war of the classes-第19节

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inefficient　are　housed　in　hospitals　and　asylums。　　The　strength　of

the　viciously　strong；　when　inimical　to　society；　is　tempered　by　penal

institutions　and　by　the　gallows。　　The　short…sighted　are　provided

with　spectacles；　and　the　sickly　（when　they　can　pay　for　it）　with

sanitariums。　　Pestilential　marshes　are　drained；　plagues　are　checked；

and　disasters　averted。　　Yet；　for　all　that；　the　strong　and　the

progeny　of　the　strong　survive；　and　the　weak　are　crushed　out。　　The

men　strong　of　brain　are　masters　as　of　yore。　　They　dominate　society

and　gather　to　themselves　the　wealth　of　society。　　With　this　wealth

they　maintain　themselves　and　equip　their　progeny　for　the　struggle。

They　build　their　homes　in　healthful　places；　purchase　the　best

fruits；　meats；　and　vegetables　the　market　affords；　and　buy　themselves

the　ministrations　of　the　most　brilliant　and　learned　of　the

professional　classes。　　The　weak　man；　as　of　yore；　is　the　servant；　the

doer　of　things　at　the　master's　call。　　The　weaker　and　less　efficient

he　is；　the　poorer　is　his　reward。　　The　weakest　work　for　a　living

wage；　（when　they　can　get　work）；　live　in　unsanitary　slums；　on　vile

and　insufficient　food；　at　the　lowest　depths　of　human　degradation。

Their　grasp　on　life　is　indeed　precarious；　their　mortality　excessive；

their　infant　death…rate　appalling。



That　some　should　be　born　to　preferment　and　others　to　ignominy　in

order　that　the　race　may　progress；　is　cruel　and　sad；　but　none　the

less　they　are　so　born。　　The　weeding　out　of　human　souls；　some　for

fatness　and　smiles；　some　for　leanness　and　tears；　is　surely　a

heartless　selective　processas　heartless　as　it　is　natural。　　And　the

human　family；　for　all　its　wonderful　record　of　adventure　and

achievement；　has　not　yet　succeeded　in　avoiding　this　process。　　That

it　is　incapable　of　doing　this　is　not　to　be　hazarded。　　Not　only　is　it

capable；　but　the　whole　trend　of　society　is　in　that　direction。　　All

the　social　forces　are　driving　man　on　to　a　time　when　the　old

selective　law　will　be　annulled。　　There　is　no　escaping　it；　save　by

the　intervention　of　catastrophes　and　cataclysms　quite　unthinkable。

It　is　inexorable。　　It　is　inexorable　because　the　common　man　demands

it。　　The　twentieth　century；　the　common　man　says；　is　his　day；　the

common　man's　day；　or；　rather；　the　dawning　of　the　common　man's　day。



Nor　can　it　be　denied。　　The　evidence　is　with　him。　　The　previous

centuries；　and　more　notably　the　nineteenth；　have　marked　the　rise　of

the　common　man。　　From　chattel　slavery　to　serfdom；　and　from　serfdom

to　what　he　bitterly　terms　〃wage　slavery；〃　he　has　risen。　　Never　was

he　so　strong　as　he　is　today；　and　never　so　menacing。　　He　does　the

work　of　the　world；　and　he　is　beginning　to　know　it。　　The　world　cannot

get　along　without　him；　and　this　also　he　is　beginning　to　know。　　All

the　human　knowledge　of　the　past；　all　the　scientific　discovery；

governmental　experiment；　and　invention　of　machinery；　have　tended　to

his　advancement。　　His　standard　of　living　is　higher。　　His　common

school　education　would　shame　princes　ten　centuries　past。　　His　civil

and　religious　liberty　makes　him　a　free　man；　and　his　ballot　the　peer

of　his　betters。　　And　all　this　has　tended　to　make　him　conscious；

conscious　of　himself；　conscious　of　his　class。　　He　looks　about　him

and　questions　that　ancient　law　of　development。　　It　is　cruel　and

wrong；　he　is　beginning　to　declare。　　It　is　an　anachronism。　　Let　it　be

abolished。　　Why　should　there　be　one　empty　belly　in　all　the　world；

when　the　work　of　ten　men　can　feed　a　hundred？　　What　if　my　brother　be

not　so　strong　as　I？　　He　has　not　sinned。　　Wherefore　should　he　hunger…

…he　and　his　sinless　little　ones？　　Away　with　the　old　law。　　There　is

food　and　shelter　for　all；　therefore　let　all　receive　food　and

shelter。



As　fast　as　labor　has　become　conscious　it　has　organized。　　The

ambition　of　these　class…conscious　men　is　that　the　movement　shall

become　general；　that　all　labor　shall　become　conscious　of　itself　and

its　class　interests。　　And　the　day　that　witnesses　the　solidarity　of

labor；　they　triumphantly　affirm；　will　be　a　day　when　labor　dominates

the　world。　　This　growing　consciousness　has　led　to　the　organization

of　two　movements；　both　separate　and　distinct；　but　both　converging

toward　a　common　goalone；　the　labor　movement；　known　as　Trade

Unionism；　the　other；　the　political　movement；　known　as　Socialism。

Both　are　grim　and　silent　forces；　unheralded　and　virtually　unknown　to

the　general　public　save　in　moments　of　stress。　　The　sleeping　labor

giant　receives　little　notice　from　the　capitalistic　press；　and　when

he　stirs　uneasily；　a　column　of　surprise；　indignation；　and　horror

suffices。



It　is　only　now　and　then；　after　long　periods　of　silence；　that　the

labor　movement　puts　in　its　claim　for　notice。　　All　is　quiet。　　The

kind　old　world　spins　on；　and　the　bourgeois　masters　clip　their

coupons　in　smug　complacency。　　But　the　grim　and　silent　forces　are　at

work。



Suddenly；　like　a　clap　of　thunder　from　a　clear　sky；　comes　a

disruption　of　industry。　　From　ocean　to　ocean　the　wheels　of　a　great

chain　of　railroads　cease　to　run。　　A　quarter　of　a　million　miners

throw　down　pick　and　shovel　and　outrage　the　sun　with　their　pale；

bleached　faces。　　The　street　railways　of　a　swarming　metropolis　stand

idle；　or　the　rumble　of　machinery　in　vast　manufactories　dies　away　to

silence。　　There　is　alarm　and　panic。　　Arson　and　homicide　stalk　forth。

There　is　a　cry　in　the　night；　and　quick　anger　and　sudden　death。

Peaceful　cities　are　affrighted　by　the　crack　of　rifles　and　the　snarl

of　machine…guns；　and　the　hearts　of　the　shuddering　are　shaken　by　the

roar　of　dynamite。　　There　is　hurrying　and　skurrying。　　The　wires　are

kept　hot　between　the　centre　of　government　and　the　seat　of　trouble。

The　chiefs　of　state　ponder　gravely　and　advise；　and　governors　of

states　implore。　　There　is　assembling　of　militia　and　massing　of

troops；　and　the　streets　resound　to　the　tramp　of　armed　men。　　There

are　separate　and　joint　conferences　between　the　captains　of　industry

and　the　captains　of　labor。　　And　then；　finally；　all　is　quiet　again；

and　the　memory　of　it　is　like　the　memory　of　a　bad　dream。



But　these　strikes　become　olympiads；　things　to　date　from；　and　common

on　the　lips　of　men　become　such　phrases　as　〃The　Great　Dock　Strike；〃

〃The　Great　Coal　Strike；〃　〃The　Great　Railroad　Strike。〃　　Never　before

did　labor　do　these　things。　　After　the　Great　Plague　in　England；

labor；　finding　itself　in　demand　and　innocently　obeying　the　economic

law；　asked　higher　wages。　　But　the　masters　set　a　maximum　wage；

restrained　workingmen　from　moving　about　from　place　to　place；　refused

to　tolerate　idlers；　and　by　most　barbarous　legal　methods　punished

those　who　disobeyed。　　But　labor　is　accorded　greater　respect　today。

Such　a　policy；　put　into　effect　in　this　the　first　decade　of　the

twentieth　century；　would　sweep　the　masters　from　their　seats　in　one

mighty　crash。　　And　the　masters　know　it　and　are　respectful。



A　fair　instance　of　the　growing　solidarity　of　labor　is　afforded　by　an

unimportant　recent　strike　in　San　Francisco。　　The　restaurant　cooks

and　waiters　were　completely　unorganized；　working　at　any　and　all

hours　for　whatever　wages　they　could　get。　　A　representative　of　the

American　Federation　of　Labor　went　among　them　and　organized　them。

Within　a　few　weeks　nearly　two　thousand　men　were　enrolled；　and　they

had　five　thousand　dollars　on　deposit。　　Then　they　put　in　their　demand

for　increased　wages　and　shorter　hours。　　Forthwith　their　employers

organized。　　The　demand　was　denied；　and　the　Cooks'　and　Waiters'　Union

walked　out。



All　organized　employers　stood　back　of　the　restaurant　owners；　in

sympathy　with　them　and　willing　to　aid　them　if　they　dared。　　And　at

the　back　of　the　Cooks'　and　Waiters'　Union　stood　the　organized　labor

of　the　city；　40；000　strong。　　If　a　business　man　was　caught

patronizing　an　〃unfair〃　restaurant；　he　was　boycotted；　if　a　union　man

was　caught；　he　was　fined　heavily　by　his　union　or　expelled。　　The

oyster　companies　and　the　slaughter　houses　made　an　attempt　to　refuse

to　sell　oysters　and　meat　to　union　restaurants。　　The　Butchers　and

Meat　Cutters；　and　the　Teamsters；　in　retaliation；　refused　to　work　for

or　to　deliver　to　non…union　restaurants。　　Upon　this　the　oyster

companies　and　slaughter　houses　acknowledged　themselves　beaten　and

peace　reigned。　　But　the　Restaurant　Bakers　in　non…union　places　were

ordered　out；　and　the　Bakery　Wagon　Drivers　declined　to　deliver　to

unfair　houses。



Every　American　Federation　of　Labor　union　in　the　city　was　prepared　to

strike；　and　waited　only　the　word。　　And　behind　all；　a　handful　of　men；

known　as　the　Labor　Council；　directed　the　fight。　　One　by　one；　blow

upon　blow；　they　were　able　if　they　deemed　it　necessary　to　call　out

the　unionsthe　Laundry　Workers；　who　do　the　washing；　the　Hackmen；

who　haul　men　to　and　from　restaurants；　the　Butchers；　Meat　Cutters；

and　Teamsters；　and　the　Milkers；　Milk　Drivers；　and　Chicken　Pickers；

and　after　that；　in　pure　sympathy；　the　Retail　Clerks；　the　Horse

Shoers；　the　Gas　and　Electrical　Fixture　Hangers；　the　Metal　Roofers；

the　Blacksmiths；　the　Blacks