war of the classes-第6章

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

out　a　precarious　existence　and　harrow　the　souls　of　the　police

officers　until　the　return　of　warm　weather　and　work。　　If　there　were

constant　work　at　good　wages　for　every　man；　who　would　harvest　the

crops？



But　the　last　and　most　significant　need　for　the　surplus　labor　army

remains　to　be　stated。　　This　surplus　labor　acts　as　a　check　upon　all

employed　labor。　　It　is　the　lash　by　which　the　masters　hold　the

workers　to　their　tasks；　or　drive　them　back　to　their　tasks　when　they

have　revolted。　　It　is　the　goad　which　forces　the　workers　into　the

compulsory　〃free　contracts〃　against　which　they　now　and　again　rebel。

There　is　only　one　reason　under　the　sun　that　strikes　fail；　and　that

is　because　there　are　always　plenty　of　men　to　take　the　strikers'

places。



The　strength　of　the　union　today；　other　things　remaining　equal；　is

proportionate　to　the　skill　of　the　trade；　or；　in　other　words；

proportionate　to　the　pressure　the　surplus　labor　army　can　put　upon

it。　　If　a　thousand　ditch…diggers　strike；　it　is　easy　to　replace　them；

wherefore　the　ditch…diggers　have　little　or　no　organized　strength。

But　a　thousand　highly　skilled　machinists　are　somewhat　harder　to

replace；　and　in　consequence　the　machinist　unions　are　strong。　　The

ditch…diggers　are　wholly　at　the　mercy　of　the　surplus　labor　army；　the

machinists　only　partly。　　To　be　invincible；　a　union　must　be　a

monopoly。　　It　must　control　every　man　in　its　particular　trade；　and

regulate　apprentices　so　that　the　supply　of　skilled　workmen　may

remain　constant；　this　is　the　dream　of　the　〃Labor　Trust〃　on　the　part

of　the　captains　of　labor。



Once；　in　England；　after　the　Great　Plague；　labor　awoke　to　find　there

was　more　work　for　men　than　there　were　men　to　work。　　Instead　of

workers　competing　for　favors　from　employers；　employers　were

competing　for　favors　from　the　workers。　　Wages　went　up　and　up；　and

continued　to　go　up；　until　the　workers　demanded　the　full　product　of

their　toil。　　Now　it　is　clear　that；　when　labor　receives　its　full

product　capital　must　perish。　　And　so　the　pygmy　capitalists　of　that

post…Plague　day　found　their　existence　threatened　by　this　untoward

condition　of　affairs。　　To　save　themselves；　they　set　a　maximum　wage；

restrained　the　workers　from　moving　about　from　place　to　place；

smashed　incipient　organization；　refused　to　tolerate　idlers；　and　by

most　barbarous　legal　penalties　punished　those　who　disobeyed。　　After

that；　things　went　on　as　before。



The　point　of　this；　of　course；　is　to　demonstrate　the　need　of　the

surplus　labor　army。　　Without　such　an　army；　our　present　capitalist

society　would　be　powerless。　　Labor　would　organize　as　it　never

organized　before；　and　the　last　least　worker　would　be　gathered　into

the　unions。　　The　full　product　of　toil　would　be　demanded；　and

capitalist　society　would　crumble　away。　　Nor　could　capitalist　society

save　itself　as　did　the　post…Plague　capitalist　society。　　The　time　is

past　when　a　handful　of　masters；　by　imprisonment　and　barbarous

punishment；　can　drive　the　legions　of　the　workers　to　their　tasks。

Without　a　surplus　labor　army；　the　courts；　police；　and　military　are

impotent。　　In　such　matters　the　function　of　the　courts；　police；　and

military　is　to　preserve　order；　and　to　fill　the　places　of　strikers

with　surplus　labor。　　If　there　be　no　surplus　labor　to　instate；　there

is　no　function　to　perform；　for　disorder　arises　only　during　the

process　of　instatement；　when　the　striking　labor　army　and　the　surplus

labor　army　clash　together。　　That　is　to　say；　that　which　maintains　the

integrity　of　the　present　industrial　society　more　potently　than　the

courts；　police；　and　military　is　the　surplus　labor　army。





It　has　been　shown　that　there　are　more　men　than　there　is　work　for

men；　and　that　the　surplus　labor　army　is　an　economic　necessity。　　To

show　how　the　tramp　is　a　by…product　of　this　economic　necessity；　it　is

necessary　to　inquire　into　the　composition　of　the　surplus　labor　army。

What　men　form　it？　　Why　are　they　there？　　What　do　they　do？



In　the　first　place；　since　the　workers　must　compete　for　employment；

it　inevitably　follows　that　it　is　the　fit　and　efficient　who　find

employment。　　The　skilled　worker　holds　his　place　by　virtue　of　his

skill　and　efficiency。　　Were　he　less　skilled；　or　were　he　unreliable

or　erratic；　he　would　be　swiftly　replaced　by　a　stronger　competitor。

The　skilled　and　steady　employments　are　not　cumbered　with　clowns　and

idiots。　　A　man　finds　his　place　according　to　his　ability　and　the

needs　of　the　system；　and　those　without　ability；　or　incapable　of

satisfying　the　needs　of　the　system；　have　no　place。　　Thus；　the　poor

telegrapher　may　develop　into　an　excellent　wood…chopper。　　But　if　the

poor　telegrapher　cherishes　the　delusion　that　he　is　a　good

telegrapher；　and　at　the　same　time　disdains　all　other　employments；　he

will　have　no　employment　at　all；　or　he　will　be　so　poor　at　all　other

employments　that　he　will　work　only　now　and　again　in　lieu　of　better

men。　　He　will　be　among　the　first　let　off　when　times　are　dull；　and

among　the　last　taken　on　when　times　are　good。　　Or；　to　the　point；　he

will　be　a　member　of　the　surplus　labor　army。



So　the　conclusion　is　reached　that　the　less　fit　and　less　efficient；

or　the　unfit　and　inefficient；　compose　the　surplus　labor　army。　　Here

are　to　be　found　the　men　who　have　tried　and　failed；　the　men　who

cannot　hold　jobs；the　plumber　apprentice　who　could　not　become　a

journeyman；　and　the　plumber　journeyman　too　clumsy　and　dull　to　retain

employment；　switchmen　who　wreck　trains；　clerks　who　cannot　balance

books；　blacksmiths　who　lame　horses；　lawyers　who　cannot　plead；　in

short；　the　failures　of　every　trade　and　profession；　and　failures；

many　of　them；　in　divers　trades　and　professions。　　Failure　is　writ

large；　and　in　their　wretchedness　they　bear　the　stamp　of　social

disapprobation。　　Common　work；　any　kind　of　work；　wherever　or　however

they　can　obtain　it；　is　their　portion。



But　these　hereditary　inefficients　do　not　alone　compose　the　surplus

labor　army。　　There　are　the　skilled　but　unsteady　and　unreliable　men；

and　the　old　men；　once　skilled；　but；　with　dwindling　powers；　no　longer

skilled。　｛3｝　　And　there　are　good　men；　too；　splendidly　skilled　and

efficient；　but　thrust　out　of　the　employment　of　dying　or　disaster…

smitten　industries。　　In　this　connection　it　is　not　out　of　place　to

note　the　misfortune　of　the　workers　in　the　British　iron　trades；　who

are　suffering　because　of　American　inroads。　　And；　last　of　all；　are

the　unskilled　laborers；　the　hewers　of　wood　and　drawers　of　water；　the

ditch…diggers；　the　men　of　pick　and　shovel；　the　helpers；　lumpers；

roustabouts。　　If　trade　is　slack　on　a　seacoast　of　two　thousand　miles；

or　the　harvests　are　light　in　a　great　interior　valley；　myriads　of

these　laborers　lie　idle；　or　make　life　miserable　for　their　fellows　in

kindred　unskilled　employments。



A　constant　filtration　goes　on　in　the　working　world；　and　good

material　is　continually　drawn　from　the　surplus　labor　army。　　Strikes

and　industrial　dislocations　shake　up　the　workers；　bring　good　men　to

the　surface　and　sink　men　as　good　or　not　so　good。　　The　hope　of　the

skilled　striker　is　in　that　the　scabs　are　less　skilled；　or　less

capable　of　becoming　skilled；　yet　each　strike　attests　to　the

efficiency　that　lurks　beneath。　　After　the　Pullman　strike；　a　few

thousand　railroad　men　were　chagrined　to　find　the　work　they　had　flung

down　taken　up　by　men　as　good　as　themselves。



But　one　thing　must　be　considered　here。　　Under　the　present　system；　if

the　weakest　and　least　fit　were　as　strong　and　fit　as　the　best；　and

the　best　were　correspondingly　stronger　and　fitter；　the　same

condition　would　obtain。　　There　would　be　the　same　army　of　employed

labor；　the　same　army　of　surplus　labor。　　The　whole　thing　is　relative。

There　is　no　absolute　standard　of　efficiency。





Comes　now　the　tramp。　　And　all　conclusions　may　be　anticipated　by

saying　at　once　that　he　is　a　tramp　because　some　one　has　to　be　a

tramp。　　If　he　left　the　〃road〃　and　became　a　VERY　efficient　common

laborer；　some　ORDINARILY　EFFICIENT　common　laborer　would　have　to　take

to　the　〃road。〃　　The　nooks　and　crannies　are　crowded　by　the　surplus

laborers；　and　when　the　first　snow　flies；　and　the　tramps　are　driven

into　the　cities；　things　become　overcrowded　and　stringent　police

regulations　are　necessary。



The　tramp　is　one　of　two　kinds　of　men：　　he　is　either　a　discouraged

worker　or　a　discouraged　criminal。　　Now　a　discouraged　criminal；　on

investigation；　proves　to　be　a　discouraged　worker；　or　the　descendant

of　discouraged　workers；　so　that；　in　the　last　analysis；　the　tramp　is

a　discouraged　worker。　　Since　there　is　not　work　for　all；

discouragement　for　some　is　unavoidable。　　How；　then；　does　this

process　of　discouragement　operate？



The　lower　the　employment　in　the　industrial　scale；　the　harder　the

conditions。　　The　finer；　the　more　delicate；　the　more　skilled　the

trade；　the　higher　is　it　lifted　above　the　struggle。　　There　is　less

pressure；　less　sordidness；　less　savagery。　　There　are　fewer　glass…

blowers　proportionate　to　the　needs　of　the　glass…blowing　industry

than　there　are　ditch…diggers　proportionate　to　the　needs　of　the

ditch…digging　industry。　　And　not　only　this；　for　it　requires　a　glass…

blower　to　take　the　place　of　a　striking　glass…blower；　while　any　kind

of　a　striker　or　out…of…work　can　take　the　place　of　a　ditch…digger。

So　the　skilled　trades　are　more　independent；　have　more　individuality

and　latitude。　　They　may　confer　with　their　masters；　make　demands；

assert　themselves。　　The　unskilled　laborers；　on　the　other　hand；　have

no　voice　in　their　affairs。　　The　settlement　of　terms　is　none　of　their

business。　　〃Free　contract〃　is　all　that　remains　to　them。　　They　may

take　what　is　offered；　or　leave　it。　　There　are　plenty　more　of　their

kind。　　They　do　not　count。　　They　are　members　of　the　surplus　labor

army；　and　must　be　content　with　a　hand…to…mouth　existence。



The　reward　is　likewise　proportioned。　　The　strong；　fit　worker　in　a

skilled　trade；　where　there　is　little　labor　pressure；　is　well

compensated。　　He　is　a　king　compared　with　his　less　fortunate　brothers

in　the　unskilled　occupations　where　the　labor　pressure　is　great。　　The

mediocre　worker　not　only　is　forced　to　be　idle　a　large　portion　of　the

time；　but　when　employed　is　forced　to　accept　a　pittance。　　A　dollar　a

day　on　some　days　and　nothing　on　other　days　will　hardly　support　a　man

and　wife　and　send　children　to　school。　　And　not　only　do　the　masters

bear　heavily　upon　him；　and　his　own　kind　struggle　for　the　morsel　at

his　mouth；　but　all　skilled　and　organized　labor　adds　to　his　woe。

Union　men　do　not　scab　on　one　another；　but　in　strikes；　or　when　work

is　slack；　it　is　considered　〃fair〃　for　them　to　descend　and　take　away

the　work　of　the　common　laborers。　　And　take　it　away　they　do；　for；　as

a　matter　of　fact；　a　well…fed；　ambitious　machinist　or　a　core…maker

will　transiently　shovel　coal　better　than　an　ill…fed；　spiritless

laborer。



Thus　there　is　no　encouragement　for　the　unfit；　inefficient；　and

mediocre。　　Their　very　inefficiency　and　mediocrity