war of the classes-第1节

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War　of　the　Classes



by　Jack　London












Contents：







Preface

The　Class　Struggle

The　Tramp

The　Scab

The　Question　of　the　Maximum

A　Review

Wanted：　　A　New　Land　of　Development

How　I　Became　a　Socialist







PREFACE







When　I　was　a　youngster　I　was　looked　upon　as　a　weird　sort　of

creature；　because；　forsooth；　I　was　a　socialist。　　Reporters　from

local　papers　interviewed　me；　and　the　interviews；　when　published；

were　pathological　studies　of　a　strange　and　abnormal　specimen　of　man。

At　that　time　（nine　or　ten　years　ago）；　because　I　made　a　stand　in　my

native　town　for　municipal　ownership　of　public　utilities；　I　was

branded　a　〃red…shirt；〃　a　〃dynamiter；〃　and　an　〃anarchist〃；　and　really

decent　fellows；　who　liked　me　very　well；　drew　the　line　at　my

appearing　in　public　with　their　sisters。



But　the　times　changed。　　There　came　a　day　when　I　heard；　in　my　native

town；　a　Republican　mayor　publicly　proclaim　that　〃municipal　ownership

was　a　fixed　American　policy。〃　　And　in　that　day　I　found　myself

picking　up　in　the　world。　　No　longer　did　the　pathologist　study　me；

while　the　really　decent　fellows　did　not　mind　in　the　least　the

propinquity　of　myself　and　their　sisters　in　the　public　eye。　　My

political　and　sociological　ideas　were　ascribed　to　the　vagaries　of

youth；　and　good…natured　elderly　men　patronized　me　and　told　me　that　I

would　grow　up　some　day　and　become　an　unusually　intelligent　member　of

the　community。　　Also　they　told　me　that　my　views　were　biassed　by　my

empty　pockets；　and　that　some　day；　when　I　had　gathered　to　me　a　few

dollars；　my　views　would　be　wholly　different；in　short；　that　my

views　would　be　their　views。



And　then　came　the　day　when　my　socialism　grew　respectable；still　a

vagary　of　youth；　it　was　held；　but　romantically　respectable。

Romance；　to　the　bourgeois　mind；　was　respectable　because　it　was　not

dangerous。　　As　a　〃red…shirt；〃　with　bombs　in　all　his　pockets；　I　was

dangerous。　　As　a　youth　with　nothing　more　menacing　than　a　few

philosophical　ideas；　Germanic　in　their　origin；　I　was　an　interesting

and　pleasing　personality。



Through　all　this　experience　I　noted　one　thing。　　It　was　not　I　that

changed；　but　the　community。　　In　fact；　my　socialistic　views　grew

solider　and　more　pronounced。　　I　repeat；　it　was　the　community　that

changed；　and　to　my　chagrin　I　discovered　that　the　community　changed

to　such　purpose　that　it　was　not　above　stealing　my　thunder。　　The

community　branded　me　a　〃red…shirt〃　because　I　stood　for　municipal

ownership；　a　little　later　it　applauded　its　mayor　when　he　proclaimed

municipal　ownership　to　be　a　fixed　American　policy。　　He　stole　my

thunder；　and　the　community　applauded　the　theft。　　And　today　the

community　is　able　to　come　around　and　give　me　points　on　municipal

ownership。



What　happened　to　me　has　been　in　no　wise　different　from　what　has

happened　to　the　socialist　movement　as　a　whole　in　the　United　States。

In　the　bourgeois　mind　socialism　has　changed　from　a　terrible　disease

to　a　youthful　vagary；　and　later　on　had　its　thunder　stolen　by　the　two

old　parties；socialism；　like　a　meek　and　thrifty　workingman；　being

exploited　became　respectable。



Only　dangerous　things　are　abhorrent。　　The　thing　that　is　not

dangerous　is　always　respectable。　　And　so　with　socialism　in　the

United　States。　　For　several　years　it　has　been　very　respectable；a

sweet　and　beautiful　Utopian　dream；　in　the　bourgeois　mind；　yet　a

dream；　only　a　dream。　　During　this　period；　which　has　just　ended；

socialism　was　tolerated　because　it　was　impossible　and　non…menacing。

Much　of　its　thunder　had　been　stolen；　and　the　workingmen　had　been

made　happy　with　full　dinner…pails。　　There　was　nothing　to　fear。　　The

kind　old　world　spun　on；　coupons　were　clipped；　and　larger　profits

than　ever　were　extracted　from　the　toilers。　　Coupon…clipping　and

profit…extracting　would　continue　to　the　end　of　time。　　These　were

functions　divine　in　origin　and　held　by　divine　right。　　The

newspapers；　the　preachers；　and　the　college　presidents　said　so；　and

what　they　say；　of　course；　is　soto　the　bourgeois　mind。



Then　came　the　presidential　election　of　1904。　　Like　a　bolt　out　of　a

clear　sky　was　the　socialist　vote　of　435；000；an　increase　of　nearly

400　per　cent　in　four　years；　the　largest　third…party　vote；　with　one

exception；　since　the　Civil　War。　　Socialism　had　shown　that　it　was　a

very　live　and　growing　revolutionary　force；　and　all　its　old　menace

revived。　　I　am　afraid　that　neither　it　nor　I　are　any　longer

respectable。　　The　capitalist　press　of　the　country　confirms　me　in　my

opinion；　and　herewith　I　give　a　few　post…election　utterances　of　the

capitalist　press：…





〃The　Democratic　party　of　the　constitution　is　dead。　　The　Social…

Democratic　party　of　continental　Europe；　preaching　discontent　and

class　hatred；　assailing　law；　property；　and　personal　rights；　and

insinuating　confiscation　and　plunder；　is　here。〃Chicago　Chronicle。



〃That　over　forty　thousand　votes　should　have　been　cast　in　this　city

to　make　such　a　person　as　Eugene　V。　Debs　the　President　of　the　United

States　is　about　the　worst　kind　of　advertising　that　Chicago　could

receive。〃Chicago　Inter…Ocean。



〃We　cannot　blink　the　fact　that　socialism　is　making　rapid　growth　in

this　country；　where；　of　all　others；　there　would　seem　to　be　less

inspiration　for　it。〃Brooklyn　Daily　Eagle。



〃Upon　the　hands　of　the　Republican　party　an　awful　responsibility　was

placed　last　Tuesday。　。　。　It　knows　that　reformsgreat；　far…sweeping

reformsare　necessary；　and　it　has　the　power　to　make　them。　　God　help

our　civilization　if　it　does　not！　。　。　。　It　must　repress　the　trusts　or

stand　before　the　world　responsible　for　our　system　of　government

being　changed　into　a　social　republic。　　The　arbitrary　cutting　down　of

wages　must　cease；　or　socialism　will　seize　another　lever　to　lift

itself　into　power。〃The　Chicago　New　World。



〃Scarcely　any　phase　of　the　election　is　more　sinisterly　interesting

than　the　increase　in　the　socialist　vote。　　Before　election　we　said

that　we　could　not　afford　to　give　aid　and　comfort　to　the　socialists

in　any　manner。　。　。　It　（socialism）　must　be　fought　in　all　its　phases；

in　its　every　manifestation。〃San　Francisco　Argonaut。





And　far　be　it　from　me　to　deny　that　socialism　is　a　menace。　　It　is　its

purpose　to　wipe　out；　root　and　branch；　all　capitalistic　institutions

of　present…day　society。　　It　is　distinctly　revolutionary；　and　in

scope　and　depth　is　vastly　more　tremendous　than　any　revolution　that

has　ever　occurred　in　the　history　of　the　world。　　It　presents　a　new

spectacle　to　the　astonished　world；that　of　an　ORGANIZED；

INTERNATIONAL；　REVOLUTIONARY　MOVEMENT。　　In　the　bourgeois　mind　a

class　struggle　is　a　terrible　and　hateful　thing；　and　yet　that　is

precisely　what　socialism　is；a　world…wide　class　struggle　between

the　propertyless　workers　and　the　propertied　masters　of　workers。　　It

is　the　prime　preachment　of　socialism　that　the　struggle　is　a　class

struggle。　　The　working　class；　in　the　process　of　social　evolution；

（in　the　very　nature　of　things）；　is　bound　to　revolt　from　the　sway　of

the　capitalist　class　and　to　overthrow　the　capitalist　class。　　This　is

the　menace　of　socialism；　and　in　affirming　it　and　in　tallying　myself

an　adherent　of　it；　I　accept　my　own　consequent　unrespectability。



As　yet；　to　the　average　bourgeois　mind；　socialism　is　merely　a　menace；

vague　and　formless。　　The　average　member　of　the　capitalist　class；

when　he　discusses　socialism；　is　condemned　an　ignoramus　out　of　his

own　mouth。　　He　does　not　know　the　literature　of　socialism；　its

philosophy；　nor　its　politics。　　He　wags　his　head　sagely　and　rattles

the　dry　bones　of　dead　and　buried　ideas。　　His　lips　mumble　mouldy

phrases；　such　as；　〃Men　are　not　born　equal　and　never　can　be；〃　〃It　is

Utopian　and　impossible；〃　〃Abstinence　should　be　rewarded；〃　〃Man　will

first　have　to　be　born　again；〃　〃Cooperative　colonies　have　always

failed；〃　and　〃What　if　we　do　divide　up？　in　ten　years　there　would　be

rich　and　poor　men　such　as　there　are　today。〃



It　surely　is　time　that　the　capitalists　knew　something　about　this

socialism　that　they　feel　menaces　them。　　And　it　is　the　hope　of　the

writer　that　the　socialistic　studies　in　this　volume　may　in　some

slight　degree　enlighten　a　few　capitalistic　minds。　　The　capitalist

must　learn；　first　and　for　always；　that　socialism　is　based；　not　upon

the　equality；　but　upon　the　inequality；　of　men。　　Next；　he　must　learn

that　no　new　birth　into　spiritual　purity　is　necessary　before

socialism　becomes　possible。　　He　must　learn　that　socialism　deals　with

what　is；　not　with　what　ought　to　be；　and　that　the　material　with　which

it　deals　is　the　〃clay　of　the　common　road；〃　the　warm　human；　fallible

and　frail；　sordid　and　petty；　absurd　and　contradictory；　even

grotesque；　and　yet；　withal；　shot　through　with　flashes　and

glimmerings　of　something　finer　and　God…like；　with　here　and　there

sweetnesses　of　service　and　unselfishness；　desires　for　goodness；　for

renunciation　and　sacrifice；　and　with　conscience；　stern　and　awful；　at

times　blazingly　imperious；　demanding　the　right；the　right；　nothing