a miscellany of men-第24部分

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y　coloured　saints　marching　eternally　in　the　flamboyant　windows　would　have　carried　their　glorioles　like　torches　across　dark　lands　and　distant　seas；　till　the　whole　mountain　of　music　and　darkness　and　lights　descended　roaring　on　the　lonely　Lincoln　hill。　　So　for　some　hundred　and　sixty　seconds　I　saw　the　battle…beauty　of　the　Gothic；　then　the　last　furniture…van　shifted　itself　away；　and　I　saw　only　a　church　tower　in　a　quiet　English　town；　round　which　the　English　birds　were　floating。



THE　MAN　ON　TOP


There　is　a　fact　at　the　root　of　all　realities　to…day　which　cannot　be　stated　too　simply。　　It　is　that　the　powers　of　this　world　are　now　not　trusted　simply　because　they　are　not　trustworthy。　　This　can　be　quite　clearly　seen　and　said　without　any　reference　to　our　several　passions　or　partisanships。　　It　does　not　follow　that　we　think　such　a　distrust　a　wise　sentiment　to　express；　it　does　not　even　follow　that　we　think　it　a　good　sentiment　to　entertain。　　But　such　is　the　sentiment；　simply　because　such　is　the　fact。　The　distinction　can　be　quite　easily　defined　in　an　example。　I　do　not　think　that　private　workers　owe　an　indefinite　loyalty　to　their　employer。　　But　I　do　think　that　patriotic　soldiers　owe　a　more　or　less　indefinite　loyalty　to　their　leader　in　battle。　　But　even　if　they　ought　to　trust　their　captain；　the　fact　remains　that　they　often　do　not　trust　him；　and　the　fact　remains　that　he　often　is　not　fit　to　be　trusted。

Most　of　the　employers　and　many　of　the　Socialists　seem　to　have　got　a　very　muddled　ethic　about　the　basis　of　such　loyalty；　and　perpetually　try　to　put　employers　and　officers　upon　the　same　disciplinary　plane。　　I　should　have　thought　myself　that　the　difference　was　alphabetical　enough。　　It　has　nothing　to　do　with　the　idealising　of　war　or　the　materialising　of　trade；　it　is　a　distinction　in　the　primary　purpose。　　There　might　be　much　more　elegance　and　poetry　in　a　shop　under　William　Morris　than　in　a　regiment　under　Lord　Kitchener。　　But　the　difference　is　not　in　the　persons　or　the　atmosphere；　but　in　the　aim。　　The　British　Army　does　not　exist　in　order　to　pay　Lord　Kitchener。　　William　Morris's　shop；　however　artistic　and　philanthropic；　did　exist　to　pay　William　Morris。　　If　it　did　not　pay　the　shopkeeper　it　failed　as　a　shop；　but　Lord　Kitchener　does　not　fail　if　he　is　underpaid；　but　only　if　he　is　defeated。　　The　object　of　the　Army　is　the　safety　of　the　nation　from　one　particular　class　of　perils；　therefore；　since　all　citizens　owe　loyalty　to　the　nation；　all　citizens　who　are　soldiers　owe　loyalty　to　the　Army。　　But　nobody　has　any　obligation　to　make　some　particular　rich　man　richer。　　A　man　is　bound；　of　course；　to　consider　the　indirect　re…suits　of　his　action　in　a　strike；　but　he　is　bound　to　consider　that　in　a　swing；　or　a　giddy…go…round；　or　a　smoking　concert；　in　his　wildest　holiday　or　his　most　private　conversation。　　But　direct　responsibility　like　that　of　a　soldier　he　has　none。　　He　need　not　aim　solely　and　directly　at　the　good　of　the　shop；　for　the　simple　reason　that　the　shop　is　not　aiming　solely　and　directly　at　the　good　of　the　nation。　The　shopman　is；　under　decent　restraints；　let　us　hope；　trying　to　get　what　he　can　out　of　the　nation；　the　shop　assistant　may；　under　the　same　decent　restraints；　get　what　he　can　out　of　the　shopkeeper。　　All　this　distinction　is　very　obvious。　　At　least　I　should　have　thought　so。

But　the　primary　point　which　I　mean　is　this。　　That　even　if　we　do　take　the　military　view　of　mercantile　service；　even　if　we　do　call　the　rebellious　shop　assistant　〃disloyal〃that　leaves　exactly　where　it　was　the　question　of　whether　he　is；　in　point　of　fact；　in　a　good　or　bad　shop。　　Granted　that　all　Mr。　Poole's　employees　are　bound　to　follow　for　ever　the　cloven　pennon　of　the　Perfect　Pair　of　Trousers；　it　is　all　the　more　true　that　the　pennon　may；　in　point　of　fact；　become　imperfect。　　Granted　that　all　Barney　Barnato's　workers　ought　to　have　followed　him　to　death　or　glory；　it　is　still　a　Perfectly　legitimate　question　to　ask　which　he　was　likely　to　lead　them　to。　　Granted　that　Dr。　Sawyer's　boy　ought　to　die　for　his　master's　medicines；　we　may　still　hold　an　inquest　to　find　out　if　he　died　of　them。　While　we　forbid　the　soldier　to　shoot　the　general；　we　may　still　wish　the　general　were　shot。

The　fundamental　fact　of　our　time　is　the　failure　of　the　successful　man。　Somehow　we　have　so　arranged　the　rules　of　the　game　that　the　winners　are　worthless　for　other　purposes；　they　can　secure　nothing　except　the　prize。　The　very　rich　are　neither　aristocrats　nor　self…made　men；　they　are　accidentsor　rather　calamities。　　All　revolutionary　language　is　a　generation　behind　the　times　in　talking　of　their　futility。　　A　revolutionist　would　say　（with　perfect　truth）　that　coal…owners　know　next　to　nothing　about　coal…mining。　　But　we　are　past　that　point。　　Coal…owners　know　next　to　nothing　about　coal…owning。　　They　do　not　develop　and　defend　the　nature　of　their　own　monopoly　with　any　consistent　and　courageous　policy；　however　wicked；　as　did　the　old　aristocrats　with　the　monopoly　of　land。　　They　have　not　the　virtues　nor　even　the　vices　of　tyrants；　they　have　only　their　powers。　　It　is　the　same　with　all　the　powerful　of　to…day；　it　is　the　same；　for　instance；　with　the　high…placed　and　high…paid　official。　　Not　only　is　the　judge　not　judicial；　but　the　arbiter　is　not　even　arbitrary。　The　arbiter　decides；　not　by　some　gust　of　justice　or　injustice　in　his　soul　like　the　old　despot　dooming　men　under　a　tree；　but　by　the　permanent　climate　of　the　class　to　which　he　happens　to　belong。　　The　ancient　wig　of　the　judge　is　often　indistinguishable　from　the　old　wig　of　the　flunkey。

To　judge　about　success　or　failure　one　must　see　things　very　simply；　one　must　see　them　in　masses；　as　the　artist；　half　closing　his　eyes　against　details；　sees　light　and　shade。　　That　is　the　only　way　in　which　a　just　judgment　can　be　formed　as　to　whether　any　departure　or　development；　such　as　Islam　or　the　American　Republic；　has　been　a　benefit　upon　the　whole。　Seen　close；　such　great　erections　always　abound　in　ingenious　detail　and　impressive　solidity；　it　is　only　by　seeing　them　afar　off　that　one　can　tell　if　the　Tower　leans。

Now　if　we　thus　take　in　the　whole　tilt　or　posture　of　our　modern　state；　we　shall　simply　see　this　fact：　that　those　classes　who　have　on　the　whole　governed；　have　on　the　whole　failed。　　If　you　go　to　a　factory　you　will　see　some　very　wonderful　wheels　going　round；　you　will　be　told　that　the　employer　often　comes　there　early　in　the　morning；　that　he　has　great　organising　power；　that　if　he　works　over　the　colossal　accumulation　of　wealth　he　also　works　over　its　wise　distribution。　　All　this　may　be　true　of　many　employers；　and　it　is　practically　said　of　all。

But　if　we　shade　our　eyes　from　all　this　dazzle　of　detail；　if　we　simply　ask　what　has　been　the　main　feature；　the　upshot；　the　final　fruit　of　the　capitalist　system；　there　is　no　doubt　about　the　answer。　　The　special　and　solid　result　of　the　reign　of　the　employers　has　beenunemployment。　Unemployment　not　only　increasing；　but　becoming　at　last　the　very　pivot　upon　which　the　whole　process　turns。

Or；　again；　if　you　visit　the　villages　that　depend　on　one　of　the　great　squires；　you　will　hear　praises；　often　just；　of　the　landlord's　good　sense　or　good　nature；　you　will　hear　of　whole　systems　of　pensions　or　of　care　for　the　sick；　like　those　of　a　small　and　separate　nation；　you　will　see　much　cleanliness；　order；　and　business　habits　in　the　offices　and　accounts　of　the　estate。　　But　if　you　ask　again　what　has　been　the　upshot；　what　has　been　the　actual　result　of　the　reign　of　landlords；　again　the　answer　is　plain。　At　the　end　of　the　reign　of　landlords　men　will　not　live　on　the　land。　The　practical　effect　of　having　landlords　is　not　having　tenants。　　The　practical　effect　of　having　employers　is　that　men　are　not　employed。　　The　unrest　of　the　populace　is　therefore　more　than　a　murmur　against　tyranny；　it　is　against　a　sort　of　treason。　　It　is　the　suspicion　that　even　at　the　top　of　the　tree；　even　in　the　seats　of　the　mighty；　our　very　success　is　unsuccessful。



THE　OTHER　KIND　OF　MAN


There　are　some　who　are　conciliated　by　Conciliation　Boards。　　There　are　some　who；　when　they　hear　of　Royal　Commissions；　breathe　againor　snore　again。　　There　are　those　who　look　forward　to　Compulsory　Arbitration　Courts　as　to　the　islands　of　the　blest。　　These　men　do　not　understand　the　day　that　they　look　upon　or　the　sights　that　their　eyes　have　seen。

The　almost　sacramental　idea　of　representation；　by　which　the　few　may　incarnate　the　many；　arose　in　the　Middle　Ages；　and　has　done　great　things　for　justice　and　liberty。　　It　has　had　its　real　hours　of　triumph；　as　when　the　States　General　met　to　renew　France's　youth　like　the　eagle's；　or　when　all　the　virtues　of　the　Republic　fought　and　ruled　in　the　figure　of　Washington。　　It　is　not　having　one　of　its　hours　of　triumph　now。　　The　real　democratic　unrest　at　this　moment　is　not　an　extension　of　the　representative　process；　but　rather　a　revolt　against　it。　　It　is　no　good　giving　those　now　in　revolt　more　boards　and　committees　and　compulsory　regulations。　　It　is　against　these　very　things　that　they　are　revolting。　Men　are　not　only　rising　against　their　oppressors；　but　against　their　representatives　or；　as　they　would　say；　their　misrepresentatives。　　The　inner　and　actual　spirit　of　workaday　England　is　coming　out　not　in　applause；　but　in　anger；　as　a　god　who　should　come　out　of　his　tabernacle　to　rebuke　and　confound　his　priests。

There　is　a　certain　kind　of　man　whom　we　see　many　times　in　a　day；　but　whom　we　do　not；　in　general；　bother　very　much　about。　　He　is　the　kind　of　man　of　whom　his　wife　says　that　a　better　husband　when　he's　sober　you　couldn't　have。　　She　sometimes　adds　that　he　never　is　sober；　but　this　is　in　anger　and　exaggeration。　　Really　he　drinks　much　less　and　works　much　more　than　the　modern　legend　supposes。　　But　it　is　quite　true　that　he　has　not　the　horror　of　bodily　outbreak；　natural　to　the　classes　that　contain　ladies；　and　it　is　quite　true　that　he　never　has　that　alert　and　inventive　sort　of　industry　natural　to　the　classes　from　which　men　can　climb　into　great　wealth。　　He　has　grown；　partly　by　necessity；　but　partly　also　by　temper；　accustomed　to　have　dirty　clothes　and　dirty　hands　normally　and　without　discomfort。　　He　regards　cleanliness　as　a　kind　of　separate　and　special　costume；　to　be　put　on　for　great　festivals。　　He　has　several　really　curious　characteristics；　which　would　attract　the　eyes　of　sociologists；　if　they　had　any　eyes。　　For　instance；　his　voca