the days of my life-第89章

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there　is　no　standing…room　upon　any　of　our　political　platforms。　“Away　with　him！”　would　be　the　cry。　Therefore　he　must　be　content　to　remain　outside；　doing　whatever　work　may　e　to　his　hand　which　he　conceives　to　be　clean　and；　in　however　humble　a　measure；　useful。　It　is　hard　to　be　an　out…and…out　party　politician　and　yet　remain　honest　—　or　at　least　some　of　us　find　it　so；　though　the　consciences　of　others　are　more　acmodating。　Perhaps；　however；　this　saying　is　not　true　in　every　sense；　since　some　minds　cannot　consider　a　subject　in　all　its　aspects；　to　them　light　has　but　a　single　colour。　What　they　want　to　believe；　that　they　believe。
Such　are　the　views　to　which　I　have　attained　at　my　present　age。　Five…and…twenty　years　ago；　even　fifteen　years　ago；　they　were　different。　For　then　I　still　smarted　from　the　whip　of　Mr。　Gladstone’s　Colonial　policy；　and　had　less　practical　experience　of　social　questions　than　I　have　today。　The　great　wrongs　which　Radicals　were　capable　of　working　upon　loyal　Englishmen　to　serve　their　party　interests　dominated　my　mind。　In　short；　Mr。　Gladstone　turned　one　who　in　all　essentials　would　have　been　a　moderate　Liberal　into　an　Imperialist　who　made　the　mistake；　that　is　mon　to　those　who　“think　in　continents；”　of　underrating　the　needs　and　circumstances　of　the　Home　Country。　The　Empire　is　very　large　and　England　is　very　small。　So　is　the　heart　small　in　proportion　to　a　great　body；　but　after　all　it　is　an　important　organ；　and　if　it　bees　diseased　or　stops　—　what　happens　to　the　body？　Even　today；　when　the　Colonies　are　more　powerful　than　they　were　a　score　of　years　ago；　they　would　find　this　question　awkward　to　answer；　since　there　are　peoples　who；　in　such　an　event　as　the　stoppage　of　our　national　heart；　might　be　anxious　to　possess　themselves　of　a　limb　or　two　of　that　weakened　or　paralysed　body。　Indeed；　as　we　see　by　many　signs；　this　is　a　fact　whereof　the　Dominions　have　bee　painfully　aware　in　these　latter　days。　Realising　that　an　empire　cannot　be　kept　together　merely　by　taxing　the　Mother　Country’s　goods　and　affording　homes　for　such　of　her　surplus　population　as　it　suits　them　to　receive；　they　now　show　themselves　eager　to　adopt　a　scheme　of　Imperial　Preference　and　to　bear　some　share　of　the　cost　of　her　armaments。　There　they　are　surely　wise；　since　if　England　falls；　say　within　the　next　fifty　years；　then　—　God　help　these　half…empty　lands；　one　of　which　at　least　has　been　reduced　to　the　strange　expedient　of　offering　a　money　bonus　for　every　child　born　within　its　coasts！
In　the　future；　however；　all　this　may　change；　it　is　even　possible　that　they　may　bee　the　protectors　of　the　worn…out　and　decrepit　parent　from　which　they　sprang。　Absit　omen！
My　first　chance　of　entering　Parliament　occurred　in　1893；　e　speeches　that　I　had　made　and　certain　letters　I　had　written　in　the　papers；　I　was　asked　if　I　would　contest　King’s　Lynn。　I　declined　because　of　the　expense　and　the　difficulty　of　getting　backwards　and　forwards　between　my　home　and　the　borough；　since　this　was　before　the　day　of　motors。　Herein　I　was　foolish；　that　is　if　I　wished　to　enter　politics；　since　I　think　I　could　have　won　that　seat　easily　enough；　and　it　would　have　been　much　less　costly　to　fight　and　hold　than　a　county　constituency。
A　couple　of　years　later　the　question　arose　again。　By　this　time；　as　I　have　explained；　I　was　utterly　weary　of　a　retired　life　and　of　the　writing　of　books；　from　which　I　sought　eagerly　for　some　avenue　of　escape。
My　letters　in　The　Times　on　matters　connected　with　South　Africa　had　attracted　some　notice；　and　as　a　result　I　was　again　brought　into　contact　with　those　interested　in　the　affairs　of　that　country。　Ultimately　I　was　elected　Chairman　of　the　Anglo…African　Writer’s　Club；　a　pleasant　and　useful　dining　society　that　is　now　defunct。　Also　I　became　co…director　of　a　weekly　paper　called　the　African　Review；　which　some　years　ago　was　absorbed　by　another　journal。　It　was　a　very　good　paper　of　its　sort　—　too　good　for　the　market　to　which　it　appealed　—　and　run　on　the　most　straightforward　lines。　The　end　of　these　activities　was　that；　greatly　daring；　I　entered　into　a　partnership　with　my　fellow…director；　who　was　a　financier　in　the　African　market；　with　whom　it　was　understood　that　I　should　stand　for　Parliament；　with　the　general　idea　of　giving　my　attention　to　African　affairs　in　the　House　of　mons。
Mercifully　the　thing　miscarried；　for　had　it　been　otherwise　I　might　have　had　to　bear　upon　my　shoulders　much　of　the　burden　of　the　Parliamentary　defence　of　the　inspirers　and　perpetrators　of　the　Jameson　Raid；　which　would　have　been　neither　a　pleasant　nor　an　easy　task。
The　constituency　which　I　was　weak　enough　to　undertake　to　contest　was；　and　still　remains；　one　of　the　most　difficult　in　the　kingdom　from　the　Conservative　point　of　view　—　namely；　East　Norfolk。　In　the　old　days　before　the　lowering　of　the　franchise　it　was　represented　by　the　late　Sir　Edward　Birkbeck；　who；　however；　after　that　event　was　defeated　by　a　majority　of　440　by　Mr。　（now　Sir　R。　J。）　Price；　a　gentleman　unconnected　with　the　county。　Seeing　the　hopelessness　of　winning　the　seat；　Sir　Edward　Birkbeck　made　no　further　attempt　in　that　direction；　and　the　late　Colonel　MacCalmont　was　invited　to　take　his　place。　He　came；　he　saw；　and　he　retired；　like　a　wise　man；　leaving　me　to　fill　his　shoes。
I　may　as　well　state　the　result　at　once。　I　reduced　the　adverse　majority　to　198。　Since　that　time　sundry　other　Unionists　have　fought　the　place；　with　the　result　that　on　each　occasion　it　has　risen。　I　believe　that　at　the　last　election　it　reached　the　grand　total　of　somewhere　about　1200。
My　programme　was　Unionist　and　Agricultural。　I　quote　a　few　lines　from　the　speech　which　I　made　when　I　was　selected　as　a　Conservative　candidate；　as　it　puts　my　position　in　a　nutshell。
These　are　the　measures　that　I　would　suggest　as　a　means　towards　that　remedial　legislation　to　which　you　are　entitled。　First　I　am　of　opinion　that　the　60；000　pounds　per　annum　at　present　raised　by　Land…tax　in　this　country　should　be　kept　at　home　and　should　go　to　the　relief　of　the　Poor…rate　in　the　districts　in　which　it　is　collected。　Secondly　I　would　advocate　that　foreign　barley　ing　into　this　country；　unless　it　be　crushed　barley　to　be　used　as　food　for　cattle；　should　be　subjected　to　an　import　duty。　Such　a　duty　could　in　no　way　raise　the　price　of　food…stuffs；　for　men　do　not　eat　barley；　and　even　when　it　was　at　nearly　double　its　present　cost；　the　price　of　beer　was　very　much　what　it　is　today。　But　I　do　not　suggest　that　the　millions　of　money　to　be　raised　by　such　a　tax　should　go　into　the　pockets　of　the　landlords。　I　suggest　that　it　should　go　into　the　pockets　of　the　people；　I　suggest　that　every　farthing　of　it　should　be　devoted　to　a　most　truly　democratic　end；　to　the　end　of　an　Old　Age　Pension　Scheme。　This；　I　think；　might　be　worked　through　the　aid　of　the　present　Friendly　Societies。　I　think　that　through　this　means　the　State　might　be　able　to　put　down　an　extra　shilling　for　every　shilling　that　has　been　saved　by　individual　industry　and　invested　with　those　Societies；　and　might　thereby　save　many　a　deserving　man　from　penury　and　the　workhouse　whose　only　crime　against　society　is　that　he　has　grown　old　and　feeble　in　its　service。　I　suggest　again　that　a　bill　should　be　passed　to　relieve　pure　beer　of　a　proportion　of　the　taxation　upon　it；　and　to　impose　that　proportion　of　taxation　so　remitted　on　impure　beer　—　that　is；　beer　made　of　other　materials　than　malt　and　hops。　I　propose　again　that　foreign　flour　should　be　taxed。　In　saying　this　I　do　not　wish　to　be　misunderstood。　I　do　not　wish　to　see　an　impost　put　upon　food…stuffs　—　let　the　corn　e　in　free　by　all　means；　I　say；　but　do　not　let　it　e　in　free　in　a　manufactured　condition。　Why　should　not　our　millers　have　the　benefit　of　the　grinding　of　that　corn？　Why　should　not　our　farmers　have　the　benefit　of　the　offal　and　other　products？
I　think　that　is　enough　to　quote；　for；　oh！　what　dreary　things　are　old　political　speeches。　Not　for　five　shillings　would　I　read　through　all　the　columns　of　this　one　of　mine　that　once　upon　a　time　seemed　to　me　about　the　most　important　thing　in　the　whole　world！
I　hope；　however；　that　the　reader　will　note　the　allusion　to　Old　Age　Pensions。　Now　these　have　e　about；　but　on　easier　terms　than　I　suggested。　The　Protective　part　of　my　policy　was　moderate　enough　and；　I　think；　would　have　been　useful。　But　it　did　me　more　harm　than　good；　since　w