evolution and ethics and other essays-第28章

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towns　of　no　great　size　or　wealth　in　the　manufacturing　districts
（Keighley；　for　example）　in　which　almost　the　whole　of　it　has；　for　some
time；　been　carried　out；　so　far　as　the　means　at　the　disposal　of　the
energetic　and　public…spirited　men　who　have　taken　the　matter　in　hand
permitted。　The　thing　can　be　done；　I　have　endeavoured　to　show　good
grounds　for　the　belief　that　it　must　be　done；　and　that　speedily；　if　we
wish　to　hold　our　own　in　the　war　of　industry。　I　doubt　not　that　it　will
be　done；　whenever　its　absolute　necessity　becomes　as　apparent　to　all
those　who　are　absorbed　in　the　actual　business　of　industrial　life　as　it
is　to　some　of　the　lookers　on。

Perhaps　it　is　necessary　for　me　to　add　that　technical　education　is　not
here　proposed　as　a　panacea　for　social　diseases；　but　simply　as　a
medicament　which　will　help　the　patient　to　pass　through　an　imminent
crisis。

An　ophthalmic　surgeon　may　recommend　an　operation　for　cataract　in　a　man
who　is　going　blind；　without　being　supposed　to　undertake　that　it　will
cure　him　of　gout。　And　I　may　pursue　the　metaphor　so　far　as　to　remark；
that　the　surgeon　is　justified　in　pointing　out　that　a　diet　of
pork…chops　and　burgundy　will　probably　kill　his　patient；　though　he　may
be　quite　able　to　suggest　a　mode　of　living　＇236＇　which　will　free　him
from　his　constitutional　disorder。

Mr。　Booth　asks　me；　Why　do　you　not　propose　some　plan　of　your　own？
Really；　that　is　no　answer　to　my　argument　that　his　treatment　will　make
the　patient　very　much　worse。　＇Note　added　in　Social　Diseases　and　Worse
Remedies；　January；　1891。＇

＇237＇


　　　　　　　　　　LETTERS　TO　THE　〃Times〃

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ON　THE

　　　　　　　　　〃DARKEST　ENGLAND　SCHEME。〃

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　I。

The　〃Times；〃　December　1st；　1890

SIR：　A　short　time　ago　a　generous　and　philanthropic　friend　wrote　to　me；
placing　at　my　disposal　a　large　sum　of　money　for　the　furtherance　of　the
vast　scheme　which　the　〃General〃　of　the　Salvation　Army　has　propounded；
if　I　thought　it　worthy　of　support。　The　responsibility　of　advising　my
benevolent　correspondent　has　weighed　heavily　upon　me；　but　I　felt　that
it　would　be　cowardly；　as　well　as　ungracious；　to　refuse　to　accept　it。　I
have　therefore　studied　Mr。　Booth's　book　with　some　care；　for　the
purpose　of　separating　the　essential　from　the　accessory　features　of　his
project；　and　I　have　based　my　judgmentI　am　sorry　to　say　an
unfavourable　oneupon　the　data　thus　obtained。　Before　communicating　my
conclusions　to　my　friend；　however；　I　am　desirous　to　know　what　there
may　be　to　be　said　in　arrest　of　that　judgment；　＇238＇　and　the　matter　is
of　such　vast　public　importance　that　I　trust　you　will　aid　me　by
publishing　this　letter；　notwithstanding　its　length。

There　are　one　or　two　points　upon　which　I　imagine　all　thinking　men　have
arrived　at　the　same　convictions　as　those　from　which　Mr。　Booth　starts。
It　is　certain　that　there　is　an　immense　amount　of　remediable　misery
among　us；　that；　in　addition　to　the　poverty；　disease；　and　degradation
which　are　the　consequences　of　causes　beyond　human　control；　there　is　a
vast；　probably　a　very　much　larger；　quantity　of　misery　which　is　the
result　of　individual　ignorance；　or　misconduct；　and　of　faulty　social
arrangements。　Further；　I　think　it　is　not　to　be　doubted　that；　unless
this　remediable　misery　is　effectually　dealt　with；　the　hordes　of　vice
and　pauperism　will　destroy　modern　civilization　as　effectually　as
uncivilized　tribes　of　another　kind　destroyed　the　great　social
organization　which　preceded　ours。　Moreover；　I　think　all　will　agree
that　no　reforms　and　improvements　will　go　to　the　root　of　the　evil
unless　they　attack　it　in　its　ultimate　sourcenamely；　the　motives　of
the　individual　man。　Honest；　industrious；　and　self…restraining　men　will
make　a　very　bad　social　organization　prosper；　while　vicious；　idle；　and
reckless　citizens　will　bring　to　ruin　the　best　that　ever　was；　or　ever
will　be；　invented。

The　leading　propositions　which　are　peculiar　to　Mr。　Booth　I　take　to　be
these：

＇239＇　（1）　That　the　only　adequate　means　to　such　reformation　of　the
individual　man　is　the　adoption　of　that　form　of　somewhat　corybantic
Christianity　of　which　the　soldiers　of　the　Salvation　Army　are　the
militant　missionaries。　This　implies　the　belief　that　the　excitement　of
the　religious　emotions　（largely　by　processes　described　by　their
employers　as　〃rousing〃　and　〃convivial〃）　is　a　desirable　and　trustworthy
method　of　permanently　amending　the　conduct　of　mankind。

I　demur　to　these　propositions。　I　am　of　opinion　that　the　testimony　of
history；　no　less　than　the　cool　observation　of　that　which　lies　within
the　personal　experience　of　many　of　us；　is　wholly　adverse　to　it。

　　　（2）　That　the　appropriate　instrument　for　the　propagation　and
maintenance　of　this　peculiar　sacramental　enthusiasm　is　the　Salvation
Armya　body　of　devotees；　drilled　and　disciplined　as　a　military
organization；　and　provided　with　a　numerous　hierarchy　of　officers；
every　one　of　whom　is　pledged　to　blind　and　unhesitating　obedience　to
the　〃General；〃　who　frankly　tells　us　that　the　first　condition　of　the
service　is　〃implicit；　unquestioning　obedience。〃　〃A　telegram　from　me
will　send　any　of　them　to　the　uttermost　parts　of　the　earth〃；　every　one
〃has　taken　service　on　the　express　condition　that　he　or　she　will　obey；
without　questioning；　or　gainsaying；　the　orders　from　headquarters〃
（〃Darkest　England；〃　p。　243）。

＇240＇　This　proposition　seems　to　me　to　be　indisputable。　History　confirms
it。　　Francis　of　Assisi　and　Ignatius　Loyola　made　their　great
experiments　on　the　same　principle。　Nothing　is　more　certain　than　that　a
body　of　religious　enthusiasts　（perhaps　we　may　even　say　fanatics）
pledged　to　blind　obedience　to　their　chief；　is　one　of　the　most
efficient　instruments　for　effecting　any　purpose　that　the　wit　of　man
has　yet　succeeded　in　devising。　And　I　can　but　admire　the　insight　into
human　nature　which　has　led　Mr。　Booth　to　leave　his　unquestioning　and
unhesitating　instruments　unbound　by　vows。　A　volunteer　slave　is　worth
ten　sworn　bondsmen。

　　　（3）　That　the　success　of　the　Salvation　Army；　with　its　present　force
of　9416　officers　〃wholly　engaged　in　the　work；〃　its　capital　of　three
quarters　of　a　million；　its　income　of　the　same　amount；　its　1375　corps
at　home；　and　1499　in　the　colonies　and　foreign　countries　（Appendix；　pp。
3　and　4）；　is　a　proof　that　Divine　assistance　has　been　vouchsafed　to　its
efforts。

Here　I　am　not　able　to　agree　with　the　sanguine　Commander…in…chief　of
the　new　model；　whose　labours　in　creating　it　have　probably　interfered
with　his　acquisition　of　information　respecting　the　fate　of　previous
enterprises　of　like　kind。

It　does　not　appear　to　me　that　his　success　is　in　any　degree　more
remarkable　than　that　of　Francis　of　Assisi　or　that　of　Ignatius　Loyola；
than　that　＇241＇　of　George　Fox；　or　even　than　that　of　the　Mormons；　in
our　own　time。　When　I　observe　the　discrepancies　of　the　doctrinal
foundations　from　which　each　of　these　great　movements　set　out；　I　find
it　difficult　to　suppose　that　supernatural　aid　has　been　given　to　all　of
them；　still　more；　that　Mr。　Booth's　smaller　measure　of　success　is
evidence　that　it　has　been　granted　to　him。

But　what　became　of　the　Franciscan　experiment？*　If　there　was　one　rule
rather　than　another　on　which　the　founder　laid　stress；　it　was　that　his
army　of　friars　should　be　absolute　mendicants；　keeping　themselves
sternly　apart　from　all　worldly　entanglements。　Yet；　even　before　the
death　of　Francis；　in　1226；　a　strong　party；　headed　by　Elias　of　Cortona；
the　deputy　of　his　own　appointment；　began　to　hanker　after　these　very
things；　and；　within　thirty　years　of　that　time；　the　Franciscans　had
become　one　of　the　most　powerful；　wealthy；　and　worldly　corporations　in
Christendom；　with　their　fingers　in　every　sink　of　political　and　social
corruption；　if　so　be　profit　for　the　order　could　be　fished　out　of　it；
their　principal　interest　being　to　fight　their　rivals；　the　Dominicans；
and　to　persecute　such　of　their　own　brethren　as　were　honest　enough　to
try　to　carry　out　their　founder's　plainest　injunctions。　We　also　know
what　has　become　of　Loyola's　experiment。　For　two　centuries　the　Jesuits
have　been　the　hope　of　the　enemies　of　the　Papacy；　whenever　it　becomes
too　prosperous；　they　are　sure　to　bring　about　a　catastrophe　by　their
corrupt　use　of　the　political　and　social　influence　which　their
organization　and　their　wealth　secure。

　　　　*　See　note　pp。　245…247＇

＇242＇　With　these　examples　of　that　which　may　happen　to　institutions
founded　by　noble　men；　with　high　aims；　in　the　hands　of　successors　of　a
different　stamp；　armed　with　despotic　authority；　before　me；　common
prudence　surely　requires　that；　before　advising　the　handing　over　of　a
large　sum　of　money　to　the　general　of　a　new　order　of　mendicants；　I
should　ask　what　guarantee　there　is　that；　thirty　years　hence；　the
〃General〃　who　then　autocratically　controls　the　action；　say；　of　100；000
officers　pledged　to　blind　obedience；　distributed　through　the　whole
length　and　breadth　of　the　poorer　classes；　and　each　with　his　finger　on
the　trigger　of　a　mine　charged　with　discontent　and　religious
fanaticism；　with　the　absolute　control；　say；　of　eight　or　ten　millions
sterling　of　capital　and　as　many　of　income；　with　barracks　in　every　town；
with　estates　scattered　over　the　country；　and　with　settlements　in　the
colonieswill　exercise　his　enormous　powers；　not　merely　honestly；　but
wisely？　What　shadow　of　security　is　there　that　the　person　who　wields
this　uncontrolled　authority　over　many　thousands　of　men　shall　use　it
solely　for　those　philanthropic　and　religious　objects　which；　I　do　not
doubt；　are　alone　in　the　mind　of　Mr。　Booth？　Who　is　to　say　that　the
Salvation　Army；　in　the　year　＇243＇　1920；　shall　not　be　a　replica　of　what
the　Franciscan　order　had　become　in　the　year　1260？

The　personal　character　and　the　intentions　of　the　founders　of　such
organizations　as　we　are　considering　count　for　very　little　in　the
formation　of　a　forecast　of　their　future；　and　if　they　did；　it　is　no
disrespect　to　Mr。　　Booth　to　say　that　he　is　not　the　peer　of　Francis　of
Assisi。　But　if　Francis's　judgment　of　men　was　so　imperfect　as　to　permit
him　to　appoint　an　ambitious　intriguer　of　the　stamp　of　Brother　Elias
his　deputy；　we　have　no　right　to　be　sanguine　about　the　perspicacity　of
Mr。　Booth　in　a　like　matter。

Adding　to　all　these　considerations　the　fact　that　Mr。　Llewelyn　Davies；
the　warmth　of　whose　philanthropy　is　beyond　question；　and　in　whose
competency　and　fairness　I；　for　one；　place　implicit　reliance；　flatly
denies　the　boasted　success　of　the　Salvation　Army　in　its　professed
mission；　I　have　arrived　at　the　conclusion　that；　as　at　present　advised；
I　cannot　be　the　instrument　of　carrying　out　my　friend's　proposal。

Mr。　Booth　has　pithily　characterized　certain　benevolent　schemes　as
doing　sixpennyworth　of　good　and　a　shilling's　worth　of　harm。　I　grieve
to　say　that；　in　my　opinion；　the　definition　exactly　fits　his　own
project。　Few　social　evils　are　of　greater　magnitude　than　uninstructed
and　unchastened　religious　fanaticism；　no　personal　habit　more　surely
degrades　the　conscience　and　the　intellect　than　＇244＇　blind　and
unhesitating　obedience　to　unlimited　authority。　Undoubtedly；　harlotry
and　intemperance　are　sore　evils；　and　starvation　is　hard　to　bear；　or
even　to　know　of；　but　the　prostitution　of　the　mind；　the　soddening　of
the　conscience；　the　dwarfing　of　manhood　are　worse　calamities。　It　is　a
greater　evil　to　have　the　intell