war of the classes-第19章

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strong…armed　noblemen。　　The　dignity　of　labor　was　to　me　the　most

impressive　thing　in　the　world。　　Without　having　read　Carlyle；　or

Kipling；　I　formulated　a　gospel　of　work　which　put　theirs　in　the

shade。　　Work　was　everything。　　It　was　sanctification　and　salvation。

The　pride　I　took　in　a　hard　day's　work　well　done　would　be

inconceivable　to　you。　　It　is　almost　inconceivable　to　me　as　I　look

back　upon　it。　　I　was　as　faithful　a　wage　slave　as　ever　capitalist

exploited。　　To　shirk　or　malinger　on　the　man　who　paid　me　my　wages　was

a　sin；　first；　against　myself；　and　second；　against　him。　　I　considered

it　a　crime　second　only　to　treason　and　just　about　as　bad。



In　short；　my　joyous　individualism　was　dominated　by　the　orthodox

bourgeois　ethics。　　I　read　the　bourgeois　papers；　listened　to　the

bourgeois　preachers；　and　shouted　at　the　sonorous　platitudes　of　the

bourgeois　politicians。　　And　I　doubt　not；　if　other　events　had　not

changed　my　career；　that　I　should　have　evolved　into　a　professional

strike…breaker；　（one　of　President　Eliot's　American　heroes）；　and　had

my　head　and　my　earning　power　irrevocably　smashed　by　a　club　in　the

hands　of　some　militant　trades…unionist。



Just　about　this　time；　returning　from　a　seven　months'　voyage　before

the　mast；　and　just　turned　eighteen；　I　took　it　into　my　head　to　go

tramping。　　On　rods　and　blind　baggages　I　fought　my　way　from　the　open

West　where　men　bucked　big　and　the　job　hunted　the　man；　to　the

congested　labor　centres　of　the　East；　where　men　were　small　potatoes

and　hunted　the　job　for　all　they　were　worth。　　And　on　this　new　BLOND…

BEAST　adventure　I　found　myself　looking　upon　life　from　a　new　and

totally　different　angle。　　I　had　dropped　down　from　the　proletariat

into　what　sociologists　love　to　call　the　〃submerged　tenth；〃　and　I　was

startled　to　discover　the　way　in　which　that　submerged　tenth　was

recruited。



I　found　there　all　sorts　of　men；　many　of　whom　had　once　been　as　good

as　myself　and　just　as　BLOND…BEAST；　sailor…men；　soldier…men；　labor…

men；　all　wrenched　and　distorted　and　twisted　out　of　shape　by　toil　and

hardship　and　accident；　and　cast　adrift　by　their　masters　like　so　many

old　horses。　　I　battered　on　the　drag　and　slammed　back　gates　with

them；　or　shivered　with　them　in　box　cars　and　city　parks；　listening

the　while　to　life…histories　which　began　under　auspices　as　fair　as

mine；　with　digestions　and　bodies　equal　to　and　better　than　mine；　and

which　ended　there　before　my　eyes　in　the　shambles　at　the　bottom　of

the　Social　Pit。



And　as　I　listened　my　brain　began　to　work。　　The　woman　of　the　streets

and　the　man　of　the　gutter　drew　very　close　to　me。　　I　saw　the　picture

of　the　Social　Pit　as　vividly　as　though　it　were　a　concrete　thing；　and

at　the　bottom　of　the　Pit　I　saw　them；　myself　above　them；　not　far；　and

hanging　on　to　the　slippery　wall　by　main　strength　and　sweat。　　And　I

confess　a　terror　seized　me。　　What　when　my　strength　failed？　when　I

should　be　unable　to　work　shoulder　to　shoulder　with　the　strong　men

who　were　as　yet　babes　unborn？　　And　there　and　then　I　swore　a　great

oath。　　It　ran　something　like　this：　　ALL　MY　DAYS　I　HAVE　WORKED　HARD

WITH　MY　BODY；　AND　ACCORDING　TO　THE　NUMBER　OF　DAYS　I　HAVE　WORKED；　BY

JUST　THAT　MUCH　AM　I　NEARER　THE　BOTTOM　OF　THE　PIT。　　I　SHALL　CLIMB　OUT

OF　THE　PIT；　BUT　NOT　BY　THE　MUSCLES　OF　MY　BODY　SHALL　I　CLIMB　OUT。　　I

SHALL　DO　NO　MORE　HARD　WORK；　AND　MAY　GOD　STRIKE　ME　DEAD　IF　I　DO

ANOTHER　DAY'S　HARD　WORK　WITH　MY　BODY　MORE　THAN　I　ABSOLUTELY　HAVE　TO

DO。　　And　I　have　been　busy　ever　since　running　away　from　hard　work。



Incidentally；　while　tramping　some　ten　thousand　miles　through　the

United　States　and　Canada；　I　strayed　into　Niagara　Falls；　was　nabbed

by　a　fee…hunting　constable；　denied　the　right　to　plead　guilty　or　not

guilty；　sentenced　out　of　hand　to　thirty　days'　imprisonment　for

having　no　fixed　abode　and　no　visible　means　of　support；　handcuffed

and　chained　to　a　bunch　of　men　similarly　circumstanced；　carted　down

country　to　Buffalo；　registered　at　the　Erie　County　Penitentiary；　had

my　head　clipped　and　my　budding　mustache　shaved；　was　dressed　in

convict　stripes；　compulsorily　vaccinated　by　a　medical　student　who

practised　on　such　as　we；　made　to　march　the　lock…step；　and　put　to

work　under　the　eyes　of　guards　armed　with　Winchester　riflesall　for

adventuring　in　BLOND…BEASTLY　fashion。　　Concerning　further　details

deponent　sayeth　not；　though　he　may　hint　that　some　of　his　plethoric

national　patriotism　simmered　down　and　leaked　out　of　the　bottom　of

his　soul　somewhereat　least；　since　that　experience　he　finds　that　he

cares　more　for　men　and　women　and　little　children　than　for　imaginary

geographical　lines。





To　return　to　my　conversion。　　I　think　it　is　apparent　that　my　rampant

individualism　was　pretty　effectively　hammered　out　of　me；　and

something　else　as　effectively　hammered　in。　　But；　just　as　I　had　been

an　individualist　without　knowing　it；　I　was　now　a　Socialist　without

knowing　it；　withal；　an　unscientific　one。　　I　had　been　reborn；　but　not

renamed；　and　I　was　running　around　to　find　out　what　manner　of　thing　I

was。　　I　ran　back　to　California　and　opened　the　books。　　I　do　not

remember　which　ones　I　opened　first。　　It　is　an　unimportant　detail

anyway。　　I　was　already　It；　whatever　It　was；　and　by　aid　of　the　books

I　discovered　that　It　was　a　Socialist。　　Since　that　day　I　have　opened

many　books；　but　no　economic　argument；　no　lucid　demonstration　of　the

logic　and　inevitableness　of　Socialism　affects　me　as　profoundly　and

convincingly　as　I　was　affected　on　the　day　when　I　first　saw　the　walls

of　the　Social　Pit　rise　around　me　and　felt　myself　slipping　down；

down；　into　the　shambles　at　the　bottom。







Footnotes：



｛1｝　　〃From　43　to　52　per　cent　of　all　applicants　need　work　rather　than

relief。〃Report　of　the　Charity　Organization　Society　of　New　York

City。



｛2｝　　Mr。　Leiter；　who　owns　a　coal　mine　at　the　town　of　Zeigler；

Illinois；　in　an　interview　printed　in　the　Chicago　Record…Herald　of

December　6；　1904；　said：　　〃When　I　go　into　the　market　to　purchase

labor；　I　propose　to　retain　just　as　much　freedom　as　does　a　purchaser

in　any　other　kind　of　a　market。　。　。　。　There　is　no　difficulty　whatever

in　obtaining　labor；　FOR　THE　COUNTRY　IS　FULL　OF　UNEMPLOYED　MEN。〃



｛3｝　　〃Despondent　and　weary　with　vain　attempts　to　struggle　against　an

unsympathetic　world；　two　old　men　were　brought　before　Police　Judge

McHugh　this　afternoon　to　see　whether　some　means　could　not　be

provided　for　their　support；　at　least　until　springtime。



〃George　Westlake　was　the　first　one　to　receive　the　consideration　of

the　court。　　Westlake　is　seventy…two　years　old。　　A　charge　of　habitual

drunkenness　was　placed　against　him；　and　he　was　sentenced　to　a　term

in　the　county　jail；　though　it　is　more　than　probable　that　he　was

never　under　the　influence　of　intoxicating　liquor　in　his　life。　　The

act　on　the　part　of　the　authorities　was　one　of　kindness　for　him；　as

in　the　county　jail　he　will　be　provided　with　a　good　place　to　sleep

and　plenty　to　eat。



〃Joe　Coat；　aged　sixty…nine　years；　will　serve　ninety　days　in　the

county　jail　for　much　the　same　reason　as　Westlake。　　He　states　that；

if　given　a　chance　to　do　so；　he　will　go　out　to　a　wood…camp　and　cut

timber　during　the　winter；　but　the　police　authorities　realize　that　he

could　not　long　survive　such　a　task。〃From　the　Butte　（Montana）

Miner；　December　7th；　1904。



〃'I　end　my　life　because　I　have　reached　the　age　limit；　and　there　is

no　place　for　me　in　this　world。　　Please　notify　my　wife；　No。　222　West

129th　Street；　New　York。'　　Having　summed　up　the　cause　of　his

despondency　in　this　final　message；　James　Hollander；　fifty…six　years

old；　shot　himself　through　the　left　temple；　in　his　room　at　the

Stafford　Hotel　today。〃New　York　Herald。



｛4｝　　In　the　San　Francisco　Examiner　of　November　16；　1904；　there　is　an

account　of　the　use　of　fire…hose　to　drive　away　three　hundred　men　who

wanted　work　at　unloading　a　vessel　in　the　harbor。　　So　anxious　were

the　men　to　get　the　two　or　three　hours'　job　that　they　made　a

veritable　mob　and　had　to　be　driven　off。



｛5｝　　〃It　was　no　uncommon　thing　in　these　sweatshops　for　men　to　sit

bent　over　a　sewing…machine　continuously　from　eleven　to　fifteen　hours

a　day　in　July　weather；　operating　a　sewing…machine　by　foot…power；　and

often　so　driven　that　they　could　not　stop　for　lunch。　　The　seasonal

character　of　the　work　meant　demoralizing　toil　for　a　few　months　in

the　year；　and　a　not　less　demoralizing　idleness　for　the　remainder　of

the　time。　　Consumption；　the　plague　of　the　tenements　and　the　especial

plague　of　the　garment　industry；　carried　off　many　of　these　workers；

poor　nutrition　and　exhaustion；　many　more。〃From　McClure's　Magazine。



｛6｝　　The　Social　Unrest。　　Macmillan　Company。



｛7｝　　〃Our　Benevolent　Feudalism。〃　　By　W。　J。　Ghent。　　The　Macmillan

Company。



｛8｝　　〃The　Social　Unrest。〃　　By　John　Graham　Brooks。　　The　Macmillan

Company。



｛9｝　　From　figures　presented　by　Miss　Nellie　Mason　Auten　in　the

American　Journal　of　Sociology；　and　copied　extensively　by　the　trade…

union　and　Socialist　press。



｛10｝　　〃The　Bitter　Cry　of　Outcast　London。〃



｛11｝　　An　item　from　the　Social　Democratic　Herald。　　Hundreds　of　these

items；　culled　from　current　happenings；　are　published　weekly　in　the

papers　of　the　workers。



｛12｝　　Karl　Marx；　the　great　Socialist；　worked　out　the　trust

development　forty　years　ago；　for　which　he　was　laughed　at　by　the

orthodox　economists。











End