war of the classes-第21节

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The　second　great　tenet　of　Socialism；　itself　a　phase　of　the

materialistic　conception　of　history；　is　the　class　struggle。　　In　the

social　struggle　for　existence；　men　are　forced　into　classes。　　〃The

history　of　all　society　thus　far　is　the　history　of　class　strife。〃　　In

existing　society　the　capitalist　class　exploits　the　working　class；

the　proletariat。　　The　interests　of　the　exploiter　are　not　the

interests　of　the　exploited。　　〃Profits　are　legitimate；〃　says　the　one。

〃Profits　are　unpaid　wages；〃　replies　the　other；　when　he　has　become

conscious　of　his　class；　〃therefore　profits　are　robbery。〃　　The

capitalist　enforces　his　profits　because　he　is　the　legal　owner　of　all

the　means　of　production。　　He　is　the　legal　owner　because　he　controls

the　political　machinery　of　society。　　The　Socialist　sets　to　work　to

capture　the　political　machinery；　so　that　he　may　make　illegal　the

capitalist's　ownership　of　the　means　of　production；　and　make　legal

his　own　ownership　of　the　means　of　production。　　And　it　is　this

struggle；　between　these　two　classes；　upon　which　the　world　has　at

last　entered。



Scientific　Socialism　is　very　young。　　Only　yesterday　it　was　in

swaddling　clothes。　　But　today　it　is　a　vigorous　young　giant；　well

braced　to　battle　for　what　it　wants；　and　knowing　precisely　what　it

wants。　　It　holds　its　international　conventions；　where　world…policies

are　formulated　by　the　representatives　of　millions　of　Socialists。　　In

little　Belgium　there　are　three…quarters　of　a　million　of　men　who　work

for　the　cause；　in　Germany；　3；000；000；　Austria；　between　1895　and

1897；　raised　her　socialist　vote　from　90；000　to　750；000。　　France　in

1871　had　a　whole　generation　of　Socialists　wiped　out；　yet　in　1885

there　were　30；000；　and　in　1898；　1；000；000。



Ere　the　last　Spaniard　had　evacuated　Cuba；　Socialist　groups　were

forming。　　And　from　far　Japan；　in　these　first　days　of　the　twentieth

century；　writes　one　Tomoyoshi　Murai：　　〃The　interest　of　our　people　on

Socialism　has　been　greatly　awakened　these　days；　especially　among　our

laboring　people　on　one　hand　and　young　students'　circle　on　the　other；

as　much　as　we　can　draw　an　earnest　and　enthusiastic　audience　and　fill

our　hall；　which　holds　two　thousand。　。　。　。　It　is　gratifying　to　say

that　we　have　a　number　of　fine　and　well…trained　public　orators　among

our　leaders　of　Socialism　in　Japan。　　The　first　speaker　tonight　is　Mr。

Kiyoshi　Kawakami；　editor　of　one　of　our　city　（Tokyo）　dailies；　a

strong；　independent；　and　decidedly　socialistic　paper；　circulated　far

and　wide。　　Mr。　Kawakami　is　a　scholar　as　well　as　a　popular　writer。

He　is　going　to　speak　tonight　on　the　subject；　'The　Essence　of

Socialismthe　Fundamental　Principles。'　　The　next　speaker　is

Professor　Iso　Abe；　president　of　our　association；　whose　subject　of

address　is；　'Socialism　and　the　Existing　Social　System。'　　The　third

speaker　is　Mr。　Naoe　Kinosita；　the　editor　of　another　strong　journal

of　the　city。　　He　speaks　on　the　subject；　'How　to　Realize　the

Socialist　Ideals　and　Plans。'　　Next　is　Mr。　Shigeyoshi　Sugiyama；　a

graduate　of　Hartford　Theological　Seminary　and　an　advocate　of　Social

Christianity；　who　is　to　speak　on　'Socialism　and　Municipal　Problems。'

And　the　last　speaker　is　the　editor　of　the　'Labor　World；'　the

foremost　leader　of　the　labor…union　movement　in　our　country；　Mr。　Sen

Katayama；　who　speaks　on　the　subject；　'The　Outlook　of　Socialism　in

Europe　and　America。'　　These　addresses　are　going　to　be　published　in

book　form　and　to　be　distributed　among　our　people　to　enlighten　their

minds　on　the　subject。〃



And　in　the　struggle　for　the　political　machinery　of　society；

Socialism　is　no　longer　confined　to　mere　propaganda。　　Italy；　Austria；

Belgium；　England；　have　Socialist　members　in　their　national　bodies。

Out　of　the　one　hundred　and　thirty…two　members　of　the　London　County

Council；　ninety…one　are　denounced　by　the　conservative　element　as

Socialists。　　The　Emperor　of　Germany　grows　anxious　and　angry　at　the

increasing　numbers　which　are　returned　to　the　Reichstag。　　In　France；

many　of　the　large　cities；　such　as　Marseilles；　are　in　the　hands　of

the　Socialists。　　A　large　body　of　them　is　in　the　Chamber　of　Deputies；

and　Millerand；　Socialist；　sits　in　the　cabinet。　　Of　him　M。　Leroy…

Beaulieu　says　with　horror：　　〃M。　Millerand　is　the　open　enemy　of

private　property；　private　capital；　the　resolute　advocate　of　the

socialization　of　production　。　。　。　a　constant　incitement　to　violence

。　。　。　a　collectivist；　avowed　and　militant；　taking　part　in　the

government；　dominating　the　departments　of　commerce　and　industry；

preparing　all　the　laws　and　presiding　at　the　passage　of　all　measures

which　should　be　submitted　to　merchants　and　tradesmen。〃



In　the　United　States　there　are　already　Socialist　mayors　of　towns　and

members　of　State　legislatures；　a　vast　literature；　and　single

Socialist　papers　with　subscription　lists　running　up　into　the

hundreds　of　thousands。　　In　1896；　36；000　votes　were　cast　for　the

Socialist　candidate　for　President；　in　1900；　nearly　200；000；　in　1904；

450；000。　　And　the　United　States；　young　as　it　is；　is　ripening

rapidly；　and　the　Socialists　claim；　according　to　the　materialistic

conception　of　history；　that　the　United　States　will　be　the　first

country　in　the　world　wherein　the　toilers　will　capture　the　political

machinery　and　expropriate　the　bourgeoisie。





But　the　Socialist　and　labor　movements　have　recently　entered　upon　a

new　phase。　　There　has　been　a　remarkable　change　in　attitude　on　both

sides。　　For　a　long　time　the　labor　unions　refrained　from　going　in　for

political　action。　　On　the　other　hand；　the　Socialists　claimed　that

without　political　action　labor　was　powerless。　　And　because　of　this

there　was　much　ill　feeling　between　them；　even　open　hostilities；　and

no　concerted　action。　　But　now　the　Socialists　grant　that　the　labor

movement　has　held　up　wages　and　decreased　the　hours　of　labor；　and　the

labor　unions　find　that　political　action　is　necessary。　　Today　both

parties　have　drawn　closely　together　in　the　common　fight。　　In　the

United　States　this　friendly　feeling　grows。　　The　Socialist　papers

espouse　the　cause　of　labor；　and　the　unions　have　opened　their　ears

once　more　to　the　wiles　of　the　Socialists。　　They　are　all　leavened

with　Socialist　workmen；　〃boring　from　within；〃　and　many　of　their

leaders　have　already　succumbed。　　In　England；　where　class

consciousness　is　more　developed；　the　name　〃Unionism〃　has　been

replaced　by　〃The　New　Unionism；〃　the　main　object　of　which　is　〃to

capture　existing　social　structures　in　the　interests　of　the　wage…

earners。〃　　There　the　Socialist；　the　trade…union；　and　other　working…

class　organizations　are　beginning　to　cooperate　in　securing　the

return　of　representatives　to　the　House　of　Commons。　　And　in　France；

where　the　city　councils　and　mayors　of　Marseilles　and　Monteaules…

Mines　are　Socialistic；　thousands　of　francs　of　municipal　money　were

voted　for　the　aid　of　the　unions　in　the　recent　great　strikes。



For　centuries　the　world　has　been　preparing　for　the　coming　of　the

common　man。　　And　the　period　of　preparation　virtually　past；　labor；

conscious　of　itself　and　its　desires；　has　begun　a　definite　movement

toward　solidarity。　　It　believes　the　time　is　not　far　distant　when　the

historian　will　speak　not　only　of　the　dark　ages　of　feudalism；　but　of

the　dark　ages　of　capitalism。　　And　labor　sincerely　believes　itself

justified　in　this　by　the　terrible　indictment　it　brings　against

capitalistic　society。　　In　the　face　of　its　enormous　wealth；

capitalistic　society　forfeits　its　right　to　existence　when　it　permits

widespread；　bestial　poverty。　　The　philosophy　of　the　survival　of　the

fittest　does　not　soothe　the　class…conscious　worker　when　he　learns

through　his　class　literature　that　among　the　Italian　pants…finishers

of　Chicago　｛9｝　the　average　weekly　wage　is　1。31；　and　the　average

number　of　weeks　employed　in　the　year　is　27。85。　　Likewise　when　he

reads：｛10｝　〃Every　room　in　these　reeking　tenements　houses　a　family　or

two。　　In　one　room　a　missionary　found　a　man　ill　with　small…pox；　his

wife　just　recovering　from　her　confinement；　and　the　children　running

about　half　naked　and　covered　with　dirt。　　Here　are　seven　people

living　in　one　underground　kitchen；　and　a　little　dead　child　lying　in

the　same　room。　　Here　live　a　widow　and　her　six　children；　two　of　whom

are　ill　with　scarlet　fever。　　In　another；　nine　brothers　and　sisters；

from　twenty…nine　years　of　age　downward；　live；　eat；　and　sleep

together。〃　　And　likewise；　when　he　reads：｛11｝　〃When　one　man；　fifty

years　old；　who　has　worked　all　his　life；　is　compelled　to　beg　a　little

money　to　bury　his　dead　baby；　and　another　man；　fifty　years　old；　can

give　ten　million　dollars　to　enable　his　daughter　to　live　in　luxury

and　bolster　up　a　decaying　foreign　aristocracy；　do　you　see　nothing

amiss？〃



And　on　the　other　hand；　the　class…conscious　worker　reads　the

statistics　of　the　wealthy　classes；　knows　what　their　incomes　are；　and

how　they　get　them。　　True；　down　all　the　past　he　has　known　his　own

material　misery　and　the　material　comfort　of　the　dominant　classes；

and　often　has　this　knowledge　led　him　to　intemperate　acts　and　u