登陆注册
15705500000036

第36章 THE FOOL(2)

When,therefore,he removed the narcotic stopper from his mouth it was to me that he addressed the belated epigram."I'd give it 'em.""What would you give them,"I asked,"the minimum wage?""I'd give them beans,"he said."I'd shoot 'em down shoot 'em down,every man Jack of them.I lost my best train yesterday,and here's the whole country paralysed,and here's a handful of obstinate fellows standing between the country and coal.I'd shoot 'em down!""That would surely be a little harsh,"I pleaded."After all,they are not under martial law,though I suppose two or three of them have commissions in the Yeomanry.""Commissions in the Yeomanry!"he repeated,and his eyes and face,which became startling and separate,like those of a boiled lobster,made me feel sure that he had something of the kind himself.

"Besides,"I continued,"wouldn't it be quite enough to confiscate their money?""Well,I'd send them all to penal servitude,anyhow,"he said,"and I'd confiscate their funds as well.""The policy is daring and full of difficulty,"I replied,"but I do not say that it is wholly outside the extreme rights of the republic.But you must remember that though the facts of property have become quite fantastic,yet the sentiment of property still exists.These coal-owners,though they have not earned the mines,though they could not work the mines,do quite honestly feel that they own the mines.Hence your suggestion of shooting them down,or even of confiscating their property,raises very--""What do you mean?"asked the man with the cigar,with a bullying eye.

"Who yer talking about?"

"I'm talking about what you were talking about,"I replied;"as you put it so perfectly,about the handful of obstinate fellows who are standing between the country and the coal.I mean the men who are selling their own coal for fancy prices,and who,as long as they can get those prices,care as little for national starvation as most merchant princes and pirates have eared for the provinces that were wasted or the peoples that were enslaved just before their ships came home.But though I am a bit of a revolutionist myself,I cannot quite go with you in the extreme violence you suggest.You say--""I say,"he cried,bursting through my speech with a really splendid energy like that of some noble beast,"I say I'd take all these blasted miners and--"I had risen slowly to my feet,for I was profoundly moved;and I stood staring at that mental monster.

"Oh,"I said,"so it is the miners who are all to be sent to penal servitude,so that we may get more coal.It is the miners who are to be shot dead,every man Jack of them;for if once they are all shot dead they will start mining again...You must forgive me,sir;I know I seem somewhat moved..The fact is,I have just found something.something Ihave been looking for for years.""Well,"he asked,with no unfriendly stare,"and what have you found?""No,"I answered,shaking my head sadly,"I do not think it would be quite kind to tell you what I have found."He had a hundred virtues,including the capital virtue of good humour,and we had no difficulty in changing the subject and forgetting the disagreement.He talked about society,his town friends and his country sports,and I discovered in the course of it that he was a county magistrate,a Member of Parliament,and a director of several important companies.He was also that other thing,which I did not tell him.

The moral is that a certain sort of person does exist,to whose glory this article is dedicated.He is not the ordinary man.He is not the miner,who is sharp enough to ask for the necessities of existence.He is not the mine-owner,who is sharp enough to get a great deal more,by selling his coal at the best possible moment.He is not the aristocratic politician,who has a cynical but a fair sympathy with both economic opportunities.But he is the man who appears in scores of public places open to the upper middle class or (that less known but more powerful section)the lower upper class.Men like this all over the country are really saying whatever comes into their heads in their capacities of justice of the peace,candidate for Parliament,Colonel of the Yeomanry,old family doctor,Poor Law guardian,coroner,or above all,arbiter in trade disputes.He suffers,in the literal sense,from softening of the brain;he has softened it by always taking the view of everything most comfortable for his country,his class,and his private personality.He is a deadly public danger.But as I have given him his name at the beginning of this article there is no need for me to repeat it at the end.

同类推荐
  • The Princess

    The Princess

    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。
  • 东茶记

    东茶记

    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。
  • 唐书直笔

    唐书直笔

    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。
  • Great Astronomers

    Great Astronomers

    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。
  • 眼科心法要诀

    眼科心法要诀

    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。
热门推荐
  • 异界之成神记

    异界之成神记

    神,天地万物的创造者、主宰者。茫茫的混沌宇宙究竟何人为神,是西方世界中地狱的撒旦和他的恶魔,还是天堂的上帝耶和华和他的天使,亦或是奥林匹斯山上宙斯和他的众神,再或者是东方世界中天庭众神、各路仙家大能、高高再生的六圣、天道鸿钧?不是,他们都不是神。虽然他们都有着超凡的实力,被世间众人敬仰,但是他们并不能称为神,因为混沌大道之下,只有一类人可以成为神,而他们并不在其中……。传说中的世界,传说中的人。背叛、诱惑、绝望,经历百态,留我本心,方为神!
  • 腹黑校草做个交易

    腹黑校草做个交易

    何妍曦不知什么时候已经站在了贺俊贤身后。“贺少每次出手都这么大方?”何妍曦故意用一种奇怪的语气问他。贺俊贤一把搂住何妍曦的腰,几乎贴到她的嘴唇,然后小声的说:“我可以对你更大方,以身相许怎么样?”“咦惹~我才不要你以身相许呢!走开走开。”何妍曦故意露出嫌弃的神情,还没挣脱贺俊贤的手,就被一把按到在床上。
  • 少总裁与红白玫瑰

    少总裁与红白玫瑰

    一个是银饰蓝装、风采动人的林氏集团少总裁,另一个是墨镜黑裘、飘逸冷酷黑道太子;今晚亚特兰中心豪门夜宴的光采,已完全被林依和谢逸寒抢尽了。在场的人中有任氏集团的年轻董事长任飞,他看着林依,眼中是比山还要高,比水还要深的痛苦:她为什么这么狠?他对她这么好,她却要这样对他!而且……她还是他生命里的第一个女人吧?甚至,他都幻想过让她成为他生命里的唯一女人……
  • 宠妃无下限:丞相,你好!

    宠妃无下限:丞相,你好!

    “他”是丞相府的废物嫡长子,没有人见过他。传言其貌丑残废不能自理,当“他”出现在人们的视线时,坊间有传言:“非木笙不嫁。”什么?前未婚妻想要复合?纤细的玉指在桌面上轻轻扣着:“扔出去。”“是,主上!”一道人影从天空划过,华丽丽的落在街上,一哭二闹三上吊?某女将手中刚刚研制好的毒药递过去:“告诉她,用这个方便些,免得浪费了好好的一匹白绫。”“是!主上。”侍卫一转身就被人抢了瓶子。某男:自家夫人的药怎么能白白浪费在一个蠢女人身上!他可以在某个小毛头面前炫耀炫耀他有自家夫人给的药。某小毛头:“你可以试着喝一下。”某男怒,有什么不敢喝的。看着某个昏死过去的男人,某女点评道:“尚可,药效不错。”某男哭
  • 全世界我只喜欢你

    全世界我只喜欢你

    我喜欢你,从小就喜欢你,只是我没有说,如今我终于鼓起勇气要对你说出那句话,可是,你的身边却已经有了那个他。群号:660192336
  • 橴月亮:织女玉玺(第一部)

    橴月亮:织女玉玺(第一部)

    在未来亿万年后,神秘的外太空织女星小公主紫月为了拯救女王和自己的星球,追寻亿万年前关于牛郎织女传说中不为世人知晓的秘密:一个神秘的女王织女玉玺。意外的来到早已毁灭的地球,无意中解除了地宫帛书密旨之魔咒,随着古代先帝死魂灵的复活,紫月不但找回自己的身世之谜,了解了两代人之间的爱恨情仇,却没有想到激发了银河系更大的灾难,她也被迫陷入一种令人不寒而栗的情感纠葛之中。
  • 八宝来了

    八宝来了

    人无情,是为道无情?不过三两滴秋雨入肝肠,好无味。便是沧海有泪,指点两下山河成了罪?何必十多年,来叹:只是月下自怜惜照,不能圆也许也只有证道才能破了这千般无奈才能梦一回那曾今灿烂的少年也还好吧?那时的八宝,那时的我,有你陪着,方才最好无奈等做空杯尽不负恩师不负卿
  • 五行宝座

    五行宝座

    全球的能量,开创新时代!五行者使命,战斗兼斩杀!
  • 元剑世界

    元剑世界

    这是一个由剑主宰的世界,在这里没有千姿百态的奇特科技也没有神奇多变的斗气魔法更没有灵气十足的仙侠修真,有的是凌厉、狂暴异常的剑力和变幻无穷各种各样的元剑。地球少年王鹏因一柄奇特古剑重生到元剑世界,也因这柄奇特古剑开启了一段绝世奇才的崛起之路。
  • 天才儿子宝贝妈

    天才儿子宝贝妈

    天才儿子好妖孽,逃跑妈咪要逆天!超级爽文,根本停不下来!这个人类女人很麻烦又罗嗦,竟然偷吃了他的救命仙丹。不过,幸好双修还是有些效果的。呃,他竟然不讨厌,还产生了与她继续下去的念头……他肯定是闲疯了!才会看上这种手无缚鸡之力的悍妇,不过呢……如果她再这样逃跑的话,哼哼,就别怪他——把她吃抹干净!