war of the classes-第4节

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By　'proletariat'　is　meant　the　class　of　people　without　capital　which

sells　its　labor　for　a　living。



〃That　the　proletariat　shall　conquer；〃　（mark　the　note　of　fatalism）；

〃is　as　certain　as　the　rising　sun。　　Just　as　the　bourgeoisie　of　the

eighteenth　century　wanted　democracy　applied　to　politics；　so　the

proletariat　of　the　twentieth　century　wants　democracy　applied　to

industry。　　As　the　bourgeoisie　complained　against　the　government

being　run　by　and　for　the　nobles；　so　the　proletariat　complains

against　the　government　and　industry　being　run　by　and　for　the

bourgeoisie；　and　so；　following　in　the　footsteps　of　its　predecessor；

the　proletariat　will　possess　itself　of　the　government；　apply

democracy　to　industry；　abolish　wages；　which　are　merely　legalized

robbery；　and　run　the　business　of　the　country　in　its　own　interest。〃



〃Their　aim；〃　they　say；　〃is　to　organize　the　working　class；　and　those

in　sympathy　with　it；　into　a　political　party；　with　the　object　of

conquering　the　powers　of　government　and　of　using　them　for　the

purpose　of　transforming　the　present　system　of　private　ownership　of

the　means　of　production　and　distribution　into　collective　ownership

by　the　entire　people。〃



Briefly　stated；　this　is　the　battle　plan　of　these　450；000　men　who

call　themselves　〃socialists。〃　　And；　in　the　face　of　the　existence　of

such　an　aggressive　group　of　men；　a　class　struggle　cannot　very　well

be　denied　by　the　optimistic　Americans　who　say：　　〃A　class　struggle　is

monstrous。　　Sir；　there　is　no　class　struggle。〃　　The　class　struggle　is

here；　and　the　optimistic　American　had　better　gird　himself　for　the

fray　and　put　a　stop　to　it；　rather　than　sit　idly　declaiming　that　what

ought　not　to　be　is　not；　and　never　will　be。



But　the　socialists；　fanatics　and　dreamers　though　they　may　well　be；

betray　a　foresight　and　insight；　and　a　genius　for　organization；　which

put　to　shame　the　class　with　which　they　are　openly　at　war。　　Failing

of　rapid　success　in　waging　a　sheer　political　propaganda；　and　finding

that　they　were　alienating　the　most　intelligent　and　most　easily

organized　portion　of　the　voters；　the　socialists　lessoned　from　the

experience　and　turned　their　energies　upon　the　trade…union　movement。

To　win　the　trade　unions　was　well…nigh　to　win　the　war；　and　recent

events　show　that　they　have　done　far　more　winning　in　this　direction

than　have　the　capitalists。



Instead　of　antagonizing　the　unions；　which　had　been　their　previous

policy；　the　socialists　proceeded　to　conciliate　the　unions。　　〃Let

every　good　socialist　join　the　union　of　his　trade；〃　the　edict　went

forth。　　〃Bore　from　within　and　capture　the　trade…union　movement。〃

And　this　policy；　only　several　years　old；　has　reaped　fruits　far

beyond　their　fondest　expectations。　　Today　the　great　labor　unions　are

honeycombed　with　socialists；　〃boring　from　within；〃　as　they

picturesquely　term　their　undermining　labor。　　At　work　and　at　play；　at

business　meeting　and　council；　their　insidious　propaganda　goes　on。

At　the　shoulder　of　the　trade…unionist　is　the　socialist；　sympathizing

with　him；　aiding　him　with　head　and　hand；　suggestingperpetually

suggestingthe　necessity　for　political　action。　　As　the　JOURNAL；　of

Lansing；　Michigan；　a　republican　paper；　has　remarked：　　〃The

socialists　in　the　labor　unions　are　tireless　workers。　　They　are

sincere；　energetic；　and　self…sacrificing。　。　。　。　They　stick　to　the

union　and　work　all　the　while；　thus　making　a　showing　which；　reckoned

by　ordinary　standards；　is　out　of　all　proportion　to　their　numbers。

Their　cause　is　growing　among　union　laborers；　and　their　long　fight；

intended　to　turn　the　Federation　into　a　political　organization；　is

likely　to　win。〃



They　miss　no　opportunity　of　driving　home　the　necessity　for　political

action；　the　necessity　for　capturing　the　political　machinery　of

society　whereby　they　may　master　society。　　As　an　instance　of　this　is

the　avidity　with　which　the　American　socialists　seized　upon　the

famous　Taft…Vale　Decision　in　England；　which　was　to　the　effect　that

an　unincorporated　union　could　be　sued　and　its　treasury　rifled　by

process　of　law。　　Throughout　the　United　States；　the　socialists

pointed　the　moral　in　similar　fashion　to　the　way　it　was　pointed　by

the　Social…Democratic　Herald；　which　advised　the　trade…unionists；　in

view　of　the　decision；　to　stop　trying　to　fight　capital　with　money；

which　they　lacked；　and　to　begin　fighting　with　the　ballot；　which　was

their　strongest　weapon。



Night　and　day；　tireless　and　unrelenting；　they　labor　at　their　self…

imposed　task　of　undermining　society。　　Mr。　M。　G。　Cunniff；　who　lately

made　an　intimate　study　of　trade…unionism；　says：　　〃All　through　the

unions　socialism　filters。　　Almost　every　other　man　is　a　socialist；

preaching　that　unionism　is　but　a　makeshift。〃　　〃Malthus　be　damned；〃

they　told　him；　〃for　the　good　time　was　coming　when　every　man　should

be　able　to　rear　his　family　in　comfort。〃　　In　one　union；　with　two

thousand　members；　Mr。　Cunniff　found　every　man　a　socialist；　and　from

his　experiences　Mr。　Cunniff　was　forced　to　confess；　〃I　lived　in　a

world　that　showed　our　industrial　life　a…tremble　from　beneath　with　a

never…ceasing　ferment。〃



The　socialists　have　already　captured　the　Western　Federation　of

Miners；　the　Western　Hotel　and　Restaurant　Employees'　Union；　and　the

Patternmakers'　National　Association。　　The　Western　Federation　of

Miners；　at　a　recent　convention；　declared：　　〃The　strike　has　failed　to

secure　to　the　working　classes　their　liberty；　we　therefore　call　upon

the　workers　to　strike　as　one　man　for　their　liberties　at　the　ballot

box。　。　。　。　We　put　ourselves　on　record　as　committed　to　the　programme

of　independent　political　action。　。　。　。　We　indorse　the　platform　of

the　socialist　party；　and　accept　it　as　the　declaration　of　principles

of　our　organization。　　We　call　upon　our　members　as　individuals　to

commence　immediately　the　organization　of　the　socialist　movement　in

their　respective　towns　and　states；　and　to　cooperate　in　every　way　for

the　furtherance　of　the　principles　of　socialism　and　of　the　socialist

party。　　In　states　where　the　socialist　party　has　not　perfected　its

organization；　we　advise　that　every　assistance　be　given　by　our

members　to　that　end。　。　。　。　We　therefore　call　for　organizers；　capable

and　well…versed　in　the　whole　programme　of　the　labor　movement；　to　be

sent　into　each　state　to　preach　the　necessity　of　organization　on　the

political　as　well　as　on　the　economic　field。〃



The　capitalist　class　has　a　glimmering　consciousness　of　the　class

struggle　which　is　shaping　itself　in　the　midst　of　society；　but　the

capitalists；　as　a　class；　seem　to　lack　the　ability　for　organizing；

for　coming　together；　such　as　is　possessed　by　the　working　class。　　No

American　capitalist　ever　aids　an　English　capitalist　in　the　common

fight；　while　workmen　have　formed　international　unions；　the

socialists　a　world…wide　international　organization；　and　on　all　sides

space　and　race　are　bridged　in　the　effort　to　achieve　solidarity。

Resolutions　of　sympathy；　and；　fully　as　important；　donations　of

money；　pass　back　and　forth　across　the　sea　to　wherever　labor　is

fighting　its　pitched　battles。



For　divers　reasons；　the　capitalist　class　lacks　this　cohesion　or

solidarity；　chief　among　which　is　the　optimism　bred　of　past　success。

And；　again；　the　capitalist　class　is　divided；　it　has　within　itself　a

class　struggle　of　no　mean　proportions；　which　tends　to　irritate　and

harass　it　and　to　confuse　the　situation。　　The　small　capitalist　and

the　large　capitalist　are　grappled　with　each　other；　struggling　over

what　Achille　Loria　calls　the　〃bi…partition　of　the　revenues。〃　　Such　a

struggle；　though　not　precisely　analogous；　was　waged　between　the

landlords　and　manufacturers　of　England　when　the　one　brought　about

the　passage　of　the　Factory　Acts　and　the　other　the　abolition　of　the

Corn　Laws。



Here　and　there；　however；　certain　members　of　the　capitalist　class　see

clearly　the　cleavage　in　society　along　which　the　struggle　is

beginning　to　show　itself；　while　the　press　and　magazines　are

beginning　to　raise　an　occasional　and　troubled　voice。　　Two　leagues　of

class…conscious　capitalists　have　been　formed　for　the　purpose　of

carrying　on　their　side　of　the　struggle。　　Like　the　socialists；　they

do　not　mince　matters；　but　state　boldly　and　plainly　that　they　are

fighting　to　subjugate　the　opposing　class。　　It　is　the　barons　against

the　commons。　　One　of　these　leagues；　the　National　Association　of

Manufacturers；　is　stopping　short　of　nothing　in　what　it　conceives　to

be　a　life…and…death　struggle。　　Mr。　D。　M。　Parry；　who　is　the　president

of　the　league；　as　well　as　president　of　the　National　Metal　Trades'

Association；　is　leaving　no　stone　unturned　in　what　he　feels　to　be　a

desperate　effort　to　organize　his　class。　　He　has　issued　the　call　to

arms　in　terms　everything　but　ambiguous：　　〃THERE　IS　STILL　TIME　IN　THE

UNITED　STALES　TO　HEAD　OFF　THE　SOCIALISTIC　PROGRAMME；　WHICH；

UNRESTRAINED；　IS　SURE　TO　WRECK　OUR　COUNTRY。〃



As　he　says；　the　work　is　for　〃federating　employers　in　order　that　we

may　meet　with　a　united　front　all　issues　that　affect　us。　　We　must

come　to　this　soo