ses the human body is apt
to suffer from, and how difficult it is even for the doctors to find out
exactly where the seat or beginning of the disorder is. That is because
the body is made up of so many various parts, all related to each other,
or likely all to feel the effect if any one of them goes wrong. It is
somewhat the same with our old nations or societies. No society ever
stood long in the world without getting to be composed of different
classes. Now, it is all pretence to say that there is no such thing as
class interest. It is clear that if any particular number of men get a
particular benefit from any existing institution, they are likely to band
together, in order to keep up that benefit and increase it, until it is
perceived to be unfair and injurious to another large number, who get
knowledge and strength enough to set up a resistance. And this, again,
has been part of the history of every great society since history began.
But the simple reason for this being, that any large body of men is
likely to have more of stupidity, narrowness, and greed than of
farsightedness and generosity, it is plain that the number who resist
unfairness and injury are in danger of becoming injurious in their turn.
And in this way a justifiable resistance has become a damaging
convulsion, making everything worse instead of better. This has been
seen so often that we ought to profit a little by the experience. So
long as there is selfishness in men; so long as they have not found out
for themselves institutions which express and carry into practice the
truth, that the highest interest of mankind must at last be a common and
not a divided interest; so long as the gradual operation of steady causes
has not made that truth a part of every man's knowledge and feeling, just
as we now not only know that it is good for our health to be cleanly, but
feel that cleanliness is only another word for comfort, which is the
under-side or lining of all pleasure; so long, I say as men wink at their
own knowingness, or hold their heads high because they have got an
advantage over their fellows; so long class interest will be in danger of
making itself felt injuriously. No set of men will get any sort of power
without being in danger of wanting more than their right share. But, on
the other hand, it is just as certain that no set of men will get angry
at having less than their right share, and set up a claim on that ground,
without fallin