278 WHAT IS LIFE? 



reality advanced the sum of knowledge by a com- 

 paratively small addition." 1 



In the new condition of things, a condition which is 

 being forced upon us by the march of events, the now 

 emancipated lower classes must play a grand part. 

 But they must educate themselves. They must not 

 follow the mistakes of the so-called higher classes. 

 The history of these classes has been essentially a feudal 

 system, a system of mere brute force. The objects of 

 their lives have been to put their feet on the necks of 

 the lower orders, grind down and enslave them. That 

 example must not be followed by the intelligent working 

 classes. All labour should be a form of co-operation. 

 Employer and employed should have one common 

 object in view, and although this may not be readily 

 seen yet it will be found a fact. To the employer 

 of labour, within certain small limits, it is perfectly 

 immaterial what price is paid for labour the con- 

 sumer always has to pay that price. When the 

 operative uses force, that is, strikes for higher wages, 

 one of two results always happens. With a free 

 competition between employers profits are reduced 

 to an absolute minimum, if foreign competition will 

 produce the commodity cheaper than it can be pro- 

 duced at the higher rate of wages the trade leaves 

 the country, and both employer and employed suffer 

 or are destroyed. Whereas if the higher wage is 

 obtained, the commodities become higher in price, 

 and the consumer has to pay more. Who are the 

 great consumers? Why the working classes. Every 

 strike is not so much a rebellion of the working 



1 " Social Evolution," Benjamin Kidd, 1895, p. 286. 



