war of the classes-第9节

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Here　youth　is　ugly　with　loathsome　disease；　and　the　deformities　which

follow　physical　degeneration。〃



These　are　the　men　and　women　who　are　what　they　are　because　they　were

not　better　born；　or　because　they　happened　to　be　unluckily　born　in

time　and　space。　　Gauged　by　the　needs　of　the　system；　they　are　weak

and　worthless。　　The　hospital　and　the　pauper's　grave　await　them；　and

they　offer　no　encouragement　to　the　mediocre　worker　who　has　failed

higher　up　in　the　industrial　structure。　　Such　a　worker；　conscious

that　he　has　failed；　conscious　from　the　hard　fact　that　he　cannot

obtain　work　in　the　higher　employments；　finds　several　courses　open　to

him。　　He　may　come　down　and　be　a　beast　in　the　social　pit；　for

instance；　but　if　he　be　of　a　certain　caliber；　the　effect　of　the

social　pit　will　be　to　discourage　him　from　work。　　In　his　blood　a

rebellion　will　quicken；　and　he　will　elect　to　become　either　a　felon

or　a　tramp。



If　he　have　fought　the　hard　fight　he　is　not　unacquainted　with　the

lure　of　the　〃road。〃　　When　out　of　work　and　still　undiscouraged；　he

has　been　forced　to　〃hit　the　road〃　between　large　cities　in　his　quest

for　a　job。　　He　has　loafed；　seen　the　country　and　green　things；

laughed　in　joy；　lain　on　his　back　and　listened　to　the　birds　singing

overhead；　unannoyed　by　factory　whistles　and　bosses'　harsh　commands；

and；　most　significant　of　all；　HE　HAS　LIVED！　　That　is　the　point！　　He

has　not　starved　to　death。　　Not　only　has　he　been　care…free　and　happy；

but　he　has　lived！　　And　from　the　knowledge　that　he　has　idled　and　is

still　alive；　he　achieves　a　new　outlook　on　life；　and　the　more　he

experiences　the　unenviable　lot　of　the　poor　worker；　the　more　the

blandishments　of　the　〃road〃　take　hold　of　him。　　And　finally　he　flings

his　challenge　in　the　face　of　society；　imposes　a　valorous　boycott　on

all　work；　and　joins　the　far…wanderers　of　Hoboland；　the　gypsy　folk　of

this　latter　day。



But　the　tramp　does　not　usually　come　from　the　slums。　　His　place　of

birth　is　ordinarily　a　bit　above；　and　sometimes　a　very　great　bit

above。　　A　confessed　failure；　he　yet　refuses　to　accept　the

punishment；　and　swerves　aside　from　the　slum　to　vagabondage。　　The

average　beast　in　the　social　pit　is　either　too　much　of　a　beast；　or

too　much　of　a　slave　to　the　bourgeois　ethics　and　ideals　of　his

masters；　to　manifest　this　flicker　of　rebellion。　　But　the　social　pit；

out　of　its　discouragement　and　viciousness；　breeds　criminals；　men　who

prefer　being　beasts　of　prey　to　being　beasts　of　work。　　And　the

mediocre　criminal；　in　turn；　the　unfit　and　inefficient　criminal；　is

discouraged　by　the　strong　arm　of　the　law　and　goes　over　to　trampdom。



These　men；　the　discouraged　worker　and　the　discouraged　criminal；

voluntarily　withdraw　themselves　from　the　struggle　for　work。

Industry　does　not　need　them。　　There　are　no　factories　shut　down

through　lack　of　labor；　no　projected　railroads　unbuilt　for　want　of

pick…and…shovel　men。　　Women　are　still　glad　to　toil　for　a　dollar　a

week；　and　men　and　boys　to　clamor　and　fight　for　work　at　the　factory

gates。　　No　one　misses　these　discouraged　men；　and　in　going　away　they

have　made　it　somewhat　easier　for　those　that　remain。





So　the　case　stands　thus：　　There　being　more　men　than　there　is　work

for　men　to　do；　a　surplus　labor　army　inevitably　results。　　The　surplus

labor　army　is　an　economic　necessity；　without　it；　present　society

would　fall　to　pieces。　　Into　the　surplus　labor　army　are　herded　the

mediocre；　the　inefficient；　the　unfit；　and　those　incapable　of

satisfying　the　industrial　needs　of　the　system。　　The　struggle　for

work　between　the　members　of　the　surplus　labor　army　is　sordid　and

savage；　and　at　the　bottom　of　the　social　pit　the　struggle　is　vicious

and　beastly。　　This　struggle　tends　to　discouragement；　and　the　victims

of　this　discouragement　are　the　criminal　and　the　tramp。　　The　tramp　is

not　an　economic　necessity　such　as　the　surplus　labor　army；　but　he　is

the　by…product　of　an　economic　necessity。



The　〃road〃　is　one　of　the　safety…valves　through　which　the　waste　of

the　social　organism　is　given　off。　　And　BEING　GIVEN　OFF　constitutes

the　negative　function　of　the　tramp。　　Society；　as　at　present

organized；　makes　much　waste　of　human　life。　　This　waste　must　be

eliminated。　　Chloroform　or　electrocution　would　be　a　simple；　merciful

solution　of　this　problem　of　elimination；　but　the　ruling　ethics；

while　permitting　the　human　waste；　will　not　permit　a　humane

elimination　of　that　waste。　　This　paradox　demonstrates　the

irreconcilability　of　theoretical　ethics　and　industrial　need。



And　so　the　tramp　becomes　self…eliminating。　　And　not　only　self！

Since　he　is　manifestly　unfit　for　things　as　they　are；　and　since　kind

is　prone　to　beget　kind；　it　is　necessary　that　his　kind　cease　with

him；　that　his　progeny　shall　not　be；　that　he　play　the　eunuch's　part

in　this　twentieth　century　after　Christ。　　And　he　plays　it。　　He　does

not　breed。　　Sterility　is　his　portion；　as　it　is　the　portion　of　the

woman　on　the　street。　　They　might　have　been　mates；　but　society　has

decreed　otherwise。



And；　while　it　is　not　nice　that　these　men　should　die；　it　is　ordained

that　they　must　die；　and　we　should　not　quarrel　with　them　if　they

cumber　our　highways　and　kitchen　stoops　with　their　perambulating

carcasses。　　This　is　a　form　of　elimination　we　not　only　countenance

but　compel。　　Therefore　let　us　be　cheerful　and　honest　about　it。　　Let

us　be　as　stringent　as　we　please　with　our　police　regulations；　but　for

goodness'　sake　let　us　refrain　from　telling　the　tramp　to　go　to　work。

Not　only　is　it　unkind；　but　it　is　untrue　and　hypocritical。　　We　know

there　is　no　work　for　him。　　As　the　scapegoat　to　our　economic　and

industrial　sinning；　or　to　the　plan　of　things；　if　you　will；　we　should

give　him　credit。　　Let　us　be　just。　　He　is　so　made。　　Society　made　him。

He　did　not　make　himself。







THE　SCAB







In　a　competitive　society；　where　men　struggle　with　one　another　for

food　and　shelter；　what　is　more　natural　than　that　generosity；　when　it

diminishes　the　food　and　shelter　of　men　other　than　he　who　is

generous；　should　be　held　an　accursed　thing？　　Wise　old　saws　to　the

contrary；　he　who　takes　from　a　man's　purse　takes　from　his　existence。

To　strike　at　a　man's　food　and　shelter　is　to　strike　at　his　life；　and

in　a　society　organized　on　a　tooth…and…nail　basis；　such　an　act；

performed　though　it　may　be　under　the　guise　of　generosity；　is　none

the　less　menacing　and　terrible。



It　is　for　this　reason　that　a　laborer　is　so　fiercely　hostile　to

another　laborer　who　offers　to　work　for　less　pay　or　longer　hours。　　To

hold　his　place；　（which　is　to　live）；　he　must　offset　this　offer　by

another　equally　liberal；　which　is　equivalent　to　giving　away　somewhat

from　the　food　and　shelter　he　enjoys。　　To　sell　his　day's　work　for　2；

instead　of　2。50；　means　that　he；　his　wife；　and　his　children　will　not

have　so　good　a　roof　over　their　heads；　so　warm　clothes　on　their

backs；　so　substantial　food　in　their　stomachs。　　Meat　will　be　bought

less　frequently　and　it　will　be　tougher　and　less　nutritious；　stout

new　shoes　will　go　less　often　on　the　children's　feet；　and　disease　and

death　will　be　more　imminent　in　a　cheaper　house　and　neighborhood。



Thus　the　generous　laborer；　giving　more　of　a　day's　work　for　less

return；　（measured　in　terms　of　food　and　shelter）；　threatens　the　life

of　his　less　generous　brother　laborer；　and　at　the　best；　if　he　does

not　destroy　that　life；　he　diminishes　it。　　Whereupon　the　less

generous　laborer　looks　upon　him　as　an　enemy；　and；　as　men　are

inclined　to　do　in　a　tooth…and…nail　society；　he　tries　to　kill　the　man

who　is　trying　to　kill　him。



When　a　striker　kills　with　a　brick　the　man　who　has　taken　his　place；

he　has　no　sense　of　wrong…doing。　　In　the　deepest　holds　of　his　being；

though　he　does　not　reason　the　impulse；　he　has　an　ethical　sanction。

He　feels　dimly　that　he　has　justification；　just　as　the　home…defending

Boer　felt；　though　more　sharply；　with　each　bullet　he　fired　at　the

invading　English。　　Behind　every　brick　thrown　by　a　striker　is　the

selfish　will　〃to　live〃　of　himself；　and　the　slightly　altruistic　will

〃to　live〃　of　his　family。　　The　family　group　came　into　the　world

before　the　State　group；　and　society；　being　still　on　the　primitive

basis　of　tooth　and　nail；　the　will　〃to　live〃　of　the　State　is　not　so

compelling　to　the　striker　as　is　the　will　〃to　live〃　of　his　family　and

himself。



In　addition　to　the　use　of　bricks；　clubs；　and　bullets；　the　selfish

laborer　finds　it　necessary　to　express　his　feelings　in　speech。　　Just

as　the　peaceful　country…dweller　calls　the　sea…rover　a　〃pirate；〃　and

the　stout　burgher　calls　the　man　who　breaks　into　his　strong…box　a

〃robber；〃　so　the　selfish　laborer　applies　the　opprobrious　epithet　a

〃scab〃　to　the　laborer　who　takes　from　him　food　and　shelter　by　being

more　generous　in　the　disposal　of　his　labor　power。　　The　sentimental

connotation　of　〃scab〃　is　as　terrific　as　that　of　〃traitor〃　or

〃Judas；〃　and　a　sentimental　definition　would　be　as　deep　and　varied　as

the　human　heart。　　It　is　far　easier　to　arrive　at　what　may　be　called　a

technical　definition；　worded　in　commer