登陆注册
5383800000201

第201章

`The Labour members is sent to the 'Ouse of Commons,' said Harlow, `and paid their wages to do certain work for the benefit of the working classes, just the same as we're sent 'ere and paid our wages by the Bloke to paint this 'ouse.'

`Yes,' said Crass; `but if we didn't do the work we're paid to do, we should bloody soon get the sack.'

Imperial Bankquet Hall `The Refuge'

on Thursday at 12.30 prompt Professor Barrington WILL DELIVER AORATION

ENTITLED

THE GREAT SECRET, OR

HOW TO LIVE WITHOUT WORK

The Rev.Joe Philpot PLO

(Late absconding secretary of the light refreshment fund)Will take the chair and anything else he can lay his hands on.

At The End Of The Lecture A MEETING WILL BEARRANGED

And carried out according to the Marquis of Queensbury's Rules.

A Collection will be took up in aid of the cost of printing `I can't see how we've got to keep the other members,' said Slyme;`they're mostly rich men, and they live on their own money.'

`Of course,' said Crass.`And I should like to know where we should be without 'em! Talk about us keepin' them! It seems to me more like it that they keeps us! The likes of us lives on rich people.Where should we be if it wasn't for all the money they spend and the work they 'as done? If the owner of this 'ouse 'adn't 'ad the money to spend to 'ave it done up, most of us would 'ave bin out of work this last six weeks, and starvin', the same as lots of others 'as been.'

`Oh yes, that's right enough,' agreed Bundy.`Labour is no good without Capital.Before any work can be done there's one thing necessary, and that's money.It would be easy to find work for all the unemployed if the local authorities could only raise the money.'

`Yes; that's quite true,' said Owen.`And that proves that money is the cause of poverty, because poverty consists in being short of the necessaries of life: the necessaries of life are all produced by labour applied to the raw materials: the raw materials exist in abundance and there are plenty of people able and willing to work; but under present conditions no work can be done without money; and so we have the spectacle of a great army of people compelled to stand idle and starve by the side of the raw materials from which their labour could produce abundance of all the things they need - they are rendered helpless by the power of Money! Those who possess all the money say that the necessaries of life shall not be produced except for their profit.'

`Yes! and you can't alter it,' said Crass, triumphantly.`It's always been like it, and it always will be like it.'

`'Ear! 'Ear!' shouted the man behind the moat.`There's always been rich and poor in the world, and there always will be.'

Several others expressed their enthusiastic agreement with Crass's opinion, and most of them appeared to be highly delighted to think that the existing state of affairs could never be altered.

`It hasn't always been like it, and it won't always be like it,' said Owen.`The time will come, and it's not very far distant, when the necessaries of life will be produced for use and not for profit.The time is coming when it will no longer be possible for a few selfish people to condemn thousands of men and women and little children to live in misery and die of want.'

`Ah well, it won't be in your time, or mine either,' said Crass gleefully, and most of the others laughed with imbecile satisfaction.

`I've 'eard a 'ell of a lot about this 'ere Socialism,' remarked the man behind the moat, `but up to now I've never met nobody wot could tell you plainly exactly wot it is.'

`Yes; that's what I should like to know too,' said Easton.

`Socialism mean "What's yours is mine, and what's mine's me own,"'

observed Bundy, and during the laughter that greeted this definition Slyme was heard to say that Socialism meant Materialism, Atheism and Free Love, and if it were ever to come about it would degrade men and women to the level of brute beasts.Harlow said Socialism was a beautiful ideal, which he for one would be very glad to see realized, and he was afraid it was altogether too good to be practical, because human nature is too mean and selfish.Sawkins said that Socialism was a lot of bloody rot, and Crass expressed the opinion - which he had culled from the delectable columns of the Obscurer - that it meant robbing the industries for the benefit of the idle and thriftless.

Philpot had by this time finished his bread and cheese, and, having taken a final draught of tea, he rose to his feet, and crossing over to the corner of the room, ascended the pulpit, being immediately greeted with a tremendous outburst of hooting, howling and booing, which he smilingly acknowledged by removing his cap from his bald head and bowing repeatedly.When the storm of shrieks, yells, groans and catcalls had in some degree subsided, and Philpot was able to make himself heard, he addressed the meeting as follows:

`Gentlemen: First of all I beg to thank you very sincerely for the magnificent and cordial reception you have given me on this occasion, and I shall try to deserve your good opinion by opening the meeting as briefly as possible.

`Putting all jokes aside, I think we're all agreed about one thing, and that is, that there's plenty of room for improvement in things in general.(Hear, hear.) As our other lecturer, Professor Owen, pointed out in one of 'is lectures and as most of you 'ave read in the newspapers, although British trade was never so good before as it is now, there was never so much misery and poverty, and so many people out of work, and so many small shopkeepers goin' up the spout as there is at this partickiler time.Now, some people tells us as the way to put everything right is to 'ave Free Trade and plenty of cheap food.

同类推荐
  • 宾退录

    宾退录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 中恶门

    中恶门

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 中藏经

    中藏经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 杨公笔录

    杨公笔录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 袁督师诗集

    袁督师诗集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 有个武侠系统四处玩

    有个武侠系统四处玩

    这是一个收集癖的冒险故事,“打打打打劫,把身上最有价值的东西交出来。”
  • 世界经典小笑话全集

    世界经典小笑话全集

    “本书呈现给读者的这些幽默小笑话,是近年来读者最喜闻乐见的麻辣段子,内容经典。在紧张的生活和工作之余,随手翻阅几则,就可让自己开心一笑,什么忧愁烦恼都将抛诸脑后。”
  • 魂之武装

    魂之武装

    在这个世界中有许多奇异的种族,精灵、矮人、兽人、虫人、蜥蜴人等等,人类既没有华丽的魔法,也没有炫酷的斗气,只拥有一种源自于自身灵魂的力量,简称为魂力。灵魂穿越的李坚强附身在死去的少年亚瑟身上,凭借强大的灵魂力量一路披荆斩棘,在奇异的世界中展开了一场冒险之旅,不断进步的同时也渐渐洞悉了这个世界的本质,找到了最终的“真实”。
  • 编外侦探

    编外侦探

    9月28日傍晚,大友铁突然被搜查一课课长福原叫去。福原课长对他用下命令的口气说:“明天你去一趟涉谷中央署的特搜本部,对此案再作一次详细的侦查。”对这突如其来的工作指派,大友感觉有点儿突兀。因为涉谷中央署的特搜本部早已拘捕了案犯,对案子的处理也已进入结案阶段。这个时候却要我去横插一脚,这到底是怎么回事呢?再说,自己早已换岗到刑事总务课工作了,这次却被搜查一课的福原课长指派工作,他担心,这样一来照料儿子优斗的事怎么办?想到这里,亡妻圣子的嘱托又在耳边响起。唉,没办法,现在能做的就是尽快完成这项任务。
  • 咱们都是同龄人

    咱们都是同龄人

    温亚军,现为北京武警总部某文学杂志主编。著有长篇小说伪生活等六部,小说集硬雪、驮水的日子等七部。获第三届鲁迅文学奖,第十一届庄重文文学奖,《小说选刊》《中国作家》和《上海文学》等刊物奖,入选中国小说学会排行榜。中国作家协会会员。
  • 马可·波罗游记

    马可·波罗游记

    欲知世界各地之真相,可取此书读之。马可·波罗,世界著名的旅行家、商人。1254年生于意大利威尼斯一个商旅世家。17岁时,马可·波罗跟随父亲尼古刺·波罗和叔叔玛窦·波罗,途经中东,历时蹬年多来到中国,在中国游历了17年。回国后著成《马可·波罗游记》一书,记述他在东方最富有的国家——中国。
  • 琼少秘宠:娇妻有点狠

    琼少秘宠:娇妻有点狠

    她是生活在底层的杂草,苦苦挣扎,却厄运连连。他是身份神秘的富豪,没人知道他的真实背景,众人只道琼少在T市能只手遮天。因一场意外,她成了他的救命草。琼少高高在上,睥睨着卑微的她。“丫头,想知道那个人在哪儿吗?”啪,一沓纸扔在沐小溪面前。“签了这份协议,成为我的妻子,我便告诉你那个人在哪儿。”
  • 郡主当道:美男有点多

    郡主当道:美男有点多

    她本是天之骄女,却一朝穿越,成为刁蛮郡主。开创酒楼,资助学堂,她摇身一变,被称赞为仙女下凡。毛遂自荐,她主动请缨举办皇家夜宴。烟花齐绽,她彻底成为仙女郡主。将军古越痴情相爱,鹰楼之主默默守护。初一登高,小和尚情窦初开,对她一见钟情。旷世奇才,与她日常斗嘴,暗生情愫。海面波澜不惊,实则暗流涌动。暴风雨来临的前一刻,总是格外平静。黑袍人现,地狱门开。那面具之下的双眼竟格外熟悉。她遭人暗害,落水失忆。身中蛊毒,情人远去。这一切,到底是谁在暗中操控?百鸟朝凤,万凤朝仪。她身份之谜逐渐揭开。“本座本无心六界尊位,你们却一而再再而三地要致本座于死地。既如此,那本座就只好勉为其难,去做做那六界之主了。”
  • 欢喜小皇帝

    欢喜小皇帝

    被自己埋下的地雷炸死,成了个十三岁的小皇帝!叔叔能忍言煜都不能忍!除奸臣,收政权,撕渣渣,小日子过起来~~~
  • 见习魔法师

    见习魔法师

    不一样的复活祭祀,不一样的魔王争霸,不一样的神兽与传说,尽在见习魔法师……