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and obedient to the best traditions of his art。 Those who fail to fulfil these
conditions will be compelled by the withdrawal of their license to seek
some less dubious mode of earning their living。 Such will be the ideal of
the State Socialist。
In such a world all that makes life tolerable to the lover of beauty
would perish。 Art springs from a wild and anarchic side of human nature；
between the artist and the bureaucrat there must always be a profound
mutual antagonism； an age…long battle in which the artist； always
outwardly worsted； wins in the end through the gratitude of mankind for
the joy that he puts into their lives。 If the wild side of human nature is to
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be permanently subjected to the orderly rules of the benevolent；
uncomprehending bureaucrat； the joy of life will perish out of the earth；
and the very impulse to live will gradually wither and die。 Better a
thousandfold the present world with all its horrors than such a dead
mummy of a world。 Better Anarchism； with all its risks； than a State
Socialism that subjects to rule what must be spontaneous and free if it is to
have any value。 It is this nightmare that makes artists； and lovers of beauty
generally； so often suspicious of Socialism。 But there is nothing in the
essence of Socialism to make art impossible： only certain forms of
Socialism would entail this danger。 William Morris was a Socialist； and
was a Socialist very largely because he was an artist。 And in this he was
not irrational。
It is impossible for art； or any of the higher creative activities； to
flourish under any system which requires that the artist shall prove his
competence to some body of authorities before he is allowed to follow his
impulse。 Any really great artist is almost sure to be thought incompetent
by those among his seniors who would be generally regarded as best
qualified to form an opinion。 And the mere fact of having to produce work
which will please older men is hostile to a free spirit and to bold
innovation。 Apart from this difficulty； selection by older men would lead
to jealousy and intrigue and back…biting； producing a poisonous
atmosphere of underground competition。 The only effect of such a plan
would be to eliminate the few who now slip through owing to some
fortunate accident。 It is not by any system； but by freedom alone； that art
can flourish。
There are two ways by which the artist could secure freedom under
Socialism of the right kind。 He might undertake regular work outside his
art； doing only a few hours' work a day and receiving proportionately less
pay than those who do a full day's work。 He ought； in that case； to be at
liberty to sell his pictures if he could find purchasers。 Such a system would
have many advantages。 It would leave absolutely every man free to
become an artist； provided he were willing to suffer a certain economic
loss。 This would not deter those in whom the impulse was strong and
genuine； but would tend to exclude the dilettante。 Many young artists at
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present endure voluntarily much greater poverty than need be entailed by
only doing half the usual day's work in a well…organized Socialist
community； and some degree of hardship is not objectionable； as a test of
the strength of the creative impulse； and as an offset to the peculiar joys of
the creative life。
The other possibility＇58＇ would be that the necessaries of life should
be free； as Anarchists desire； to all equally； regardless of whether they
work or not。 Under this plan； every man could live without work： there
would be what might be called a ‘‘vagabond's wage；'' sufficient for
existence but not for luxury。 The artist who preferred to have his whole
time for art and enjoyment might live on the ‘‘vagabond's wage''
traveling on foot when the humor seized him to see foreign countries；
enjoying the air and the sun； as free as the birds； and perhaps scarcely less
happy。 Such men would bring color and diversity into the life of the
community； their outlook would be different from that of steady； stay…at…
home workers； and would keep alive a much…needed element of light…
heartedness which our sober； serious civilization tends to kill。 If they
became very numerous； they might be too great an economic burden on
the workers； but I doubt if there are many with enough capacity for simple
enjoyments to choose poverty and free… dom in preference to the
comparatively light and pleasant work which will be usual in those days。
＇58＇ Which we discussed in Chapter IV。
By either of these methods； freedom can be preserved for the artist in
a socialistic commonwealth far more complete freedom； and far more
widespread； than any that now exists except for the possessors of capital。
But there still remain some not altogether easy problems。 Take； for
example； the publishing of books。 There will not； under Socialism； be
private publishers as at present： under State Socialism； presumably the
State will be the sole publisher； while under Syndicalism or Guild
Socialism the Federation du Livre will have the whole of the trade in its
hands。 Under these circumstances； who is to decide what MSS。 are to be
printed？ It is clear that opportunities exist for an Index more rigorous than
that of the Inquisition。 If the State were the sole publisher； it would
doubtless refuse books opposed to State Socialism。 If the Federation du
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Livre were the ultimate arbiter； what publicity could be obtained for works
criticising it？ And apart from such political difficulties we should have； as
regards literature； that very censorship by eminent officials which we
agreed to regard as disastrous when we were considering the fine arts in
general。 The difficulty is serious； and a way of meeting it must be found if
literature is to remain free。
Kropotkin； who believes that manual and intellectual work should be
combined； holds that authors themselves should be compositors；
bookbinders； etc。 He even seems to suggest that the whole of the manual
work involved in producing books should be done by authors。 It may be
doubted whether there are enough authors in the world for this to be
possible； and in any case I cannot but think that it would be a waste of
time for them to leave the work they understand in order to do badly work
which others could do far better and more quickly。 That； however； does
not touch our present point； which is the question how the MSS。 to be
printed will be selected。 In Kropotkin's plan there will presumably be an
Author's Guild； with a Committee of Management； if Anarchism allows
such things。 This Committee of Management will decide which of the
books submitted to it are worthy to be printed。 Among these will be
included those by the Committee and their friends； but not those by their
enemies。 Authors of rejected MSS。 will hardly have the patience to spend
their time setting up the works of successful rivals； and there will have to
be an elaborate system of log…rolling if any books are to be printed at all。 It
hardly looks as if this plan would conduce to harmony among literary men；
or would lead to the publication of any book of an unconventional
tendency。 Kropotkin's own books； for example； would hardly have found
favor。
The only way of meeting these