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！
ob。
None of the men were ever caught stealing anything； however trifling； but all the same during the course of the summer five or six of them were captured by the police and sent to jail … for not being able to pay their poor rates。
All through the summer Owen continued to make himself objectionable and to incur the ridicule of his fellow workmen by talking about the causes of poverty and of ways to abolish it。
Most of the men kept two shillings or half a crown of their wages back from their wives for pocket money； which they spent on beer and tobacco。 There were a very few who spent a little more than this； and there were a still smaller number who spent so much in this way that their families had to suffer in consequence。
Most of those who kept back half a crown or three shillings from their wives did so on the understanding that they were to buy their clothing out of it。 Some of them had to pay a shilling a week to a tallyman or credit clothier。 These were the ones who indulged in shoddy new suits … at long intervals。 Others bought … or got their wives to buy for them … their clothes at second…hand shops； ‘paying off' about a shilling or so a week and not receiving the things till they were paid for。
There were a very large proportion of them who did not spend even a shilling a week for drink： and there were numerous others who； while not being formally total abstainers； yet often went for weeks together without either entering a public house or tasting intoxicating drink in any form。
Then there were others who； instead of drinking tea or coffee or cocoa with their dinners or suppers； drank beer。 This did not cost more than the teetotal drinks； but all the same there are some persons who say that those who swell the ‘Nation's Drink Bill' by drinking beer with their dinners or suppers are a kind of criminal； and that they ought to be compelled to drink something else： that is； if they are working people。 As for the idle classes； they of course are to be allowed to continue to make merry； ‘drinking whisky； wine and sherry'； to say nothing of having their beer in by the barrel and the dozen … or forty dozen … bottles。 But of course that's a different matter； because these people make so much money out of the labour of the working classes that they can afford to indulge in this way without depriving their children of the necessaries of life。
There is no more cowardly； dastardly slander than is contained in the assertion that the majority or any considerable proportion of working men neglect their families through drink。 It is a condemned lie。 There are some who do； but they are not even a large minority。 They are few and far between； and are regarded with contempt by their fellow workmen。
It will be said that their families had to suffer for want of even the little that most of them spent in that way： but the persons that use this argument should carry it to its logical conclusion。 Tea is an unnecessary and harmful drink； it has been condemned by medical men so often that to enumerate its evil qualities here would be waste of time。 The same can be said of nearly all the cheap temperance drinks； they are unnecessary and harmful and cost money； and； like beer； are drunk only for pleasure。
What right has anyone to say to working men that when their work is done they should not find pleasure in drinking a glass or two of beer together in a tavern or anywhere else？ Let those who would presume to condemn them carry their argument to its logical conclusion and condemn pleasure of every kind。 Let them persuade the working classes to lead still simpler lives； to drink water instead of such unwholesome things as tea； coffee； beer； lemonade and all the other harmful and unnecessary stuff。 They would then be able to live ever so much more cheaply； and as wages are always and everywhere regulated by the cost of living； they would be able to work for lower pay。
These people are fond of quoting the figures of the ‘Nation's Drink Bill；' as if all this money were spent by the working classes！ But if the amount of money spent in drink by the ‘aristocracy'； the clergy and the middle classes were deducted from the ‘Nation's Drink Bill'； it would be seen that the amount spent per head by the working classes is not so alarming after all； and would probably not be much larger than the amount spent on drink by those who consume tea and coffee and all the other unwholesome and unnecessary ‘temperance' drinks。
The fact that some of Rushton's men spent about two shillings a week on drink while they were in employment was not the cause of their poverty。 If they had never spent a farthing for drink； and if their wretched wages had been increased fifty percent； they would still have been in a condition of the most abject and miserable poverty； for nearly all the benefits and privileges of civilization； nearly everything that makes life worth living； would still have been beyond their reach。
It is inevitable； so long as men have to live and work under such heartbreaking； uninteresting conditions as at present that a certain proportion of them will seek forgetfulness and momentary happiness in the tavern； and the only remedy for this evil is to remove the cause； and while that is in process； there is something else that can be done and that is； instead of allowing filthy drinking dens； presided over by persons whose interest it is to encourage men to drink more bad beer than is good for them or than they can afford； … to have civilized institutions run by the State or the municipalities for use and not merely for profit。 Decent pleasure houses； where no drunkenness or filthiness would be tolerated … where one could buy real beer or coffee or tea or any other refreshments； where men could repair when their day's work was over and spend an hour or two in rational intercourse with their fellows or listen to music and singing。 Taverns to which they could take their wives and children without fear of defilement； for a place that is not fit for the presence of a woman or a child is not fit to exist at all。
Owen； being a teetotaller； did not spend any of his money on drink； but he spent a lot on what he called ‘The Cause'。 Every week he bought some penny or twopenny pamphlets or some leaflets about Socialism； which he lent or gave to his mates； and in this way and by means of much talk he succeeded in converting a few to his party。 Philpot； Harlow and a few others used to listen with interest； and some of them even paid for the pamphlets they obtained from Owen； and after reading them themselves； passed them on to others； and also occasionally ‘got up' arguments on their own accounts。 Others were simply indifferent； or treated the subject as a kind of joke； ridiculing the suggestion that it was possible to abolish poverty。 They repeated that there had ‘always been rich and poor in the world and there always would be； so there was an end of it'。 But the majority were bitterly hostile； not to Owen； but to Socialism。 For the man himself most of them had a certain amount of liking； especially the ordinary hands because it was known that he was not a ‘master's man' and that he had declined to ‘take charge' of jobs which Misery had offered to him。 But to Socialism they were savagely and malignantly opposed。 Some of those who had shown some symptoms of Socialism during the past winter when they were starving had now quite recovered and were stout defenders of the Present System。
Barrington was still working for the firm and continued to maintain his manner of reserve； seldom speaking unless addressed but all the same； for several reasons； it began to be rumoured that he shared Owen's views。 He always paid for the pamphlets that Owen gave him； and on one occasion； when Owen bought a thousand leaflets to give away； Barrington contributed a shilling towards the half…crown that Owen paid for them。 But he never took any part in the arguments that sometimes raged during the dinner…hour or at breakfast…time。
It was a good thing for Owen that he had his enthusiasm for ‘the cause' to occupy his mind。 Socialism was to him what drink was to some of the others … the thing that enable them to forget and tolerate the conditions under which they were forced to exist。 Some of them were so muddled with beer； and others so besotted with admiration of their Liberal and Tory masters； that they were oblivious of the misery of their own lives； and in a similar way； Owen was so much occupied in trying to rouse them from their lethargy and so engrossed in trying to think out new arguments to convince them of the possibility of bringing about an improvement in their condition that he had no time to dwell upon his own poverty； the money that he spent on leaflets and pamphlets to give away might have been better spent on food and clothing for himself； because most of those to whom he gave them were by no means grateful； but he never thought of that； and after all； nearly everyone spends money on some hobby or other。 Some people deny themselves the necessaries or comforts of life in order that they may be able to help to fatten a publican。 Others deny themselves in order to enable a lazy parson to live in idleness and luxury； and others