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War of the Classes



by Jack London












Contents:







Preface

The Class Struggle

The Tramp

The Scab

The Question of the Maximum

A Review

Wanted:  A New Land of Development

How I Became a Socialist







PREFACE







When I was a youngster I was looked upon as a weird sort of

creature; because; forsooth; I was a socialist。  Reporters from

local papers interviewed me; and the interviews; when published;

were pathological studies of a strange and abnormal specimen of man。

At that time (nine or ten years ago); because I made a stand in my

native town for municipal ownership of public utilities; I was

branded a 〃red…shirt;〃 a 〃dynamiter;〃 and an 〃anarchist〃; and really

decent fellows; who liked me very well; drew the line at my

appearing in public with their sisters。



But the times changed。  There came a day when I heard; in my native

town; a Republican mayor publicly proclaim that 〃municipal ownership

was a fixed American policy。〃  And in that day I found myself

picking up in the world。  No longer did the pathologist study me;

while the really decent fellows did not mind in the least the

propinquity of myself and their sisters in the public eye。  My

political and sociological ideas were ascribed to the vagaries of

youth; and good…natured elderly men patronized me and told me that I

would grow up some day and become an unusually intelligent member of

the community。  Also they told me that my views were biassed by my

empty pockets; and that some day; when I had gathered to me a few

dollars; my views would be wholly different;in short; that my

views would be their views。



And then came the day when my socialism grew respectable;still a

vagary of youth; it was held; but romantically respectable。

Romance; to the bourgeois mind; was respectable because it was not

dangerous。  As a 〃red…shirt;〃 with bombs in all his pockets; I was

dangerous。  As a youth with nothing more menacing than a few

philosophical ideas; Germanic in their origin; I was an interesting

and pleasing personality。



Through all this experience I noted one thing。  It was not I that

changed; but the community。  In fact; my socialistic views grew

solider and more pronounced。  I repeat; it was the community that

changed; and to my chagrin I discovered that the community changed

to such purpose that it was not above stealing my thunder。  The

community branded me a 〃red…shirt〃 because I stood for municipal

ownership; a little later it applauded its mayor when he proclaimed

municipal ownership to be a fixed American policy。  He stole my

thunder; and the community applauded the theft。  And today the

community is able to come around and give me points on municipal

ownership。



What happened to me has been in no wise different from what has

happened to the socialist movement as a whole in the United States。

In the bourgeois mind socialism has changed from a terrible disease

to a youthful vagary; and later on had its thunder stolen by the two

old parties;socialism; like a meek and thrifty workingman; being

exploited became respectable。



Only dangerous things are abhorrent。  The thing that is not

dangerous is always respectable。  And so with socialism in the

United States。  For several years it has been very respectable;a

sweet and beautiful Utopian dream; in the bourgeois mind; yet a

dream; only a dream。  During this period; which has just ended;

socialism was tolerated because it was impossible and non…menacing。

Much of its thunder had been stolen; and the workingmen had been

made happy with full dinner…pails。  There was nothing to fear。  The

kind old world spun on; coupons were clipped; and larger profits

than ever were extracted from the toilers。  Coupon…clipping and

profit…extracting would continue to the end of time。  These were

functions divine in origin and held by divine right。  The

newspapers; the preachers; and the college presidents said so; and

what they say; of course; is soto the bourgeois mind。



Then came the presidential election of 1904。  Like a bolt out of a

clear sky was the socialist vote of 435;000;an increase of nearly

400 per cent in four years; the largest third…party vote; with one

exception; since the Civil War。  Socialism had shown that it was a

very live and growing revolutionary force; and all its old menace

revived。  I am afraid that neither it nor I are any longer

respectable。  The capitalist press of the country confirms me in my

opinion; and herewith I give a few post…election utterances of the

capitalist press:…





〃The Democratic party of the constitution is dead。  The Social…

Democratic party of continental Europe; preaching discontent and

class hatred; assailing law; property; and personal rights; and

insinuating confiscation and plunder; is here。〃Chicago Chronicle。



〃That over forty thousand votes should have been cast in this city

to make such a person as Eugene V。 Debs the President of the United

States is about the worst kind of advertising that Chicago could

receive。〃Chicago Inter…Ocean。



〃We cannot blink the fact that socialism is making rapid growth in

this country; where; of all others; there would seem to be less

inspiration for it。〃Brooklyn Daily Eagle。



〃Upon the hands of the Republican party an awful responsibility was

placed last Tuesday。 。 。 It knows that reformsgreat; far…sweeping

reformsare necessary; and it has the power to make them。  God help

our civilization if it does not! 。 。 。 It must repress the trusts or

stand before the world responsible for our system of government

being changed into a social republic。  The arbitrary cutting down of

wages must cease; or socialism will seize another lever to lift

itself into power。〃The Chicago New World。



〃Scarcely any phase of the election is more sinisterly interesting

than the increase in the socialist vote。  Before election we said

that we could not afford to give aid and comfort to the socialists

in any manner。 。 。 It (socialism) must be fought in all its phases;

in its every manifestation。〃San Francisco Argonaut。





And far be it from me to deny that socialism is a menace。  It is its

purpose to wipe out; root and branch; all capitalistic institutions

of present…day society。  It is distinctly revolutionary; and in

scope and depth is vastly more tremendous than any revolution that

has ever occurred in the history of the world。  It presents a new

spectacle to the astonished world;that of an ORGANIZED;

INTERNATIONAL; REVOLUTIONARY MOVEMENT。  In the bourgeois mind a

class struggle is a terrible and hateful thing; and yet that is

precisely what socialism is;a world…wide class struggle between

the propertyless workers and the propertied masters of workers。  It

is the prime preachment of socialism that the struggle is a class

struggle。  The working class; in the process of social evolution;

(in the very nature of things); is bound to revolt from the sway of

the capitalist class and to overthrow the capitalist class。  This is

the menace of socialism; and in affirming it and in tallying myself

an adherent of it; I accept my own consequent unrespectability。



As yet; to the average bourgeois mind; socialism is merely a menace;

vague and formless。  The average member of the capitalist class;

when he discusses socialism; is condemned an ignoramus out of his

own mouth。  He does not know the literature of socialism; its

philosophy; nor its politics。  He wags his head sagely and rattles

the dry bones of dead and buried ideas。  His lips mumble mouldy

phrases; such as; 〃Men are not born equal and never can be;〃 〃It is

Utopian and impossible;〃 〃Abstinence should be rewarded;〃 〃Man will

first have to be born again;〃 〃Cooperative colonies have always

failed;〃 and 〃What if we do divide up? in ten years there would be

rich and poor men such as there are today。〃



It surely is time that the capitalists knew something about this

soci

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