Sunday, December 03, 2017

That's Different (Short Story 1909)


A Short Story from the September 1909 issue of the Socialist Standard

A man with an ax flew by Socrates, chasing another man:

"Stop him! Stop him !” cried he of the weapon. "He’s a murderer! ”

But the old sage wasn’t taking any chances and jogged on imperturbably.

"You fool! ” quoth he of the ax. "Why didn’t you stop him? He’s a murderer, I tell you! ”

"A murderer! What’s a murderer? ”

"Fool! One that kills, of course.”

"Ah! a butcher.”

"No, idiot! That’s different. One that kills a man.”

"Oh! Ah, a soldier.”

"No! No! That’s different altogether. One that kills a man in times of peace! ”

“A hangman! ”

"No! No ! No! That’s different. One that kills a man in his house! ”

"A doctor, then! ”

"No! No! No! No! No! That’s different.” 

Running along after him (2,000 years after) comes another man with flaming eyes: ‘‘Stop him! Stop him!” he cries, pointing to something he sees, or thinks he sees, ahead of him. "Stop him! He’s a Socialist! "

"A Socialist! What’s a Socialist? ”

"Why a believer in state industries, of course.”

"Oh, I see ? The railways, post offices, customs, drains, and all that.”

"No, that's different! I mean competing against private enterprise.”

"Oh! schools, universities, and the like.”

"No! No! That’s different. I mean state trading. The fellows that expect everything done for them by the state! A loafer that wants to share the earnings of the industrious workers! ”

“Ah! Ah! A nobleman who has inherited land.”

"No! No! That’s different. I mean—.” 

From the Sydney Bulletin.

No comments: