按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
and struggle。 The ideas and understandings march on and achieve
themselves for allin spite of every one。 。 。 。
The methods and traditions of British politics maintain the form of
two great parties； with rider groups seeking to gain specific ends
in the event of a small Government majority。 These two main parties
are more or less heterogeneous in composition。 Each； however； has
certain necessary characteristics。 The Conservative Party has
always stood quite definitely for the established propertied
interests。 The land…owner； the big lawyer； the Established Church；
and latterly the huge private monopoly of the liquor trade which has
been created by temperance legislation； are the essential
Conservatives。 Interwoven now with the native wealthy are the
families of the great international usurers； and a vast
miscellaneous mass of financial enterprise。 Outside the range of
resistance implied by these interests； the Conservative Party has
always shown itself just as constructive and collectivist as any
other party。 The great landowners have been as well…disposed
towards the endowment of higher education； and as willing to co…
operate with the Church in protective and mildly educational
legislation for children and the working class； as any political
section。 The financiers； too； are adventurous…spirited and eager
for mechanical progress and technical efficiency。 They are prepared
to spend public money upon research； upon ports and harbours and
public communications； upon sanitation and hygienic organisation。 A
certain rude benevolence of public intention is equally
characteristic of the liquor trade。 Provided his comfort leads to
no excesses of temperance； the liquor trade is quite eager to see
the common man prosperous； happy； and with money to spend in a bar。
All sections of the party are aggressively patriotic and favourably
inclined to the idea of an upstanding； well…fed； and well…exercised
population in uniform。 Of course there are reactionary landowners
and old…fashioned country clergy； full of localised self…importance；
jealous even of the cottager who can read； but they have neither the
power nor the ability to retard the constructive forces in the party
as a whole。 On the other hand； when matters point to any definitely
confiscatory proposal； to the public ownership and collective
control of land； for example； or state mining and manufactures； or
the nationalisation of the so…called public…house or extended
municipal enterprise； or even to an increase of the taxation of
property； then the Conservative Party presents a nearly adamantine
bar。 It does not stand for； it IS； the existing arrangement in
these affairs。
Even more definitely a class party is the Labour Party； whose
immediate interest is to raise wages； shorten hours of labor；
increase employment； and make better terms for the working…man
tenant and working…man purchaser。 Its leaders are no doubt
constructive minded； but the mass of the following is naturally
suspicious of education and discipline； hostile to the higher
education； andexcept for an obvious antagonism to employers and
property ownersalmost destitute of ideas。 What else can it be？
It stands for the expropriated multitude； whose whole situation and
difficulty arise from its individual lack of initiative and
organising power。 It favours the nationalisation of land and
capital with no sense of the difficulties involved in the process；
but； on the other hand； the equally reasonable socialisation of
individuals which is implied by military service is steadily and
quite naturally and quite illogically opposed by it。 It is only in
recent years that Labour has emerged as a separate party from the
huge hospitable caravanserai of Liberalism； and there is still a
very marked tendency to step back again into that multitudinous
assemblage。
For multitudinousness has always been the Liberal characteristic。
Liberalism never has been nor ever can be anything but a diversified
crowd。 Liberalism has to voice everything that is left out by these
other parties。 It is the party against the predominating interests。
It is at once the party of the failing and of the untried； it is the
party of decadence and hope。 From its nature it must be a vague and
planless association in comparison with its antagonist； neither so
constructive on the one hand； nor on the other so competent to
hinder the inevitable constructions of the civilised state。
Essentially it is the party of criticism； the 〃Anti〃 party。 It is a
system of hostilities and objections that somehow achieves at times
an elusive common soul。 It is a gathering together of all the
smaller interests which find themselves at a disadvantage against
the big established classes； the leasehold tenant as against the
landowner； the retail tradesman as against the merchant and the
moneylender； the Nonconformist as against the Churchman； the small
employer as against the demoralising hospitable publican； the man
without introductions and broad connections against the man who has
these things。 It is the party of the many small men against the
fewer prevailing men。 It has no more essential reason for loving
the Collectivist state than the Conservatives； the small dealer is
doomed to absorption in that just as much as the large owner； but it
resorts to the state against its antagonists as in the middle ages
common men pitted themselves against the barons by siding with the
king。 The Liberal Party is the party against 〃class privilege〃
because it represents no class advantages； but it is also the party
that is on the whole most set against Collective control because it
represents no established responsilibity。 It is constructive only
so far as its antagonism to the great owner is more powerful than
its jealousy of the state。 It organises only because organisation
is forced upon it by the organisation of its adversaries。 It lapses
in and out of alliance with Labour as it sways between hostility to
wealth and hostility to public expenditure。 。 。 。
Every modern European state will have in some form or other these
three parties： the resistent； militant； authoritative； dull； and
unsympathetic party of establishment and success； the rich party；
the confused； sentimental； spasmodic； numerous party of the small；
struggling； various； undisciplined men； the poor man's party； and a
third party sometimes detaching itself from the second and sometimes
reuniting with it； the party of the altogether expropriated masses；
the proletarians； Labour。 Change Conservative and Liberal to
Republican and Democrat； for example； and you have the conditions in
the United States。 The Crown or a dethroned dynasty； the
Established Church or a dispossessed church； nationalist secessions；
the personalities of party leaders； may break up； complicate； and
confuse t