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workers；　but　a　worker　might　have　his　conditions　as　carefully　arranged　as　a
racehorse　has；　and　still　have　no　more　personal　property　than　a　racehorse。
If　you　take　an　average　poor　seamstress　or　factory　girl；　you　will　find　that
the　power　of　chastising　her　through　her　property　has　very　considerable
limits；　it　is　almost　as　hard　for　the　employer　of　labour　to　tax　her　for
punishment　as　it　is　for　the　Chancellor　of　the　Exchequer　to　tax　her　for
revenue。　　The　next　most　obvious　thing　to　think　of；　of　course；　would　be
imprisonment；　and　that　might　be　effective　enough　under　simpler　conditions。
An　old…fashioned　shopkeeper　might　have　locked　up　his　apprentice　in　his
coal…cellar；　but　his　coal…cellar　would　be　a　real；　pitch　dark　coal…cellar；
and　the　rest　of　his　house　would　be　a　real　human　house。　　Everybody
（especially　the　apprentice）　would　see　a　most　perceptible　difference
between　the　two。　　But；　as　I　pointed　out　in　the　article　before　this；　the
whole　tendency　of　the　capitalist　legislation　and　experiment　is　to　make
imprisonment　much　more　general　and　automatic；　while　making　it；　or
professing　to　make　it；　more　humane。　　In　other　words；　the　hygienic　prison
and　the　servile　factory　will　become　so　uncommonly　like　each　other　that　the
poor　man　will　hardly　know　or　care　whether　he　is　at　the　moment　expiating　an
offence　or　merely　swelling　a　dividend。　　In　both　places　there　will　be　the
same　sort　of　shiny　tiles。　　In　neither　place　will　there　be　any　cell　so
unwholesome　as　a　coal…cellar　or　so　wholesome　as　a　home。　　The　weapon　of　the
prison；　therefore；　like　the　weapon　of　the　fine；　will　be　found　to　have
considerable　limitations　to　its　effectiveness　when　employed　against　the
wretched　reduced　citizen　of　our　day。　　Whether　it　be　property　or　liberty
you　cannot　take　from　him　what　he　has　not　got。　　You　cannot　imprison　a　slave；
because　you　cannot　enslave　a　slave。


The　Barbarous　Revival

（3）　Most　people；　on　hearing　the　suggestion　that　it　may　come　to　corporal
punishment　at　last　（as　it　did　in　every　slave　system　I　ever　heard　of；
including　some　that　were　generally　kindly；　and　even　successful）；　will
merely　be　struck　with　horror　and　incredulity；　and　feel　that　such　a
barbarous　revival　is　unthinkable　in　the　modern　atmosphere。　　How　far　it
will　be；　or　need　be；　a　revival　of　the　actual　images　and　methods　of　ruder
times　I　will　discuss　in　a　moment。　　But　first；　as　another　of　the　converging
lines　tending　to　corporal　punishment；　consider　this：　that　for　some　reason
or　other　the　old　full…blooded　and　masculine　humanitarianism　in　this　matter
has　weakened　and　fallen　silent；　it　has　weakened　and　fallen　silent　in　a
very　curious　manner；　the　precise　reason　for　which　I　do　not　altogether
understand。　　I　knew　the　average　Liberal；　the　average　Nonconformist
minister；　the　average　Labour　Member；　the　average　middle…class　Socialist；
were；　with　all　their　good　qualities；　very　deficient　in　what　I　consider　a
respect　for　the　human　soul。　　But　I　did　imagine　that　they　had　the　ordinary
modern　respect　for　the　human　body。　　The　fact；　however；　is　clear　and
incontrovertible。　　In　spite　of　the　horror　of　all　humane　people；　in　spite
of　the　hesitation　even　of　our　corrupt　and　panic…stricken　Parliament；
measures　can　now　be　triumphantly　passed　for　spreading　or　increasing　the
use　of　physical　torture；　and　for　applying　it　to　the　newest　and　vaguest
categories　of　crime。　　Thirty　or　forty　years　ago；　nay；　twenty　years　ago；
when　Mr。　F。　Hugh　O'Donnell　and　others　forced　a　Liberal　Government　to　drop
the　cat…'o…nine…tails　like　a　scorpion；　we　could　have　counted　on　a　mass　of
honest　hatred　of　such　things。　　We　cannot　count　on　it　now。

（4）　But　lastly；　it　is　not　necessary　that　in　the　factories　of　the　future
the　institution　of　physical　punishment　should　actually　remind　people　of
the　jambok　or　the　knout。　　It　could　easily　be　developed　out　of　the　many
forms　of　physical　discipline　which　are　already　used　by　employers　on　the
excuses　of　education　or　hygiene。　　Already　in　some　factories　girls　are
obliged　to　swim　whether　they　like　it　or　not；　or　do　gymnastics　whether　they
like　it　or　not。　　By　a　simple　extension　of　hours　or　complication　of
exercises　a　pair　of　Swedish　clubs　could　easily　be　so　used　as　to　leave
their　victim　as　exhausted　as　one　who　had　come　off　the　rack。　　I　think　it
extremely　likely　that　they　will　be。


IX。　THE　MASK　OF　SOCIALISM

The　chief　aim　of　all　honest　Socialists　just　now　is　to　prevent　the　coming
of　Socialism。　　I　do　not　say　it　as　a　sneer；　but；　on　the　contrary；　as　a
compliment；　a　compliment　to　their　political　instinct　and　public　spirit。　　I
admit　it　may　be　called　an　exaggeration；　but　there　really　is　a　sort　of　sham
Socialism　that　the　modrn　politicians　may　quite　possibly　agree　to　set　up；
if　they　do　succeed　in　setting　it　up；　the　battle　for　the　poor　is　lost。

We　must　note；　first　of　all；　a　general　truth　about　the　curious　time　we　live
in。　　It　will　not　be　so　difficult　as　some　people　may　suppose　to　make　the
Servile　State　look　rather　like　Socialism；　especially　to　the　more　pedantic
kind　of　Socialist。　　The　reason　is　this。　　The　old　lucid　and　trenchant
expounder　of　Socialism；　such　as　Blatchford　or　Fred　Henderson；　always
describes　the　economic　power　of　the　plutocrats　as　consisting　in　private
property。　　Of　course；　in　a　sense；　this　is　quite　true；　though　they　too
often　miss　the　point　that　private　property；　as　such；　is　not　the　same　as
property　confined　to　the　few。　　But　the　truth　is　that　the　situation　has
grown　much　more　subtle；　perhaps　too　subtle；　not　to　say　too　insane；　for
straight…thinking　theorists　like　Blatchford。　　The　rich　man　to…day　does　not
only　rule　by　using　private　property；　he　also　rules　by　treating　public
property　as　if　it　were　private　property。　　A　man　like　Lord　Murray　pulled
the　strings；　especially　the　pursestrings；　but　the　whole　point　of　his
position　was　that　all　sorts　of　strings　had　got　entangled。　　The　secret
strength　of　the　money　he　held　did　not　lie　merely　in　the　fact　that　it　was
his　money。　　It　lay　precisely　in　the　fact　that　nobody　had　any　clear　idea　of
whether　it　was　his　money；　or　his　successor's　money；　or　his　brother's　money；
or　the　Marconi　Company's　money；　or　the　Liberal　Party's　money；　or　the
English　Nation's　money。　　It　was　buried　treasure；　but　it　was　not　private
property。　　It　was　the　acme　of　plutocracy　because　it　was　not　private
property。　　Now；　by　following　this　precedent；　this　unprincipled　vagueness
about　official　and　unofficial　moneys　by　the　cheerful　habit　of　always
mixing　up　the　money　in　the　pocket　with　the　money　in　the　till；　it　would　be
quite　possible　to　keep　the　rich　as　rich　as　ever　in　practice；　though　they
might　have　suffered　confiscation　in　theory。　　Mr。　Lloyd　George　has　four
hundred　a　year　as　an　M。　P。；　but　he　not　only　gets　much　more　as　a　Minister；
but　he　might　at　any　time　get　immeasurably　more　by　speculating　on　State
secrets　that　are　necessarily　known　to　him。　　Some　say　that　he　has　even
attempted　something　of　the　kind。　　Now；　it　would　be　quite　possible　to　cut
Mr。　George　down；　not　to　four　hundred　a　year；　but　to　fourpence　a　day；　and
still　leave　him　all　these　other　and　enormous　financial　superiorities。　　It
must　be　remembered　that　a　Socialist　State；　in　any　way　resembling　a　modern
State；　must；　however　egalitarian　it　may　be；　have　the　handling　of　huge　sums；
and　the　enjoyment　of　large　conveniences；　it　is　not　improbable　that　the
same　men　will　handle　and　enjoy　in　much　the　same　manner；　though　in　theory
they　are　doing　it　as　instruments；　and　not　as　individuals。　　For　instance；
the　Prime　Minister　has　a　private　house；　which　is　also　（I　grieve　to　inform
that　eminent　Puritan）　a　public　house。　　It　is　supposed　to　be　a　sort　of
Government　office；　though　people　do　not　generally　give　children's　parties；
or　go　to　bed　in　a　Government　office。　　I　do　not　know　where　Mr。　　Herbert
Samuel　lives；　but　I　have　no　doubt　he　does　himself　well　in　the　matter　of
decoration　and　furniture。　　On　the　existing　official　parallel　there　is　no
need　to　move　any　of　these　things　in　order　to　Socialise　them。　　There　is　no
need　to　withdraw　one　diamond…headed　nail　from　the　carpet；　or　one　golden
teaspoon　from　the　tray。　　It　is　only　necessary　to　call　it　an　official
residence；　like　10　Downing…street。　　I　think　it　is　not　at　all　improbable
that　this　Plutocracy；　pretending　to　be　a　Bureaucracy；　will　be　attempted　or
achieved。　　Our　wealthy　rulers　will　be　in　the　position　which　grumblers　in
the　world　of　sport　sometimes　attribute　to　some　of　the　〃gentlemen〃　players。
They　assert　that　some　of　these　are　paid　like　any　professional；　only　their
pay　is　called　their　expenses。　　This　system　might　run　side　by　side　with　a
theory　of　equal　wages；　as　absolute　as　that　once　laid　down　by　Mr。　Bernard
Shaw。　　By　the　theory　of　the　State；　Mr。　　Herbert　Samuel　and　Mr。　Lloyd
George　might　be　humble　citizens；　drudging　for　their　fourpence　a　day；　and
no　better　off　than　porters　and　coal…heavers。　　If　there　were　presented　to
our　mere　senses　what　appeared　to　be　the　form　of　Mr。　Herbert　Samuel　in　an
astrakhan　coat　and　a　motor…car；　we　should　find　the　record　of　the
expenditure　（if　we　could　find　it　at　all）　under　the　heading　of　〃Speed　Limit
Extension　Enquiry　Commission。〃　　If　it　fell　to　our　lot　to　behold　（with　the
eye　of　flesh）　what　seemed　to　be　Mr。　Lloyd　George　lying　in　a　hammock　and
smoking　a　costly　cigar；　we　should　know　that　the　expenditure　would　be
divided　between　the　〃Condition　of　Rope　and　Netting　Investigation
Department；〃　and　the　〃State　of　Cuban　Tobacco　Trade：　Imperial　Inspector's
Report。〃

Such　is　the　society　I　think　they　will　build　unless　we　can　knock　it　down　as
fast　as　they　build　it。　　Everything　in　it；　tolerable　or　intolerable；　will
have　but　one　use；　and　that　use　what　our　ancestors　used　to　call　usance　or
usury。　　Its　art　may　be　good　or　bad；　but　it　will　be　an　advertisement　for
usurers；　its　literature　may　be　good　or　bad；　but　it　will　appeal　to　the
patronage　of　usurers；　its　scientific　selection　will　select　according　to
the　needs　of　usurers；　its　religion　will　be　just　charitable　enough　to
pardon　usurers；　its　penal　system　will　be　just　cruel　enough　to　crush　all
the　critics　of　usurers：　the　truth　of　it　will　be　Slavery：　and　the　title　of
it　may　quite　possibly　be　Socialism。



THE　ESCAPE

We　watched　you　building；　stone　by　stone；
The　well…washed　cells　and　well…washed　graves
We　shall　inhabit　but　not　own
When　Britons　ever　shall　be　sla