war of the classes-第17章

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they　believe；　the　more　wealth　they　create　for　their　masters。

Further；　the　more　work　they　do　in　one　day；　the　fewer　men　will　be

needed　to　do　the　work。　　So　the　unions　place　a　day's　stint　upon　their

members；　beyond　which　they　are　not　permitted　to　go。　　In　〃A　Study　of

Trade　Unionism；〃　by　Benjamin　Taylor　in　the　〃Nineteenth　Century〃　of

April；　1898；　are　furnished　some　interesting　corroborations。　　The

facts　here　set　forth　were　collected　by　the　Executive　Board　of　the

Employers'　Federation；　the　documentary　proofs　of　which　are　in　the

hands　of　the　secretaries。　　In　a　certain　firm　the　union　workmen　made

eight　ammunition　boxes　a　day。　　Nor　could　they　be　persuaded　into

making　more。　　A　young　Swiss；　who　could　not　speak　English；　was　set　to

work；　and　in　the　first　day　he　made　fifty　boxes。　　In　the　same　firm

the　skilled　union　hands　filed　up　the　outside　handles　of　one　machine…

gun　a　day。　　That　was　their　stint。　　No　one　was　known　ever　to　do　more。

A　non…union　filer　came　into　the　shop　and　did　twelve　a　day。　　A

Manchester　firm　found　that　to　plane　a　large　bed…casting　took　union

workmen　one　hundred　and　ninety　hours；　and　non…union　workmen　one

hundred　and　thirty…five　hours。　　In　another　instance　a　man；　resigning

from　his　union；　day　by　day　did　double　the　amount　of　work　he　had　done

formerly。　　And　to　cap　it　all；　an　English　gentleman；　going　out　to

look　at　a　wall　being　put　up　for　him　by　union　bricklayers；　found　one

of　their　number　with　his　right　arm　strapped　to　his　body；　doing　all

the　work　with　his　left　arm　…forsooth；　because　he　was　such　an

energetic　fellow　that　otherwise　he　would　involuntarily　lay　more

bricks　than　his　union　permitted。



All　England　resounds　to　the　cry；　〃Wake　up；　England！〃　　But　the　sulky

giant　is　not　stirred。　　〃Let　England's　trade　go　to　pot；〃　he　says；

〃what　have　I　to　lose？〃　　And　England　is　powerless。　　　The　capacity　of

her　workmen　is　represented　by　1；　in　comparison　with　the　2。25

capacity　of　the　American　workman。　　And　because　of　the　solidarity　of

labor　and　the　destructiveness　of　strikes；　British　capitalists　dare

not　even　strive　to　emulate　the　enterprise　of　American　capitalists。

So　England　watches　trade　slipping　through　her　fingers　and　wails

unavailingly。　　As　a　correspondent　writes：　　〃The　enormous　power　of

the　trade　unions　hangs；　a　sullen　cloud；　over　the　whole　industrial

world　here；　affecting　men　and　masters　alike。〃



The　political　movement　known　as　Socialism　is；　perhaps；　even　less

realized　by　the　general　public。　　The　great　strides　it　has　taken　and

the　portentous　front　it　today　exhibits　are　not　comprehended；　and；

fastened　though　it　is　in　every　land；　it　is　given　little　space　by　the

capitalistic　press。　　For　all　its　plea　and　passion　and　warmth；　it

wells　upward　like　a　great；　cold　tidal　wave；　irresistible；

inexorable；　ingulfing　present…day　society　level　by　level。　　By　its

own　preachment　it　is　inexorable。　　Just　as　societies　have　sprung　into

existence；　fulfilled　their　function；　and　passed　away；　it　claims；

just　as　surely　is　present　society　hastening　on　to　its　dissolution。

This　is　a　transition　periodand　destined　to　be　a　very　short　one。

Barely　a　century　old；　capitalism　is　ripening　so　rapidly　that　it　can

never　live　to　see　a　second　birthday。　　There　is　no　hope　for　it；　the

Socialists　say。　　It　is　doomed。



The　cardinal　tenet　of　Socialism　is　that　forbidding　doctrine；　the

materialistic　conception　of　history。　　Men　are　not　the　masters　of

their　souls。　　They　are　the　puppets　of　great；　blind　forces。　　The

lives　they　live　and　the　deaths　they　die　are　compulsory。　　All　social

codes　are　but　the　reflexes　of　existing　economic　conditions；　plus

certain　survivals　of　past　economic　conditions。　　The　institutions　men

build　they　are　compelled　to　build。　　Economic　laws　determine　at　any

given　time　what　these　institutions　shall　be；　how　long　they　shall

operate；　and　by　what　they　shall　be　replaced。　　And　so；　through　the

economic　process；　the　Socialist　preaches　the　ripening　of　the

capitalistic　society　and　the　coming　of　the　new　cooperative　society。



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；