Ginxs Baby, A Satire | Page 6

leave every one else alone. The
higher objects of Government were, if at all, outlined in the shadowiest
form in his imagination. Government imposed taxes--that he was
obliged to know. Government maintained the parks; for that he thanked
it. Government made laws, but what they were, or with what aim or
effects made, he knew not, save only that by them something was done
to raise or depress the prices of bread, tea, sugar, and other necessaries.
Why they should do so he never conceived--I am not sure that he cared.
Legislation sometimes pinched him, but darkness so hid from him the
persons and objects of the legislators that he could not criticise the
theories which those powerful beings were subjecting to experiment at
his cost. I must, at any risk, say something about this in a separate
chapter. IV.--Digressive, and may be skipped without mutilating the
History. I stop here to address any of the following characters, should
he perchance read these memoirs: You, Mr. Statesman--if there be such;

Mr. Pseudo-Statesman, Placeman, Party Leader, Wirepuller; Mr.
Amateur Statesman, Dilettante Lord, Civil Servant; Mr. Clubman,
Litterateur, Newspaper Scribe; Mr. People's Candidate, Demagogue,
Fenian Spouter; or whoever you may be, professing to know aught or
do anything in matters of policy, consider, what I am sure you have
never fairly weighed, the condition of a man whose clearest notion of
Government is derived from the Police! Imagine one who had never
seen a polyp trying to construct an ideal of the animal, from a single
tentacle swinging out from the tangle of weed in which the rest was
wrapped! How then any more can you fancy that a man to whose sight
and knowledge the only part of government practically exposed is the
strong process of police, shall form a proper conception of the
functions, reasons, operations, and relations of Government; or even
build up an ideal of anything but a haughty, unreasonable, antagonistic,
tax-imposing FORCE! And how can you rule such a being except as
you rule a dog, by that which alone he understands--the dog-whip of
the constable! Given in a country a majority of creatures like these, and
surely despotism is its properest complement. But when they exist, as
they exist in England to-day, in hundreds of thousands, in town and
country, think what a complication they introduce into your theoretic
free system of government. Acts of Parliament passed by a
"freely-elected" House of Commons, and an hereditary House of Lords
under the threats of freely-electing citizens, however pure in intention
and correct in principle, will not seem to him to be the resultants of
every wish in the community so much as dictations by superior strength.
To these the obedience he will render will not be the loving assent of
his heart, but a begrudged concession to circumstance. Your
awe-invested legislature is not viewed as his friend and brother-helper,
but his tyrant. Therefore the most natural bent of his
workman-statesmanship--a rough, bungling affair--will be to tame
you--you who ought to be his Counsellor and Friend. When he finds
that your legislative action exerts upon him a repressive and restraining
force he will curse you as its author, because he sees not the springs
you are working. Should he even be a little more advanced in
knowledge than our friend Ginx, and learn that he helps to elect the
Parliament to make laws on behalf of himself and his fellow-citizens,
he will scarce trust the assembly which is supposed to represent him.

Will he, like a good citizen and a politic, accept with dignity and
self-control the decision of a majority against his prejudices: or will he
not regard the whole Wittenagemote with suspicion, contempt, or even
hatred? See him rush madly to Trafalgar Square meetings, Hyde Park
demonstrations, perhaps to Lord George Gordon Riots, as if there were
no less perilous means of publishing his opinions! There wily men may
lead his unconscious intellect, and stir his passions, and direct his
forces against his own--and his children's good. Did it ever occur to
you, or any of you, how many voters cannot read, and how many more,
though they can read, are unable to apprehend reasons of
statesmanship?--that even newspapers cannot inform them, since they
have not the elementary knowledge needed for the comprehension of
those things which are discussed in them; nay, that for want of
understanding the same they may terribly distort political aims and
consequences? Might it not be worth while for you, gentlemen--may it
not be your duty to devise ways and means for conveying such
elementary instruction by good street-preachers on politics and
economy, or even political bible- women or colporteurs, and so to
make clear to the understanding of every voter what are the reasons and
aims of every act of Legislation, Home