war of the classes-第18节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



rash　intrepidity　of　the　capitalists　who　fight　the　labor　unions；　for

by　such　rashness　he　greatly　fears　that　labor　will　be　driven　to

express　its　aims　and　strength　in　political　terms；　which　terms　will

inevitably　be　socialistic　terms。



To　keep　down　the　rising　tide　of　socialism；　he　preaches　greater

meekness　and　benevolence　to　the　capitalists。　　No　longer　may　they

claim　the　right　to　run　their　own　business；　to　beat　down　the

laborer's　standard　of　living　for　the　sake　of　increased　profits；　to

dictate　terms　of　employment　to　individual　workers；　to　wax

righteously　indignant　when　organized　labor　takes　a　hand　in　their

business。　　No　longer　may　the　capitalist　say　〃my〃　business；　or　even

think　〃my〃　business；　he　must　say　〃our〃　business；　and　think　〃our〃

business　as　well；　accepting　labor　as　a　partner　whose　voice　must　be

heard。　　And　if　the　capitalists　do　not　become　more　meek　and

benevolent　in　their　dealings　with　labor；　labor　will　be　antagonized

and　will　proceed　to　wreak　terrible　political　vengeance；　and　the

present　social　flux　will　harden　into　a　status　of　socialism。



Mr。　Brooks　dreams　of　a　society　at　which　Mr。　Ghent　sneers　as　〃a

slightly　modified　individualism；　wherein　each　unit　secures　the　just

reward　of　his　capacity　and　service。〃　　To　attain　this　happy　state；

Mr。　Brooks　imposes　circumspection　upon　the　capitalists　in　their

relations　with　labor。　　〃If　the　socialistic　spirit　is　to　be　held　in

abeyance　in　this　country；　businesses　of　this　character　（anthracite

coal　mining）　must　be　handled　with　extraordinary　caution。〃　　Which　is

to　say；　that　to　withstand　the　advance　of　socialism；　a　great　and

greater　measure　of　Mr。　Ghent's　BENEVOLENCE　will　be　required。



Again　and　again；　Mr。　Brooks　reiterates　the　danger　he　sees　in　harshly

treating　labor。　　〃It　is　not　probable　that　employers　can　destroy

unionism　in　the　United　States。　　Adroit　and　desperate　attempts　will；

however；　be　made；　if　we　mean　by　unionism　the　undisciplined　and

aggressive　fact　of　vigorous　and　determined　organizations。　　If

capital　should　prove　too　strong　in　this　struggle；　the　result　is　easy

to　predict。　　The　employers　have　only　to　convince　organized　labor

that　it　cannot　hold　its　own　against　the　capitalist　manager；　and　the

whole　energy　that　now　goes　to　the　union　will　turn　to　an　aggressive

political　socialism。　　It　will　not　be　the　harmless　sympathy　with

increased　city　and　state　functions　which　trade　unions　already　feel；

it　will　become　a　turbulent　political　force　bent　upon　using　every

weapon　of　taxation　against　the　rich。〃



〃The　most　concrete　impulse　that　now　favors　socialism　in　this　country

is　the　insane　purpose　to　deprive　labor　organizations　of　the　full　and

complete　rights　that　go　with　federated　unionism。〃



〃That　which　teaches　a　union　that　it　cannot　succeed　as　a　union　turns

it　toward　socialism。　　In　long　strikes　in　towns　like　Marlboro　and

Brookfield　strong　unions　are　defeated。　　Hundreds　of　men　leave　these

towns　for　shoe…centres　like　Brockton；　where　they　are　now　voting　the

socialist　ticket。　　The　socialist　mayor　of　this　city　tells　me；　'The

men　who　come　to　us　now　from　towns　where　they　have　been　thoroughly

whipped　in　a　strike　are　among　our　most　active　working　socialists。'

The　bitterness　engendered　by　this　sense　of　defeat　is　turned　to

politics；　as　it　will　throughout　the　whole　country；　if　organization

of　labor　is　deprived　of　its　rights。〃



〃This　enmity　of　capital　to　the　trade　union　is　watched　with　glee　by

every　intelligent　socialist　in　our　midst。　　Every　union　that　is

beaten　or　discouraged　in　its　struggle　is　ripening　fruit　for

socialism。〃



〃The　real　peril　which　we　now　face　is　the　threat　of　a　class　conflict。

If　capitalism　insists　upon　the　policy　of　outraging　the　saving

aspiration　of　the　American　workman　to　raise　his　standard　of　comfort

and　leisure；　every　element　of　class　conflict　will　strengthen　among

us。〃



〃We　have　only　to　humiliate　what　is　best　in　the　trade　union；　and　then

every　worst　feature　of　socialism　is　fastened　upon　us。〃



This　strong　tendency　in　the　ranks　of　the　workers　toward　socialism　is

what　Mr。　Brooks　characterizes　the　〃social　unrest〃；　and　he　hopes　to

see　the　Republican；　the　Cleveland　Democrat；　and　the　conservative　and

large　property　interests　〃band　together　against　this　common　foe；〃

which　is　socialism。　　And　he　is　not　above　feeling　grave　and　well…

contained　satisfaction　wherever　the　socialist　doctrinaire　has　been

contradicted　by　men　attempting　to　practise　cooperation　in　the　midst

of　the　competitive　system；　as　in　Belgium。



Nevertheless；　he　catches　fleeting　glimpses　of　an　extreme　and

tyrannically　benevolent　feudalism　very　like　to　Mr。　Ghent's；　as

witness　the　following：



〃I　asked　one　of　the　largest　employers　of　labor　in　the　South　if　he

feared　the　coming　of　the　trade　union。　　'No；'　he　said；　'it　is　one

good　result　of　race　prejudice；　that　the　negro　will　enable　us　in　the

long　run　to　weaken　the　trade　union　so　that　it　cannot　harm　us。　　We

can　keep　wages　down　with　the　negro　and　we　can　prevent　too　much

organization。'



〃It　is　in　this　spirit　that　the　lower　standards　are　to　be　used。　　If

this　purpose　should　succeed；　it　has　but　one　issue；the　immense

strengthening　of　a　plutocratic　administration　at　the　top；　served　by

an　army　of　high…salaried　helpers；　with　an　elite　of　skilled　and　well…

paid　workmen；　but　all　resting　on　what　would　essentially　be　a　serf

class　of　low…paid　labor　and　this　mass　kept　in　order　by　an　increased

use　of　military　force。〃



In　brief　summary　of　these　two　notable　books；　it　may　be　said　that　Mr。

Ghent　is　alarmed；　（though　he　does　not　flatly　say　so）；　at　the　too

great　social　restfulness　in　the　community；　which　is　permitting　the

capitalists　to　form　the　new　society　to　their　liking；　and　that　Mr。

Brooks　is　alarmed；　（and　he　flatly　says　so）；　at　the　social　unrest

which　threatens　the　modified　individualism　into　which　he　would　like

to　see　society　evolve。　　Mr。　Ghent　beholds　the　capitalist　class

rising　to　dominate　the　state　and　the　working　class；　Mr。　Brooks

beholds　the　working　class　rising　to　dominate　the　state　and　the

capitalist　class。　　One　fears　the　paternalism　of　a　class；　the　other；

the　tyranny　of　the　mass。







WANTED：　　A　NEW　LAW　OF　DEVELOPMENT







Evolution　is　no　longer　a　mere　tentative　hypothesis。　　One　by　one；

step　by　step；　each　division　and　subdivision　of　science　has

contributed　its　evidence；　until　now　the　case　is　complete　and　the

verdict　rendered。　　While　there　is　still　discussion　as　to　the　method

of　evolution；　none　the　less；　as　a　process　sufficient　to　explain　all

biological　phenomena；　all　differentiations　of　life　into　widely

diverse　species；　families；　and　even　kingdoms；　evolution　is　flatly

accepted。　　Likewise　has　been　accepted　its　law　of　development：　　THAT；

IN　THE　STRUGGLE　FOR　EXISTENCE；　THE　STRONG　AND　FIT　AND　THE　PROGENY　OF

THE　STRONG　AND　FIT　HAVE　A　BETTER　OPPORTUNITY　FOR　SURVIVAL　THAN　THE

WEAK　AND　LESS　FIT　AND　THE　PROGENY　OF　THE　WEAK　AND　LESS　FIT。



It　is　in　the　struggle　of　the　species　with　other　species　and　against

all　other　hostile　forces　in　the　environment；　that　this　law　operates；

also　in　the　struggle　between　the　individuals　of　the　same　species。

In　this　struggle；　which　is　for　food　and　shelter；　the　weak

individuals　must　obviously　win　less　food　and　shelter　than　the

strong。　　Because　of　this；　their　hold　on　life　relaxes　and　they　are

eliminated。　　And　for　the　same　reason　that　they　may　not　win　for

themselves　adequate　food　and　shelter；　the　weak　cannot　give　to　their

progeny　the　chance　for　survival　that　the　strong　give。　　And　thus；

since　the　weak　are　prone　to　beget　weakness；　the　species　is

constantly　purged　of　its　inefficient　members。



Because　of　this；　a　premium　is　placed　upon　strength；　and　so　long　as

the　struggle　for　food　and　shelter　obtains；　just　so　long　will　the

average　strength　of　each　generation　increase。　　On　the　other　hand；

should　conditions　so　change　that　all；　and　the　progeny　of　all；　the

weak　as　well　as　the　strong；　have　an　equal　chance　for　survival；　then；

at　once；　the　average　strength　of　each　generation　will　begin　to

diminish。　　Never　yet；　however；　in　animal　life；　has　there　been　such　a

state　of　affairs。　　Natural　selection　has　always　obtained。　　The

strong　and　their　progeny；　at　the　expense　of　the　weak；　have　always

survived。　　This　law　of　development　has　operated　down　all　the　past

upon　all　life；　it　so　operates　today；　and　it　is　not　rash　to　say　that

it　will　continue　to　operate　in　the　futureat　least　upon　all　life

existing　in　a　state　of　nature。



Man；　preeminent　though　he　is　in　the　animal　kingdom；　capable　of

reacting　upon　and　making　suitable　an　unsuitable　environment；

nevertheless　remains　the　creature　of　this　same　law　of　development。

The　social　selection　to　which　he　is　subject　is　merely　another　form

of　natural　selection。　　True；　within　certain　narrow　limits　he

modifies　the　struggle　for　existence　and　renders　less　precarious　the

tenure　of　life　for　the　weak。　　The　extremely　weak；　diseased；　and

inefficient　are　housed　in　hospitals　and　asylums。　　The　strength　of

the　vicious