war of the classes-第5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！



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

〃glad　perishers〃　so　glowingly　described　by　Nietzsche。



It　remains　to　be　seen　how　promptly　the　capitalist　class　will　respond

to　the　call　to　arms。　　Upon　its　promptness　rests　its　existence；　for

if　it　sits　idly　by；　soothfully　proclaiming　that　what　ought　not　to　be

cannot　be；　it　will　find　the　roof　beams　crashing　about　its　head。　　The

capitalist　class　is　in　the　numerical　minority；　and　bids　fair　to　be

outvoted　if　it　does　not　put　a　stop　to　the　vast　propaganda　being

waged　by　its　enemy。　　It　is　no　longer　a　question　of　whether　or　not

there　is　a　class　struggle。　　The　question　now　is；　what　will　be　the

outcome　of　the　class　struggle？







THE　TRAMP







Mr。　Francis　O'Neil；　General　Superintendent　of　Police；　Chicago；

speaking　of　the　tramp；　says：　　〃Despite　the　most　stringent　police

regulations；　a　great　city　will　have　a　certain　number　of　homeless

vagrants　to　shelter　through　the　winter。〃　　〃Despite；〃mark　the　word；

a　confession　of　organized　helplessness　as　against　unorganized

necessity。　　If　police　regulations　are　stringent　and　yet　fail；　then

that　which　makes　them　fail；　namely；　the　tramp；　must　have　still　more

stringent　reasons　for　succeeding。　　This　being　so；　it　should　be　of

interest　to　inquire　into　these　reasons；　to　attempt　to　discover　why

the　nameless　and　homeless　vagrant　sets　at　naught　the　right　arm　of

the　corporate　power　of　our　great　cities；　why　all　that　is　weak　and

worthless　is　stronger　than　all　that　is　strong　and　of　value。



Mr。　O'Neil　is　a　man　of　wide　experience　on　the　subject　of　tramps。　　He

may　be　called　a　specialist。　　As　he　says　of　himself：　　〃As　an　old…time

desk　sergeant　and　police　captain；　I　have　had　almost　unlimited

opportunity　to　study　and　analyze　this　class　of　floating　population；

which　seeks　the　city　in　winter　and　scatters　abroad　through　the

country　in　the　spring。〃　　He　then　continues：　　〃This　experience

reiterated　the　lesson　that　the　vast　majority　of　these　wanderers　are

of　the　class　with　whom　a　life　of　vagrancy　is　a　chosen　means　of

living　without　work。〃　　Not　only　is　it　to　be　inferred　from　this　that

there　is　a　large　class　in　society　which　lives　without　work；　for　Mr。

O'Neil's　testimony　further　shows　that　this　class　is　forced　to　live

without　work。



He　says：　　〃I　have　been　astonished　at　the　multitude　of　those　who　have

unfortunately　engaged　in　occupations　which　practically　force　them　to

become　loafers　for　at　least　a　third　of　the　year。　　And　it　is　from

this　class　that　the　tramps　are　largely　recruited。　　I　recall　a

certain　winter　when　it　seemed　to　me　that　a　large　portion　of　the

inhabitants　of　Chicago　belonged　to　this　army　of　unfortunates。　　I　was

stationed　at　a　police　station　not　far　from　where　an　ice　harvest　was

ready　for　the　cutters。　　The　ice　company　advertised　for　helpers；　and

the　very　night　this　call　appeared　in　the　newspapers　our　station　was

packed　with　homeless　men；　who　asked　shelter　in　order　to　be　at　hand

for　the　morning's　work。　　Every　foot　of　floor　space　was　given　over　to

these　lodgers　and　scores　were　still　unaccommodated。〃



And　again：　　〃And　it　must　be　confessed　that　the　man　who　is　willing　to

do　honest　labor　for　food　and　shelter　is　a　rare　specimen　in　this　vast

army　of　shabby　and　tattered　wanderers　who　seek　the　warmth　of　the

city　with　the　coming　of　the　first　snow。〃　　Taking　into　consideration

the　crowd　of　honest　laborers　that　swamped　Mr。　O'Neil's　station…house

on　the　way　to　the　ice…cutting；　it　is　patent；　if　all　tramps　were

looking　for　honest　labor　instead　of　a　small　minority；　that　the

honest　laborers　would　have　a　far　harder　task　finding　something

honest　to　do　for　food　and　shelter。　　If　the　opinion　of　the　honest

laborers　who　swamped　Mr。　O'Neil's　station…house　were　asked；　one

could　rest　confident　that　each　and　every　man　would　express　a

preference　for　fewer　honest　laborers　on　the　morrow　when　he　asked　the

ice　foreman　for　a　job。



And；　finally；　Mr。　O'Neil　says：　　〃The　humane　and　generous　treatment

which　this　city　has　accorded　the　great　army　of　homeless　unfortunates

has　made　it　the　victim　of　wholesale　imposition；　and　this　well…

intended　policy　of　kindness　has　resulted　in　making　Chicago　the

winter　Mecca　of　a　vast　and　undesirable　floating　population。〃　　That

is　to　say；　because　of　her　kindness；　Chicago　had　more　than　her　fair

share　of　tramps；　because　she　was　humane　and　generous　she　suffered

whole…sale　imposition。　　From　this　we　must　conclude　that　it　does　not

do　to　be　HUMANE　and　GENEROUS　to　our　fellow…menwhen　they　are

tramps。　　Mr。　O'Neil　is　right；　and　that　this　is　no　sophism　it　is　the

intention　of　this　article；　among　other　things；　to　show。



In　a　general　way　we　may　draw　the　following　inferences　from　the

remarks　of　Mr。　O'Neil：　　（1）　The　tramp　is　stronger　than　organized

society　and　cannot　be　put　down；　（2）　The　tramp　is　〃shabby；〃

〃tattered；〃　〃homeless；〃　〃unfortunate〃；　（3）　There　is　a　〃vast〃　number

of　tramps；　（4）　Very　few　tramps　are　willing　to　do　honest　work；　（5）

Those　tramps　who　are　willing　to　do　honest　work　have　to　hunt　very

hard　to　find　it；　（6）　The　tramp　is　undesirable。



To　this　last　let　the　contention　be　appended　that　the　tramp　is　only

PERSONALLY　undesirable；　that　he　is　NEGATIVELY　desirable；　that　the

function　he　performs　in　society　is　a　negative　function；　and　that　he

is　the　by…product　of　economic　necessity。



It　is　very　easy　to　demonstrate　that　there　are　more　men　than　there　is

work　for　men　to　do。　　For　instance；　what　would　happen　tomorrow　if　one

hundred　thousand　tramps　should　become　suddenly　inspired　with　an

overmastering　desire　for　work？　　It　is　a　fair　question。　　〃Go　to　work〃

is　preached　to　the　tramp　every　day　of　his　life。　　The　judge　on　the

bench；　the　pedestrian　in　the　street；　the　housewife　at　the　kitchen

door；　all　unite　in　advising　him　to　go　to　work。　　So　what　would　happen

tomorrow　if　one　hundred　thousand　tramps　acted　upon　this　advice　and

strenuously　and　indomitably　sought　work？　　Why；　by　the　end　of　the

week　one　hundred　thousand　workers；　their　places　taken　by　the　tramps；

would　receive　their　time　and　be　〃hitting　the　road〃　for　a　job。



Ella　Wheeler　Wilcox　unwittingly　and　uncomfortably　demonstrated　the

disparity　between　men　and　work。　｛1｝　She　made　a　casual　reference；　in

a　newspaper　column　she　conducts；　to　the　difficulty　two　business　men

found　in　obtaining　good　employees。　　The　first　morning　mail　brought

her　seventy…five　applications　for　the　position；　and　at　the　end　of

two　weeks　over　two　hundred　people　had　applied。



Still　more　strikingly　was　the　same　proposition　recently　demonstrated

in　San　Francisco。　　A　sympathetic　strike　called　out　a　whole

federation　of　trades'　unions。　　Thousands　of　men；　in　many　branches　of

trade；　quit　work；draymen；　sand　teamsters；　porters　and　packers；

longshoremen；　stevedores；　warehousemen；　stationary　engineers；

sailors；　marine　firemen；　stewards；　sea…cooks；　and　so　forth；an

interminable　list。　　It　was　a　strike　of　large　proportions。　　Every

Pacific　coast　shipping　city　was　involved；　and　the　entire　coasting

service；　from　San　Diego　to　Puget　Sound；　was　virtually　tied　up。　　The

time　was　considered　auspicious。　　The　Philippines　and　Alaska　had

drained　the　Pacific　coast　of　surplus　labor。　　It　was　summer…time；

when　the　agricultural　demand　for　laborers　was　at　its　height；　and

when　the　cities　were　bare　of　their　floating　populations。　　And　yet

there　remained　a　body　of　surplus　labor　sufficient　to　take　the　places

of　the　strikers。　　No　matter　what　occupation；　sea…cook　or　stationary

engineer；　sand　teamster　or　warehouseman；　in　every　case　there　was　an

idle　worker　ready　to　do　the　work。　　And　not　only　ready　but　anxious。

They　fought　for　a　chance　to　work。　　Men　were　killed；　hundreds　of

heads　were　broken；　the　hospitals　were　filled　with　injured　men；　and

thousands　of　assaults　were　committed。　　And　still　surplus　laborers；

〃scabs；〃　came　forward　to　replace　the　strikers。



The　question　arises：　　WHENCE　CAME　THIS　SECOND　ARMY　OF　WORKERS　TO

REPLACE　THE　FIRST　ARMY？　　One　thing　is　certain：　　the　trades'　unions

did　not　scab　on　one　another。　　Another　thing　is　certain：　　no　industry

on　the　Pacific　slope　was　crippled　in　the　slightest　degree　by　its

workers　being　drawn　away　to　fill　the　places　of　the　strikers。　　A

third　thing　is　certain：　　the　agricultural　workers　did　not　flock　to

the　cities　to　replace　the　strikers。　　In　this　last　instance　it　is

worth　while　to　note　that　the　agricultural　laborers　wailed　to　High

Heaven　when　a　few　of　the　strikers　went　into　the　country　to　compete

with　them　in　unskilled　employments。　　So　there　is　no　accounting　for

this　second　army　of　workers。　　It　simply　was。　　It　was　there　all　this

time；　a　surplus　labor　army　in　the　year　of　our　Lord　1901；　a　year

adjudged　most　prosperous　in　the　annals　of　the　United　States。　｛2｝



The　existence　of　the　surplus　labor　army　being　established；　there

remains　to　be　established　the　economic　necessity　for　the　surplus

labor　army。　　The　simplest　and　most　obvious　need　is　that　brought

about　by　the　fluctuation　of　production。　　If；　when　production　is　at

low　ebb；　all　men　are　at　work；　it　necessarily　follows　that　when

production　increases　there　will　be　no　men　to　do　the　increased　work。

This　may　seem　almost　childish；　and；　if　not　childish；　at　least　easily

remedied。　　At　low　ebb　let　the　men　work　shorter　time；　at　high　flood

let　them　work　overtime。　　The　main　objection　to　this　is；　that　it　is

not　done；　and　that　we　are　considering　what　is；　not　what　might　be　or

should　be。



Then　there　are　great　irregular　and　periodical　demands　for　labor

which　must　be　met。　　Under　the　first　head　come　all　the　big　building

and　engineering　enterprises。　　When　a　canal　is　to　be　dug　or　a

railroad　put　through；　requiring　thousands　of　laborers；　it　would　be

hurtful　to　withdraw　these　laborers　from　the　constant　industries。

And　whether　it　is　a　canal　to　be　dug　or　a　cellar；　whether　five

thousand　men　are　required　or　five；　it　is　well；　in　society　as　at

present　organized；　that　they　be　taken　from　the　surplus　labor　army。

The　surplus　labor　army　is　the　reserve　fund　of　social　energy；　and

this　is　one　of　the　reasons　for　its　existence。



Under　the　second　head；　periodical　demands；　come　the　harvests。

Throughout　the　year；　huge　labor　tides　sweep　back　and　forth　across

the　United　States。　　That　which　is　sown　and　tended　by　few　men；　comes

to　sudden　ripeness　and　must　be　gathered　by　many　men；　and　it　is

inevitable　that　these　many　men　form　floating　populations。　　In　the

late　spring　the　berries　must　be　picked；　in　the　summer　the　grain

garnered；　in　the　fall；　the　hops　gathered；　in　the　winter　the　ice

harvested。　　In　California　a　man　may　pick　berries　in　Siskiyou；

peaches　in　Santa　Clara；　grapes　in　the　San　Joaquin；　and　oranges　in

Los　Angeles；　going　from　job　to　job　as　the　season　advances；　and

travelling　a　thousand　miles　ere　the　season　is　done。　　But　the　great

demand　for　agricultural　labor　is　in　the　summer。　　In　the　winter；　work

is　slack；　and　these　floating　populations　eddy　into　the　cities　to　eke

out　a　precarious　existence　and　harrow　the　souls　of　the　police

officers　unt