the man versus the state-第14章

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！


　indirectly　connected　with　railways；　and　these　will　have　to　be　purchased　by　Government　when　the　railways　are　purchased。　Already　exclusive　letter…carrier；　exclusive　transmitter　of　telegrams；　and　on　the　way　to　become　exclusive　carrier　of　parcels；　the　State　will　not　only　be　exclusive　carrier　of　passengers；　goods；　and　minerals；　but　will　add　to　its　present　various　trades　many　other　trades。　Even　now；　besides　erecting　its　naval　and　military　establishments　and　building　harbours；　docks；　breakwaters；　etc。；　it　does　the　work　of　shipbuilder；　cannonfounder；　small…arms　maker；　manufacturer　of　ammunition；　army…clothier　and　bootmaker；　and　when　the　railways　have　been　appropriated　〃with　or　without　compensation；〃　as　the　Democratic　Federationists　say；　it　will　have　to　become　locomotive…engine…builder；　carriage…maker；　tarpaulin　and　grease　manufacturer；　passenger…vessel　owner；　coal…miner；　stone…quarrier；　omnibus　proprietor；　etc。　Meanwhile　its　local　lieutenants；　the　municipal　governments；　already　in　many　places　suppliers　of　water；　gas…makers；　owners　and　workers　of　tramways；　proprietors　of　baths；　will　doubtless　have　undertaken　various　other　businesses。　And　when　the　State；　directly　or　by　proxy；　has　thus　come　into　possession　of；　or　has　established；　numerous　concerns　for　wholesale　production　and　for　wholesale　distribution；　there　will　be　good　precedents　for　extending　its　function　to　retail　distribution：　following　such　an　example；　say；　as　is　offered　by　the　French　Government；　which　has　long　been　a　retail　tobacconist。　　　　　　Evidently　then；　the　changes　made；　the　changes　in　progress；　and　the　changes　urged；　will　carry　us　not　only　towards　State…ownership　of　land　and　dwellings　and　means　of　communication；　all　to　be　administered　and　worked　by　State…agents；　but　towards　State…usurpation　of　all　industries：　the　private　forms　of　which；　disadvantaged　more　and　more　in　competition　with　the　State；　which　can　arrange　everything　for　its　own　convenience；　will　more　and　more　die　away；　just　as　many　voluntary　schools　have；　in　presence　of　Board…schools。　And　so　will　be　brought　about　the　desired　ideal　of　the　Socialists。　

And　now　when　there　has　been　compassed　this　desired　ideal；　which　〃practical〃　politicians　are　helping　Socialists　to　reach；　and　which　is　so　tempting　on　that　bright　side　which　Socialists　contemplate；　what　must　be　the　accompanying　shady　side　which　they　do　not　contemplate？　It　is　a　matter　of　common　remark；　often　made　when　a　marriage　is　impending；　that　those　possessed　by　strong　hopes　habitually　dwell　on　the　promised　pleasures　and　think　nothing　of　the　accompanying　pains。　A　further　exemplification　of　this　truth　is　supplied　by　these　political　enthusiasts　and　fanatical　revolutionists。　Impressed　with　the　miseries　existing　under　our　present　social　arrangements；　and　not　regarding　these　miseries　as　caused　by　the　ill…working　of　a　human　nature　but　partially　adapted　to　the　social　state；　they　imagine　them　to　be　forthwith　curable　by　this　or　that　re…arrangement。　Yet；　even　did　their　plans　succeed　it　could　only　be　by　substituting　one　kind　of　evil　for　another。　A　little　deliberate　thought　would　show　that　under　their　proposed　arrangements；　their　liberties　must　be　surrendered　in　proportion　as　their　material　welfares　were　cared　for。　　　　　　For　no　form　of　co…operation；　small　or　great；　can　be　carried　on　without　regulation；　and　an　implied　submission　to　the　regulating　agencies。　Even　one　of　their　own　organizations　for　effecting　social　changes　yields　them　proof。　It　is　compelled　to　have　its　councils；　its　local　and　general　officers；　its　authoritative　leaders；　who　must　be　obeyed　under　penalty　of　confusion　and　failure。　And　the　experience　of　those　who　are　loudest　in　their　advocacy　of　a　new　social　order　under　the　paternal　control　of　a　Government；　shows　that　even　in　private　voluntarily…formed　societies；　the　power　of　the　regulative　organization　becomes　great；　if　not　irresistible；　often；　indeed；　causing　grumbling　and　restiveness　among　those　controlled。　Trades　Unions　which　carry　on　a　kind　of　industrial　war　in　defence　of　workers'　interests　versus　employers'　interests；　find　that　subordination　almost　military　in　its　strictness　is　needful　to　secure　efficient　action；　for　divided　councils　prove　fatal　to　success。　And　even　in　bodies　of　co…operators；　formed　for　caring　on　manufacturing　or　distributing　businesses；　and　not　needing　that　obedience　to　leaders　which　is　required　where　the　aims　are　offensive　or　defensive；　it　is　still　found　that　the　administrative　agency　gains　such　supremacy　that　there　arise　complaints　about　〃the　tyranny　of　organization。〃　Judge　then　what　must　happen　when；　instead　of　relatively　small　combinations；　to　which　men　may　belong　or　not　as　they　please；　we　have　a　national　combination　in　which　each　citizen　finds　himself　incorporated；　and　from　which　he　cannot　separate　himself　without　leaving　the　country。　Judge　what　must　under　such　conditions　become　the　despotism　of　a　graduated　and　centralized　officialism；　holding　in　its　hands　the　resources　of　the　community；　and　having　behind　it　whatever　amount　of　force　it　finds　requisite　to　carry　out　its　decrees　and　maintain　what　it　calls　order。　Well　may　Prince　Bismarck　display　leanings　towards　State…socialism。　　　　　　And　then　after　recognizing；　as　they　must　if　they　think　out　their　scheme；　the　power　possessed　by　the　regulative　agency　in　the　new　social　system　so　temptingly　pictured；　let　its　advocates　ask　themselves　to　what　end　this　power　must　be　used。　Not　dwelling　exclusively；　as　they　habitually　do；　on　the　material　well…being　and　the　mental　gratifications　to　be　provided　for　them　by　a　beneficent　administration；　let　them　dwell　a　little　on　the　price　to　be　paid。　The　officials　cannot　create　the　needful　supplies：　they　can　but　distribute　among　individuals　that　which　the　individuals　have　joined　to　produce。　If　the　public　agency　is　required　to　provide　for　them；　it　must　reciprocally　require　them　to　furnish　the　means。　There　cannot　be；　as　under　our　existing　system；　agreement　between　employer　and　employed　　this　the　scheme　excludes。　There　must　in　place　of　it　be　command　by　local　authorities　over　workers；　and　acceptance　by　the　workers　of　that　which　the　authorities　assign　to　them。　And　this；　indeed；　is　the　arrangement　distinctly；　but　as　it　would　seem　inadvertently；　pointed　to　by　the　members　of　the　Democratic　Federation。　For　they　propose　that　production　should　be　carried　on　by　〃agricultural　and　industrial　armies　under　State…control：〃　apparently　not　remembering　that　armies　pre…suppose　grades　of　officers；　by　whom　obedience　would　have　to　be　insisted　upon；　since　otherwise　neither　order　nor　efficient　work　could　be　ensured。　So　that　each　would　stand　toward　the　governing　agency　in　the　relation　of　slave　to　master。　　　　　　〃But　the　governing　agency　would　be　a　master　which　he　and　others　made　and　kept　constantly　in　check；　and　one　which　therefore　would　not　control　him　or　others　more　than　was　needful　for　the　benefit　of　each　and　all。〃　　　　　To　which　reply　the　first　rejoinder　is　that；　even　if　so；　each　member　of　the　community　as　an　individual　would　be　a　slave　to　the　community　as　a　whole。　Such　a　relation　has　habitually　existed　in　militant　communities；　even　under　quasi…popular　forms　of　government。　In　ancient　Greece　the　accepted　principle　was　that　the　citizen　belonged　neither　to　himself　nor　to　his　family；　but　belonged　to　his　city