the man versus the state-第5章

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（in　the　shape　of　relinquished　passenger　duty）；　and　partly　at　the　cost　of　railway…proprietors；　still　further　cheapens　travelling　for　workmen：　the　Board　of　Trade；　through　the　Railway　Commissioners；　being　empowered　to　ensure　sufficiently　good　and　frequent　accommodation。　Again；　there　is　the　Act　which；　under　penalty　of　*10　for　disobedience；　forbids　the　payment　of　wages　to　workmen　at　or　within　public…houses；　there　is　another　Factory　and　Workshops　Act；　commanding　inspection　of　white　lead　works　（to　see　that　there　are　provided　overalls；　respirators；　baths；　acidulated　drinks；　etc。）　and　of　bake…houses；　regulating　times　of　employment　in　both；　and　prescribing　in　detail　some　constructions　for　the　last；　which　are　to　be　kept　in　a　condition　satisfactory　to　the　inspectors。　　　　　　But　we　are　far　from　forming　an　adequate　conception　if　we　look　only　at　the　compulsory　legislation　which　has　actually　been　established　of　late　years。　We　must　look　also　at　that　which　is　advocated；　and　which　threatens　to　be　far　more　sweeping　in　range　and　stringent　in　character。　We　have　lately　had　a　Cabinet　Minister；　one　of　the　most　advanced　Liberals；　so…called；　who　pooh…poohs　the　plans　of　the　late　Government　for　improving　industrial　dwellings　as　so　much　〃tinkering；〃　and　contends　for　effectual　coercion　to　be　exercised　over　owners　of　small　houses；　over　land…owners；　and　over　rate…payers。　Here　is　another　Cabinet　Minister　who；　addressing　his　constituents；　speaks　slightingly　of　the　doings　of　philanthropic　societies　and　religious　bodies　to　help　the　poor；　and　says　that　〃the　whole　of　the　people　of　this　country　ought　to　look　upon　this　work　as　being　their　own　work：〃　that　is　to　say；　some　extensive　Government　measure　is　called　for。　Again；　we　have　a　Radical　member　of　Parliament　who　leads　a　large　and　powerful　body；　aiming　with　annually…increasing　promise　of　success；　to　enforce　sobriety　by　giving　to　local　majorities　powers　to　prevent　freedom　of　exchange　in　respect　of　certain　commodities。　Regulation　of　the　hours　of　labour　for　certain　classes；　which　has　been　made　more　and　more　general　by　successive　extensions　of　the　Factories　Acts；　is　likely　now　to　be　made　still　more　general：　a　measure　is　to　be　proposed　bringing　the　employees　in　all　shops　under　such　regulation。　There　is　a　rising　demand；　too；　that　education　shall　be　made　gratis　for　all。　The　payment　of　school…fees　is　beginning　to　be　denounced　as　a　wrong：　the　State　must　take　the　whole　burden。　Moreover；　it　is　proposed　by　many　that　the　State；　regarded　as　an　undoubtedly　competent　judge　of　what　constitutes　good　education　for　the　poor；　shall　undertake　also　to　prescribe　good　education　for　the　middle　classes　　shall　stamp　the　children　of　these；　too；　after　a　State　pattern；　concerning　the　goodness　of　which　they　have　no　more　doubt　than　the　Chinese　had　when　they　fixed　theirs。　Then　there　is　the　〃endowment　of　research；〃　of　late　energetically　urged。　Already　the　Government　gives　every　year　the　sum　of　*4；000　for　this　purpose；　to　be　distributed　through　the　Royal　Society；　and　in　the　absence　of　those　who　have　strong　motives　for　resisting　the　pressure　of　the　interested　backed　by　those　they　easily　persuade；　it　may　by…and…by　establish　that　paid　〃priesthood　of　science〃　long　ago　advocated　by　Sir　David　Brewster。　Once　more；　plausible　proposals　are　made　that　there　should　be　organized　a　system　of　compulsory　insurance；　by　which　men　during　their　early　lives　shall　be　forced　to　provide　for　the　time　when　they　will　be　incapacitated。　　　　　　Nor　does　enumeration　of　these　further　measures　of　coercive　rule；　looming　on　us　near　at　hand　or　in　the　distance；　complete　the　account。　Nothing　more　than　cursory　allusion　has　yet　been　made　to　that　accompanying　compulsion　which　takes　the　form　of　increased　taxation；　general　and　local。　Partly　for　defraying　the　costs　of　caring　out　these　ever…multiplying　coercive　measures；　each　of　which　requires　an　additional　staff　of　officers；　and　partly　to　meet　the　outlay　for　new　public　institutions；　such　as　board…schools；　free　libraries；　public　museums；　baths　and　wash…houses；　recreation　grounds；　etc。；　etc。；　local　rates　are　year　after　year　increased；　as　the　general　taxation　is　increased　by　grants　for　education　and　to　the　departments　of　science　and　art；　etc。　Every　one　of　these　involves　further　coercion　　restricts　still　more　the　freedom　of　the　citizen。　For　the　implied　address　accompanying　every　additional　exaction　is　　〃Hitherto　you　have　been　free　to　spend　this　portion　of　your　earnings　in　any　way　which　pleased　you；　hereafter　you　shall　not　be　free　so　to　spend　it；　but　we　will　spend　it　for　the　general　benefit。〃　Thus；　either　directly　or　indirectly；　and　in　most　cases　both　at　once；　the　citizen　is　at　each　further　stage　in　the　growth　of　this　compulsory　legislation；　deprived　of　some　liberty　which　he　previously　had。　　　　　　Such；　then；　are　the　doings　of　the　party　which　claims　the　name　of　Liberal；　and　which　calls　itself　Liberal　as　being　the　advocate　of　extended　freedom。　

I　doubt　not　that　many　a　member　of　the　party　has　read　the　preceding　section　with　impatience；　wanting；　as　he　does；　to　point　out　an　immense　oversight　which　he　thinks　destroys　the　validity　of　the　argument。　〃You　forget；〃　he　wishes　to　say；　〃the　fundamental　difference　between　the　power　which；　in　the　past；　established　those　restraints　that　Liberalism　abolished；　and　the　power　which；　in　the　present；　establishes　the　restraints　you　call　anti…Liberal。　You　forget　that　the　one　was　an　irresponsible　power；　while　the　other　is　a　responsible　power。　You　forget　that　if　by　the　recent　legislation　of　Liberals；　people　are　variously　regulated；　the　body　which　regulates　them　is　of　their　own　creating；　and　has　their　warrant　for　its　acts。〃　　　　　My　answer　is；　that　I　have　not　forgotten　this　difference；　but　am　prepared　to　contend　that　the　difference　is　in　large　measure　irrelevant　to　the　issue。　　　　　　In　the　first　place；　the　real　issue　is　whether　the　lives　of　citizens　are　more　interfered　with　than　they　were；　not　the　nature　of　the　agency　which　interferes　with　them。　Take　a　simpler　case。　A　member　of　a　trades'　union　has　joined　others　in　establishing　an　organization　of　a　purely　representative　character。　By　it　he　is　compelled　to　strike　if　a　majority　so　decide；　he　is　forbidden　to　accept　work　save　under　the　conditions　they　dictate；　he　is　prevented　from　profiting　by　his　superior　ability　or　energy　to　the　extent　he　might　do　were　it　not　for　their　interdict。　He　cannot　disobey　without　abandoning　those　pecuniary　benefits　of　the　organization　for　which　he　has　subscribed；　and　bringing　on　himself　the　persecution；　and　perhaps　violence；　of　his　fellows。　Is　he　any　the　less　coerced　because　the　body　coercing　him　is　one　which　he　had　an　equal　voice　with　the　rest　in　forming？　　　　　　In　the　second　place；　if　it　be　objected　that　the　analogy　is　faulty；　since　the　governing　body　of　a　nation；　to　which；　as　protector　of　the　national　life　and　interests；　all　must　submit　under　penalty　of　social　disorganization；　has　a　far　higher　authority　over　citizens　than　the　government　of　any　private　organization　can　have　over　its　members；　then　the　reply　is　that；　granting　the　difference；　the　answer　made　continues　valid。　If　men　use　their　liberty　in　such　a　way　as　to　surrender　their　liberty；　are　they　thereafter　any　the　less　slaves？　If　people　by　a　plebiscite　elect　a　man　despot　over　them；　do　they　remain　free　because　th