evolution and ethics and other essays-第43部分

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alternative　was　to　leave　the　decision　to　an　appropriate　State
authority。　If　it　is　＇233＇　asked　what　is　the　need　of　such　control　if
the　people　of　the　localities　are　the　best　judges；　the　obvious　reply　is
that　there　are　localities　and　localities；　and　that　while　Manchester；
or　Liverpool；　or　Birmingham；　or　Glasgow　might；　perhaps；　be　safely　left
to　do　as　they　thought　fit；　smaller　towns；　in　which　there　is　less
certainty　of　full　discussion　by　competent　people　of　different　ways　of
thinking；　might　easily　fall　a　prey　to　crocheteers。

Supposing　our　intermediate　science　teaching　and　our　technical　schools
and　classes　are　established；　there　is　yet　a　third　need　to　be　supplied；
and　that　is　the　want　of　good　teachers。　And　it　is　necessary　not　only　to
get　them；　but　to　keep　them　when　you　have　got　them。

It　is　impossible　to　insist　too　strongly　upon　the　fact　that　the
efficient　teachers　of　science　and　of　technology　are　not　to　be　made　by
the　processes　in　vogue　at　ordinary　training　colleges。　The　memory
loaded　with　mere　bookwork　is　not　the　thing　wantedis；　in　fact；　rather
worse　than　uselessin　the　teacher　of　scientific　subjects。　It　is
absolutely　essential　that　his　mind　should　be　full　of　knowledge　and　not
of　mere　learning；　and　that　what　he　knows　should　have　been　learned　in
the　laboratory　rather　than　in　the　library。　There　are　happily　already；
both　in　London　and　in　the　provinces；　various　places　in　which　such
training　is　to　be　had；　and　the　main　thing　at　present　is　to　make　it　in
the　first　place　accessible；　and　in　the　next　＇234＇　indispensable；　to
those　who　undertake　the　business　of　teaching。　But　when　the　well…trained
men　are　supplied；　it　must　be　recollected　that　the　profession　of
teacher　is　not　a　very　lucrative　or　otherwise　tempting　one；　and　that　it
may　be　advisable　to　offer　special　inducements　to　good　men　to　remain　in
it。　These；　however；　are　questions　of　detail　into　which　it　is
unnecessary　to　enter　further。

Last；　but　not　least；　comes　the　question　of　providing　the　machinery　for
enabling　those　who　are　by　nature　specially　qualified　to　undertake　the
higher　branches　of　industrial　work；　to　reach　the　position　in　which
they　may　render　that　service　to　the　community。　If　all　our　educational
expenditure　did　nothing　but　pick　one　man　of　scientific　or　inventive
genius；　each　year；　from　amidst　the　hewers　of　wood　and　drawers　of
water；　and　give　him　the　chance　of　making　the　best　of　his　inborn
faculties；　it　would　be　a　very　good　investment。　　If　there　is　one　such
child　among　the　hundreds　of　thousands　of　our　annual　increase；　it　would
be　worth　any　money　to　drag　him　either　from　the　slough　of　misery；　or
from　the　hotbed　of　wealth；　and　teach　him　to　devote　himself　to　the
service　of　his　people。　Here；　again；　we　have　made　a　beginning　with　our
scholarships　and　the　like；　and　need　only　follow　in　the　tracks　already
worn。

The　programme　of　industrial　development　briefly　set　forth　in　the
preceding　pages　is　not　what　Kant　calls　a　〃Hirngespinnst；〃　a　cobweb
＇235＇　spun　in　the　brain　of　a　Utopian　philosopher。　More　or　less　of　it
has　taken　bodily　shape　in　many　parts　of　the　country；　and　there　are
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　Ar