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lefta deteriorated stock； left to undergo still further deterioration。 For a
hundred and fifty years； at least； they have been drained of their best。
The strong men； the men of pluck； initiative； and ambition； have been
faring forth to the fresher and freer portions of the globe； to make new
lands and nations。 Those who are lacking； the weak of heart and head
and hand； as well as the rotten and hopeless； have remained to carry on the
breed。 And year by year； in turn； the best they breed are taken from them。
Wherever a man of vigour and stature manages to grow up； he is haled
forthwith into the army。 A soldier； as Bernard Shaw has said； 〃ostensibly
a heroic and patriotic defender of his country； is really an unfortunate man
driven by destitution to offer himself as food for powder for the sake of
regular rations； shelter； and clothing。〃
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This constant selection of the best from the workers has impoverished
those who are left； a sadly degraded remainder； for the great part； which；
in the Ghetto； sinks to the deepest depths。 The wine of life has been
drawn off to spill itself in blood and progeny over the rest of the earth。
Those that remain are the lees； and they are segregated and steeped in
themselves。 They become indecent and bestial。 When they kill； they
kill with their hands； and then stupidly surrender themselves to the
executioners。 There is no splendid audacity about their transgressions。
They gouge a mate with a dull knife； or beat his head in with an iron pot；
and then sit down and wait for the police。 Wife…beating is the masculine
prerogative of matrimony。 They wear remarkable boots of brass and iron；
and when they have polished off the mother of their children with a black
eye or so； they knock her down and proceed to trample her very much as a
Western stallion tramples a rattlesnake。
A woman of the lower Ghetto classes is as much the slave of her
husband as is the Indian squaw。 And I； for one； were I a woman and had
but the two choices； should prefer being a squaw。 The men are
economically dependent on their masters； and the women are
economically dependent on the men。 The result is； the woman gets the
beating the man should give his master； and she can do nothing。 There are
the kiddies； and he is the breadwinner； and she dare not send him to jail
and leave herself and children to starve。 Evidence to convict can rarely
be obtained when such cases come into the courts； as a rule； the trampled
wife and mother is weeping and hysterically beseeching the magistrate to
let her husband off for the kiddies' sakes。
The wives become screaming harridans or； broken…spirited and doglike；
lose what little decency and self…respect they have remaining over from
their maiden days； and all sink together； unheeding； in their degradation
and dirt。
Sometimes I become afraid of my own generalizations upon the
massed misery of this Ghetto life； and feel that my impressions are
exaggerated； that I am too close to the picture and lack perspective。 At
such moments I find it well to turn to the testimony of other men to prove
to myself that I am not becoming over…wrought and addle…pated。
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Frederick Harrison has always struck me as being a level…headed； well…
controlled man； and he says：…
To me； at least； it would be enough to condemn modern society as
hardly an advance on slavery or serfdom； if the permanent condition of
industry were to be that which we behold； that ninety per cent。 of the
actual producers of wealth have no home that they can call their own
beyond the end of the week； have no bit of soil； or so much as a room that
belongs to them； have nothing of value of any kind； except as much old
furniture as will go into a cart； have the precarious chance of weekly
wages； which barely suffice to keep them in health； are housed； for the
most part； in places that no man thinks fit for his horse； are separated by so
narrow a margin from destitution that a month of bad trade； sickness； or
unexpected loss brings them face to face with hunger and pauperism 。 。 。
But below this normal state of the average workman in town and country；
there is found the great band of destitute outcaststhe camp followers of
the army of industryat least one…tenth the whole proletarian population；
whose normal condition is one of sickening wretchedness。 If this is to be
the permanent arrangement of modern society； civilization must be held to
bring a curse on the great majority of mankind。
Ninety per cent。！ The figures are appalling； yet Mr。 Stopford
Brooke； after drawing a frightful London picture； finds himself compelled
to multiply it by half a million。 Here it is：…
I often used to meet； when I was curate at Kensington； families
drifting into London along the Hammersmith Road。 One day there came
along a labourer and his wife； his son and two daughters。 Their family
had lived for a long time on an estate in the country； and managed； with
the help of the common…land and their labour； to get on。 But the time
came when the common was encroached upon； and their labour was not
needed on the estate； and they were quietly turned out of their cottage。
Where should they go？ Of course to London； where work was thought to
be plentiful。 They had a little savings； and they thought they could get
two decent rooms to live in。 But the inexorable land question met them
in London。 They tried the decent courts for lodgings； and found that two
rooms would cost ten shillings a week。 Food was dear and bad； water
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was bad； and in a short time their health suffered。 Work was hard to get；
and its