Page:What I Know Of The Labour Traffic.djvu/19

16 regularly, every day, are washed, dressed, combed, fed, and lodged at the expense to the industrial community of one million seven-hundred and sixty-thousand pounds sterling a year; and what is true of this particular Midland county is typical of all the other counties, and this pauperism—this degradation of humanity—this debased national life—this national disgrace—is the outcome of the two contradictory religions which our beloved mother goes to the expense of keeping up. This six days' secular slavery, revenge, money-making, and all the rest of it, is the outcome of the inhuman religion and disnatured selfishness which preside over and dictate the six days' secular work. The religion of the seventh day inculcates that you shall take no thought for the morrow; that you shall do unto others as you would that they should do unto you; that God may forgive you your trespasses as you forgive them that trespass against you; that if your enemy smite you on the left cheek you shall turn to him the other that he may also smite that; that if your enemy hunger you shall feed him; if he thirst you shall give him drink; that you are to be happy if men speak evil of you and revile you; that you shall sell all you have, and give to the poor; and the whole of this sublime seventh-day religion is summed-up in the one word—self-sacrifice. This is but a mild representation of the second of the two religions which our mother professes, for one day in seven. She never carries out this religion—never; nay, she does not believe it. On the contrary, for six days out of the seven she is occupied in disobeying it, and proving that it cannot be true. She judges herself by the standard of the six days' religion, and everybody else by the religion of the seventh day. When any special tidings reach her from Queensland she puts on her Sunday religion and judges by that; when any tidings reach her from the United States, she forgets all about the charity which beareth all things; hopeth all things; thinketh no evil, and is not easily provoked, which is part of the Sunday music she has piped to her; and instantly assumes an attitude of questioning or doubting, or of freezing unsympathy. Why?

How is it that England, the head quarters of the great industrial war, whose field is the world, treats with marked coldness, indifference, and disdain, not only the United States, but every one of her great colonies as well? How does it come, that in the Cabinet of the Imperial Government nearly always the stupid man of his party is selected to be Secretary of State for the Colonies? How is it that men were, for many years, sent to be Governors of colonies who never achieved the height of average intelligence, and never showed the least strain of greatness; but were at the best, men trained to the mere routine of office, and were not even excellent clerks, nor possessed of any distinguishing gifts or accomplishments?

There are happy exceptions to this bad rule, and the different and differing Governors selected now is proof sufficient of the truth of the change which is involved in my question.

The answer is, that the religion of common sense, and common humanity which is the adopted religion of these new communities, is a reproach to the transparent hypocrises, the gorgeous impostures, and