Christian sociology; Great Britain -- Social conditions; Poor -- Great Britain; Working class -- Great Britain
by every means in our power in destroying the system which gives to us
so great a material advantage over our fellows.
There is a school of people who say that we ought to go on making money
because, unless we do, others will make it, and that if we beggar
ourselves we do not improve the social position at all. This may be
true to some extent, but, all the same, it is also true that if men and
women fill up their time simply money-making, no matter what they may
call themselves, or what opinions they may hold, they are exactly in
the same position as people who support the present order. Therefore,
those who are convinced the present methods of money-making are wrong
are called upon to live in the simplest manner, and to devote every
hour of leisure and every penny of money they can spare to assisting
the workers in their task of organising the transformation of the
present social order from competition to co-operation. I say this
because so many people imagine that they have really done their duty
when they have denounced the present order as iniquitous, while others
think they have fulfilled their duty when they have distributed large
sums of money, either in charity or for similar purposes. It may still
be that for many years to come the victims of our cruel social life
will need to be tended by those whose ministrations are paid for out
of funds provided by the rich; but this, after all, is only palliating
evil, and not abolishing it. To-day, those workmen who are thinking
are determined to abolish the _causes_ of poverty, and wish to
establish an entirely new social order. This may be accomplished by a
violent and bloody revolution (or, at least, men may attempt this),
though I do not believe the use of force will accomplish the social
salvation of mankind. It is so true “Force is no remedy” that I cannot
help believing that with the spread of education and the growth of
religion we shall cease to rely on the mailed fist in both social and
national affairs. Men and women belonging to the landed and capitalist
classes who really care for their fellows must join hands with the
workers, and by united effort establish the kingdom of brotherhood
and of co-operation. Those who are convinced that the present order is
unchristian and, in fact, unnatural must take their place in the great
working-class movement.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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