the man versus the state-第11部分

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revival　of　despotism。　A　disciplined　army　of　civil　officials；　like　an　army　of　military　officials；　gives　supreme　power　to　its　head　　a　power　which　has　often　led　to　usurpation；　as　in　medieval　Europe　and　still　more　in　Japan　　nay；　has　thus　so　led　among　our　neighbours；　within　our　own　times。　The　recent　confessions　of　M。　de　Maupas　have　shown　how　readily　a　constitutional　head；　elected　and　trusted　by　the　whole　people；　may；　with　the　aid　of　a　few　unscrupulous　confederates；　paralyse　the　representative　body　and　make　himself　autocrat。　That　those　who　rose　to　power　in　a　socialistic　organization　would　not　scruple　to　carry　out　their　aims　at　all　costs；　we　have　good　reason　for　concluding。　When　we　find　that　shareholders　who；　sometimes　gaining　but　often　losing；　have　made　that　railway　system　by　which　national　prosperity　has　been　so　greatly　increased；　are　spoken　of　by　the　council　of　the　Democratic　Federation　as　having　〃laid　hands〃　on　the　means　of　communication；　we　may　infer　that　those　who　directed　a　socialistic　administration　might　interpret　with　extreme　perversity　the　claims　of　individuals　and　classes　under　their　control。　And　when；　further；　we　find　members　of　this　same　council　urging　that　the　State　should　take　possession　of　the　railways；　〃with　or　without　compensation；〃　we　may　suspect　that　the　heads　of　the　ideal　society　desired；　would　be　but　little　deterred　by　considerations　of　equity　from　pursuing　whatever　policy　they　thought　needful：　a　policy　which　would　always　be　one　identified　with　their　own　supremacy。　It　would　need　but　a　war　with　an　adjacent　society；　or　some　internal　discontent　demanding　forcible　suppression；　to　at　once　transform　a　socialistic　administration　into　a　grinding　tyranny　like　that　of　ancient　Peru；　under　which　the　mass　of　the　people；　controlled　by　grades　of　officials；　and　leading　lives　that　were　inspected　out…of…doors　and　indoors；　laboured　for　the　support　of　the　organization　which　regulated　them；　and　were　left　with　but　a　bare　subsistence　for　themselves。　And　then　would　be　completely　revived；　under　a　different　form；　that　regime　of　status　　that　system　of　compulsory　co…operation；　the　decaying　tradition　of　which　is　represented　by　the　old　Toryism；　and　towards　which　the　new　Toryism　is　caring　us　back。　　　　　　〃But　we　shall　be　on　our　guard　against　all　that　　we　shall　take　precautions　to　ward　off　such　disasters；〃　will　doubtless　say　the　enthusiasts。　Be　they　〃practical〃　politicians　with　their　new　regulative　measures；　or　communists　with　their　schemes　for　re…organizing　labour；　their　reply　is　ever　the　same：　　〃It　is　true　that　plans　of　kindred　nature　have；　from　unforeseen　causes　or　adverse　accidents；　or　the　misdeeds　of　those　concerned；　been　brought　to　failure；　but　this　time　we　shall　profit　by　past　experiences　and　succeed。〃　There　seems　no　getting　people　to　accept　the　truth；　which　nevertheless　is　conspicuous　enough；　that　the　welfare　of　a　society　and　the　justice　of　its　arrangements　are　at　bottom　dependent　on　the　characters　of　its　members；　and　that　improvement　in　neither　can　take　place　without　that　improvement　in　character　which　results　from　caring　on　peaceful　industry　under　the　restraints　imposed　by　an　orderly　social　life。　The　belief；　not　only　of　the　socialists　but　also　of　those　so…called　Liberals　who　are　diligently　preparing　the　way　for　them；　is　that　by　due　skill　an　ill…working　humanity　may　be　framed　into　well…working　institutions。　It　is　a　delusion。　The　defective　natures　of　citizens　will　show　themselves　in　the　bad　acting　of　whatever　social　structure　they　are　arranged　into。　There　is　no　political　alchemy　by　which　you　can　get　golden　conduct　out　of　leaden　instincts。　

NOTE　　Two　replies　by　socialists　to　the　foregoing　article　have　appeared　since　its　publication　　Socialism　and　Slavery　by　H。M。　Hyndman　and　Herbert　Spencer　on　Socialism　by　Frank　Fairman。　Notice　of　them　here　must　be　limited　to　saying　that；　as　usual　with　antagonists；　they　ascribe　to　me　opinions　which　I　do　not　hold。　Disapproval　of　Socialism　does　not；　as　Mr　Hyndman　assumes；　necessitate　approval　of　existing　arrangements。　Many　things　he　reprobates　I　reprobate　quite　as　much；　but　I　dissent　from　his　remedy。　The　gentleman　who　writes　under　the　pseudonym　of　〃Frank　Fairman；〃　reproaches　me　with　having　receded　from　that　sympathetic　defence　of　the　labouring　classes　which　he　finds　in　Social　Statics；　but　I　am　quite　unconscious　of　any　such　change　as　he　alleges。　Looking　with　a　lenient　eye　upon　the　irregularities　of　those　whose　lives　are　hard；　by　no　means　involves　tolerance　of　good…for…nothings。　

NOTES：

1。　Hansard's　Parliamentary　History；　32。　p。　710。

2。　Fortnightly　Review；　January；　1884；　p。　17。

3。　Factories　and　Workshops　Act；　41　and　42　Vic。；　cap。　16。

4。　See　letter　of　Local　Government；　Times；　January　2；　1884。

5。　Verification　comes　more　promptly　than　I　expected。　This　article　has　been　standing　intype　since　January　30；　and　in　the　interval；　namely　on　March　13；　the　London　School　Board　resolved　to　apply　for　authority　to　use　local　charitable　funds　for　supplying　gratis　meals　and　clothing　to　indigent　children。　Presently　the　definition　of　〃indigent〃　will　be　widened；　more　children　will　be　included　and　more　funds　aked　for。

6。　Fortnightly　Review；　January；　1884。

7。　Russia；　I。　422。

8。　Socialism　made　Plain；　Review；　185；　Fleet　Street。

9。　If　any　one　thinks　such　fears　are　groundless；　let　him　contemplate　the　fact　that　from　1867…8　to　1880…1；　our　annual　local　expenditure　for　the　United　Kingdom　has　grown　from　*36；132；834　to　*63；276；283；　and　that　during　the　same　13　years；　the　municipal　expenditure　in　England　and　Wales　alone；　has　grown　from　13　millions　to　30　millions　a　year！　How　the　increase　of　public　burdens　will　join　with　othe　causes　in　bringing　about　public　ownership；　is　shown　by　a　statement　made　by　Mr　W。　Rathbone；　M。P。；　to　which　any　attention　has　been　drawn　since　the　above　paragraph　was　in　type。　He　says；　〃within　my　own　experience；　local　taxation　in　New　York　has　risen　from　12s　6d　per　cent　to　*2　12s　6d　per　cent　on　the　capital　of　its　citizens　　a　charge　which　would　more　than　absorb　the　whole　income　of　an　average　English　landlord。〃　Nineteenth　Century；　February；　1883。

10。　Fortnightly　Review；　November；　1883；　pp。　619…20。

11。　Lactant。　De　M。　Persecut；　cc。　7；　23。

12。　Taine；　L'Ancien　Regime；　pp。　337…8　（in　the　English　translation）。

13。　Report　of　Commissioners　for　Inquiry　into　the　Admistration　and　Practical　Operation　of　the　Poor　Laws；　p。　37。　February　20；　1834。

THE　SINS　OF　LEGISLATORS

　　　　Be　it　or　be　it　not　true　that　Man　is　shapen　in　iniquity　and　conceived　in　sin；　it　is　unquestionably　true　that　Government　is　begotten　of　aggression　and　by　aggression。　In　small　undeveloped　societies　where　for　ages　complete　peace　has　continued；　there　exists　nothing　like　what　we　call　Government：　no　coercive　agency；　but　mere　honorary　headship；　if　any　headship　at　all。　In　these　exceptional　communities；　unaggressive　and　from　special　causes　unaggressed　upon；　there　is　so　little　deviation　from　the　virtues　of　truthfulness；　honesty；　justice；　and　generosity；　that　nothing　beyond　an　occasional　expression　of　public　opinion　by　informally…assembled　elders　is　needful。（1*）　Conversely；　we　find　proofs　that；　at　first　recognized　but　temporarily　during　leadership　in　war；　the　authority　of　a　chief　is　permanently　established　by　continuity　of　war；　and　grows　strong　where　successful　aggression　ends　in　subjection　of　neighbouring　tribes。　And　thence　onwards；　examples　furnished　by　all　races　put　beyond　doubt　the　truth；　that　the　coercive　power　of　the　chief；　developing　into　king；　and　king　of　kings　（a　frequent　title　in　the　ancient　East）；　becomes　great　in　proportion　as　conquest　becomes　habitual　and　the　union　of　subdued　nations　extensive。（2*）　Comparisons　disclose　a　further　truth　which　should　be　ever　present　to　us　　the　truth　that　the　aggressiveness　of　the　ruling　power　inside　a　society　increases　with　its　aggressiveness　outside　the　society。　As；　to　make　an　efficient　army；　the　soldiers　in　their　several　grades　must　be　subordinate　to　the　commander；　so；　to　make　an　efficient　fighting　community；　must　the　citizens　be　subordinate　to　the　ruling　power。　They　must　furnish　recruits　to　the　extent　demanded；　and　yield　up　whatever　property　is　required。　　　　　　An　obvious　implication　is　that　the　ethics　of　Government；　originally　identical　with　the　ethics　of　war；　must　long　remain　akin　to　them；　and　can　diverge　from　them　only　as　warlike　activities　and　preparations　become　less。　Current　evidence　shows　this。　At　present　on　the　Continent；　the　citizen　is　free　only　when　his　services　as　a　soldier　are　not　demanded；　and　during　the　rest　of　his　life　he　is　largely　enslaved　in　supporting　the　military　organization。　Even　among　ourselves；　a　serious　war　would；　by　the　necessitated　conscription；　suspend　the　liberties　of　large　numbers　and　trench　on　the　liberties　of　the　rest；　by　taking　from　them　through　taxes　whatever　supplies　were　needed　　that　is；　forcing　them　to　labour　so　many　days　more　for　the　State。　Inevitably　the　established　code　of　conduct　in　the　dealings　of　Governments　with　citizens；　must　be　allied　to　their　code　of　conduct　in　their　dealings　with　one　another。　　　　　　I　am　not；　under　the　title　of　this　article；　about　to　treat　of　the　trespasses　and　the　revenges　for　trespasses；　accounts　of　which　constitute　the　great　mass　of　history；　nor　to　trace　the　internal　inequities　which　have　ever　accompanied　the　eternal　inequities。　I　do　not　propose　here　to　catalogue　the　crimes　of　irresponsible　legislators；　beginning　with　that　of　King　Khufu；　the　stones　of　whose　vast　tomb　were　laid　in　the　bloody　sweat　of　tens　of　thousands　of　slaves　toiling　through　long　years　under　the　lash；　going　on　to　those　committed　by　conquerors；　Egyptian；　Assyrian；　Persian；　Macedonian；　Roman；　and　the　rest；　and　ending　with　those　of　Napoleon；　whose　ambition　to　set　his　foot　on　the　neck　of　the　civilized　world；　cost　not　less　than　two　million　lives。（3*）　Nor　do　I　propose　here　to　enumerate　those　sins　of　responsible　legislators　seen　in　the　long　list　of　laws　made　in　the　interests　of　dominant　classes　　a　list　coming　down　in　our　own　country　to　those　under　which　there　were　long　maintained　slavery　and　the　slave…trade；　torturing　nearly　40；000　negroes　annually　by　close　packing　during　a　tropical　voyage；　and　killing　a　large　percentage　of　them；　and　ending　with　that　of　the　corn…laws；　by　which；　says　Sir　Erskine　May；　〃to　ensure　high　rents；　it　had　been　decreed　that　multitudes　should　hunger。〃（4*）　　　　　　Not