war of the classes-第4章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



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　sooner　or　later。　。　。　。　The　work　immediately　before　the

National　Association　of　Manufacturers　is；　first；　KEEP　THE　VICIOUS

EIGHT…HOUR　BILL　OFF　THE　BOOKS；　second；　to　DESTROY　THE　ANTI…

INJUNCTION　BILL；　which　wrests　your　business　from　you　and　places　it

in　the　hands　of　your　employees；　third；　to　secure　the　PASSAGE　OF　THE

DEPARTMENT　OF　COMMERCE　AND　INDUSTRY　BILL；　the　latter　would　go

through　with　a　rush　were　it　not　for　the　hectoring　opposition　of

Organized　Labor。〃　　By　this　department；　he　further　says；　〃business

interests　would　have　direct　and　sympathetic　representation　at

Washington。〃



In　a　later　letter；　issued　broadcast　to　the　capitalists　outside　the

League；　President　Parry　points　out　the　success　which　is　already

beginning　to　attend　the　efforts　of　the　League　at　Washington。　　〃We

have　contributed　more　than　any　other　influence　to　the　quick　passage

of　the　new　Department　of　Commerce　Bill。　　It　is　said　that　the

activities　of　this　office　are　numerous　and　satisfactory；　but　of　that

I　must　not　say　too　muchor　anything。　。　。　。　At　Washington　the

Association　is　not　represented　too　much；　either　directly　or

indirectly。　　Sometimes　it　is　known　in　a　most　powerful　way　that　it　is

represented　vigorously　and　unitedly。　　Sometimes　it　is　not　known　that

it　is　represented　at　all。〃



The　second　class…conscious　capitalist　organization　is　called　the

National　Economic　League。　　It　likewise　manifests　the　frankness　of

men　who　do　not　dilly…dally　with　terms；　but　who　say　what　they　mean；

and　who　mean　to　settle　down　to　a　long；　hard　fight。　　Their　letter　of

invitation　to　prospective　members　opens　boldly。　　〃We　beg　to　inform

you　that　the　National　Economic　League　will　render　its　services　in　an

impartial　educational　movement　TO　OPPOSE　SOCIALISM　AND　CLASS

HATRED。〃　　Among　its　class…conscious　members；　men　who　recognize　that

the　opening　guns　of　the　class　struggle　have　been　fired；　may　be

instanced　the　following　names：　　Hon。　Lyman　J。　Gage；　Ex…Secretary　U。

S。　Treasury；　Hon。　Thomas　Jefferson　Coolidge；　Ex…Minister　to　France；

Rev。　Henry　C。　Potter；　Bishop　New　York　Diocese；　Hon。　John　D。　Long；

Ex…Secretary　U。　S。　Navy；　Hon。　Levi　P。　Morton；　Ex…Vice　President

United　States；　Henry　Clews；　John　F。　Dryden；　President　Prudential

Life　Insurance　Co。；　John　A。　McCall；　President　New　York　Life

Insurance　Co。；　J。　L。　Greatsinger；　President　Brooklyn　Rapid　Transit

Co。；　the　shipbuilding　firm　of　William　Cramp　&　Sons；　the　Southern

Railway　system；　and　the　Atchison；　Topeka；　&　Santa　Fe　Railway

Company。



Instances　of　the　troubled　editorial　voice　have　not　been　rare　during

the　last　several　years。　　There　were　many　cries　from　the　press　during

the　last　days　of　the　anthracite　coal　strike　that　the　mine　owners；　by

their　stubbornness；　were　sowing　the　regrettable　seeds　of　socialism。

The　World's　Work　for　December；　1902；　said：　　〃The　next　significant

fact　is　the　recommendation　by　the　Illinois　State　Federation　of　Labor

that　all　members　of　labor　unions　who　are　also　members　of　the　state

militia　shall　resign　from　the　militia。　　This　proposition　has　been

favorably　regarded　by　some　other　labor　organizations。　　It　has　done

more　than　any　other　single　recent　declaration　or　action　to　cause　a

public　distrust　of　such　unions　as　favor　it。　　IT　HINTS　OF　A　CLASS

SEPARATION　THAT　IN　TURN　HINTS　OF　ANARCHY。〃



The　OUTLOOK；　February　14；　1903；　in　reference　to　the　rioting　at

Waterbury；　remarks；　〃That　all　this　disorder　should　have　occurred　in

a　city　of　the　character　and　intelligence　of　Waterbury　indicates　that

the　industrial　war　spirit　is　by　no　means　confined　to　the　immigrant

or　ignorant　working　classes。〃



That　President　Roosevelt　has　smelt　the　smoke　from　the　firing　line　of

the　class　struggle　is　evidenced　by　his　words；　〃Above　all　we　need　to

remember　that　any　kind　of　CLASS　ANIMOSITY　IN　THE　POLITICAL　WORLD　is；

if　possible；　even　more　destructive　to　national　welfare　than

sectional；　race；　or　religious　animosity。〃　　The　chief　thing　to　be

noted　here　is　President　Roosevelt's　tacit　recognition　of　class

animosity　in　the　industrial　world；　and　his　fear；　which　language

cannot　portray　stronger；　that　this　class　animosity　may　spread　to　the

political　world。　　Yet　this　is　the　very　policy　which　the　socialists

have　announced　in　their　declaration　of　war　against　present…day

societyto　capture　the　political　machinery　of　society　and　by　that

machinery　destroy　present…day　society。



The　New　York　Independent　for　February　12；　1903；　recognized　without

qualification　the　class　struggle。　　〃It　is　impossible　fairly　to　pass

upon　the　methods　of　labor　unions；　or　to　devise　plans　for　remedying

their　abuses；　until　it　is　recognized；　to　begin　with；　that　unions　are

based　upon　class　antagonism　and　that　their　policies　are　dictated　by

the　necessities　of　social　warfare。　　A　strike　is　a　rebellion　against

the　owners　of　property。　　The　rights　of　property　are　protected　by

government。　　And　a　strike；　under　certain　provocation；　may　extend　as

far　as　did　the　general　strike　in　Belgium　a　few　years　since；　when

practically　the　entire　wage…earning　population　stopped　work　in　order

to　force　political　concessions　from　the　property…owning　classes。

This　is　an　extreme　case；　but　it　brings　out　vividly　the　real　nature

of　labor　organization　as　a　species　of　warfare　whose　object　is　the

coercion　of　one　class　by　another　class。〃



It　has　been　shown；　theoretically　and　actually；　that　there　is　a　class

struggle　in　the　United　States。　　The　quarrel　over　the　division　of　the

joint　product　is　irreconcilable。　　The　working　class　is　no　longer

losing　its　strongest　and　most　capable　members。　　These　men；　denied

room　for　their　ambition　in　the　capitalist　ranks；　remain　to　be　the

leaders　of　the　workers；　to　spur　them　to　discontent；　to　make　them

conscious　of　their　class；　to　lead　them　to　revolt。



This　revolt；　appearing　spontaneously　all　over　the　industrial　field

in　the　form　of　demands　for　an　increased　share　of　the　joint　product；

is　being　carefully　and　shrewdly　shaped　for　a　political　assault　upon

society。　　The　leaders；　with　the　carelessness　of　fatalists；　do　not

hesitate　for　an　instant　to　publish　their　intentions　to　the　world。

They　intend　to　direct　the　labor　revolt　to　the　capture　of　the

political　machinery　of　society。　　With　the　political　machinery　once

in　their　hands；　which　will　also　give　them　the　control　of　the　police；

the　army；　the　navy；　and　the　courts；　they　will　confiscate；　with　or

without　remuneration；　all　the　possessions　of　the　capitalist　class

which　are　used　in　the　production　and　distribution　of　the　necessaries

and　luxuries　of　life。　　By　this；　they　mean　to　apply　the　law　of

eminent　domain　to　the　land；　and　to　extend　the　law　of　eminent　domain

till　it　embraces　the　mines；　the　factories；　the　railroads；　and　the

ocean　carriers。　　In　short；　they　intend　to　destroy　present…day

society；　which　they　contend　is　run　in　the　interest　of　another　class；

and　from　the　materials　to　construct　a　new　society；　which　will　be　run

in　their　interest。



On　the　other　hand；　the　capitalist　class　is　beginning　to　grow

conscious　of　itself　and　of　the　struggle　which　is　being　waged。　　It　is

already　forming　offensive　and　defensive　leagues；　while　some　of　the

most　prominent　figures　in　the　nation　are　preparing　to　lead　it　in　the

attack　upon　socialism。



The　question　to　be　solved　is　not　one　of　Malthusianism；　〃projected

efficiency；〃　nor　ethics。　　It　is　a　question　of　might。　　Whichever

class　is　to　win；　will　win　by　virtue　of　superior　strength；　for　the

workers　are　beginning　to　say；　as　they　said　to　Mr。　Cunniff；　〃Malthus

be　damned。〃　　In　their　own　minds　they　find　no　sanction　for　continuing

the　individual　struggle　for　the　survival　of　the　fittest。　　As　Mr。

Gompers　has　said；　they　want　more；　and　more；　and　more。　　The　ethical

import　of　Mr。　Kidd's　plan　of　the　present　generation　putting　up　with

less　in　order　that　race　efficiency　may　be　projected　into　a　remote

future；　has　no　bearing　upon　their　actions。　　They　refuse　to　be