war of the classes-第13章

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other　unions；　beat　him　to　his　knees　till　he　cried；　〃Enough。〃　　So

frightfully　did　they　beat　him　that　he　was　obliged　to　turn　over　to

his　creditors　his　home；　his　chickens；　and　his　gold　watch。　　In　point

of　fact；　he　was　as　thoroughly　bludgeoned　by　the　Federation　of

Capitalist　Unions　as　ever　scab　workman　was　bludgeoned　by　a　labor

union。　　The　intent　in　either　case　is　the　same；to　destroy　the

scab's　producing　power。　　The　labor　scab　with　concussion　of　the　brain

is　put　out　of　business；　and　so　is　the　capitalist　scab　who　has　lost

all　his　dollars　down　to　his　chickens　and　his　watch。



But　the　role　of　scab　passes　beyond　the　individual。　　Just　as

individuals　scab　on　other　individuals；　so　do　groups　scab　on　other

groups。　　And　the　principle　involved　is　precisely　the　same　as　in　the

case　of　the　simple　labor　scab。　　A　group；　in　the　nature　of　its

organization；　is　often　compelled　to　give　most　for　least；　and；　so

doing；　to　strike　at　the　life　of　another　group。　　At　the　present

moment　all　Europe　is　appalled　by　that　colossal　scab；　the　United

States。　　And　Europe　is　clamorous　with　agitation　for　a　Federation　of

National　Unions　to　protect　her　from　the　United　States。　　It　may　be

remarked；　in　passing；　that　in　its　prime　essentials　this　agitation　in

no　wise　differs　from　the　trade…union　agitation　among　workmen　in　any

industry。　　The　trouble　is　caused　by　the　scab　who　is　giving　most　for

least。　　The　result　of　the　American　scab's　nefarious　actions　will　be

to　strike　at　the　food　and　shelter　of　Europe。　　The　way　for　Europe　to

protect　herself　is　to　quit　bickering　among　her　parts　and　to　form　a

union　against　the　scab。　　And　if　the　union　is　formed；　armies　and

navies　may　be　expected　to　be　brought　into　play　in　fashion　similar　to

the　bricks　and　clubs　in　ordinary　labor　struggles。



In　this　connection；　and　as　one　of　many　walking　delegates　for　the

nations；　M。　Leroy…Beaulieu；　the　noted　French　economist；　may　well　be

quoted。　　In　a　letter　to　the　Vienna　Tageblatt；　he　advocates　an

economic　alliance　among　the　Continental　nations　for　the　purpose　of

barring　out　American　goods；　an　economic　alliance；　in　his　own

language；　〃WHICH　MAY　POSSIBLY　AND　DESIRABLY　DEVELOP　INTO　A　POLITICAL

ALLIANCE。〃



It　will　be　noted；　in　the　utterances　of　the　Continental　walking

delegates；　that；　one　and　all；　they　leave　England　out　of　the　proposed

union。　　And　in　England　herself　the　feeling　is　growing　that　her　days

are　numbered　if　she　cannot　unite　for　offence　and　defence　with　the

great　American　scab。　　As　Andrew　Carnegie　said　some　time　ago；　〃The

only　course　for　Great　Britain　seems　to　be　reunion　with　her

grandchild　or　sure　decline　to　a　secondary　place；　and　then　to

comparative　insignificance　in　the　future　annals　of　the　English…

speaking　race。〃



Cecil　Rhodes；　speaking　of　what　would　have　obtained　but　for　the　pig…

headedness　of　George　III；　and　of　what　will　obtain　when　England　and

the　United　States　are　united；　said；　〃NO　CANNON　WOULD。　。　。　BE　FIRED

ON　EITHER　HEMISPHERE　BUT　BY　PERMISSION　OF　THE　ENGLISH　RACE。〃　　It

would　seem　that　England；　fronted　by　the　hostile　Continental　Union

and　flanked　by　the　great　American　scab；　has　nothing　left　but　to　join

with　the　scab　and　play　the　historic　labor　role　of　armed　Pinkerton。

Granting　the　words　of　Cecil　Rhodes；　the　United　States　would　be

enabled　to　scab　without　let　or　hindrance　on　Europe；　while　England；

as　professional　strike…breaker　and　policeman；　destroyed　the　unions

and　kept　order。



All　this　may　appear　fantastic　and　erroneous；　but　there　is　in　it　a

soul　of　truth　vastly　more　significant　than　it　may　seem。

Civilization　may　be　expressed　today　in　terms　of　trade…unionism。

Individual　struggles　have　largely　passed　away；　but　group…struggles

increase　prodigiously。　　And　the　things　for　which　the　groups　struggle

are　the　same　as　of　old。　　Shorn　of　all　subtleties　and　complexities；

the　chief　struggle　of　men；　and　of　groups　of　men；　is　for　food　and

shelter。　　And；　as　of　old　they　struggled　with　tooth　and　nail；　so

today　they　struggle　with　teeth　and　nails　elongated　into　armies　and

navies；　machines；　and　economic　advantages。



Under　the　definition　that　a　scab　is　ONE　WHO　GIVES　MORE　VALUE　FOR　THE

SAME　PRICE　THAN　ANOTHER；　it　would　seem　that　society　can　be　generally

divided　into　the　two　classes　of　the　scabs　and　the　non…scabs。　　But　on

closer　investigation；　however；　it　will　be　seen　that　the　non…scab　is

a　vanishing　quantity。　　In　the　social　jungle；　everybody　is　preying

upon　everybody　else。　　As　in　the　case　of　Mr。　Rockefeller；　he　who　was

a　scab　yesterday　is　a　non…scab　today；　and　tomorrow　may　be　a　scab

again。



The　woman　stenographer　or　book…keeper　who　receives　forty　dollars　per

month　where　a　man　was　receiving　seventy…five　is　a　scab。　　So　is　the

woman　who　does　a　man's　work　at　a　weaving…machine；　and　the　child　who

goes　into　the　mill　or　factory。　　And　the　father；　who　is　scabbed　out

of　work　by　the　wives　and　children　of　other　men；　sends　his　own　wife

and　children　to　scab　in　order　to　save　himself。



When　a　publisher　offers　an　author　better　royalties　than　other

publishers　have　been　paying　him；　he　is　scabbing　on　those　other

publishers。　　The　reporter　on　a　newspaper；　who　feels　he　should　be

receiving　a　larger　salary　for　his　work；　says　so；　and　is　shown　the

door；　is　replaced　by　a　reporter　who　is　a　scab；　whereupon；　when　the

belly…need　presses；　the　displaced　reporter　goes　to　another　paper　and

scabs　himself。　　The　minister　who　hardens　his　heart　to　a　call；　and

waits　for　a　certain　congregation　to　offer　him　say　500　a　year　more；

often　finds　himself　scabbed　upon　by　another　and　more　impecunious

minister；　and　the　next　time　it　is　HIS　turn　to　scab　while　a　brother

minister　is　hardening　his　heart　to　a　call。　　The　scab　is　everywhere。

The　professional　strike…breakers；　who　as　a　class　receive　large

wages；　will　scab　on　one　another；　while　scab　unions　are　even　formed

to　prevent　scabbing　upon　scabs。



There　are　non…scabs；　but　they　are　usually　born　so；　and　are　protected

by　the　whole　might　of　society　in　the　possession　of　their　food　and

shelter。　　King　Edward　is　such　a　type；　as　are　all　individuals　who

receive　hereditary　food…and…shelter　privileges；such　as　the　present

Duke　of　Bedford；　for　instance；　who　yearly　receives　75；000　from　the

good　people　of　London　because　some　former　king　gave　some　former

ancestor　of　his　the　market　privileges　of　Covent　Garden。　　The

irresponsible　rich　are　likewise　non…scabs；and　by　them　is　meant

that　coupon…clipping　class　which　hires　its　managers　and　brains　to

invest　the　money　usually　left　it　by　its　ancestors。



Outside　these　lucky　creatures；　all　the　rest；　at　one　time　or　another

in　their　lives；　are　scabs；　at　one　time　or　another　are　engaged　in

giving　more　for　a　certain　price　than　any　one　else。　　The　meek

professor　in　some　endowed　institution；　by　his　meek　suppression　of

his　convictions；　is　giving　more　for　his　salary　than　gave　the　other

and　more　outspoken　professor　whose　chair　he　occupies。　　And　when　a

political　party　dangles　a　full　dinner…pail　in　the　eyes　of　the

toiling　masses；　it　is　offering　more　for　a　vote　than　the　dubious

dollar　of　the　opposing　party。　　Even　a　money…lender　is　not　above

taking　a　slightly　lower　rate　of　interest　and　saying　nothing　about

it。



Such　is　the　tangle　of　conflicting　interests　in　a　tooth…and…nail

society　that　people　cannot　avoid　being　scabs；　are　often　made　so

against　their　desires；　and　are　often　unconsciously　made　so。　　When

several　trades　in　a　certain　locality　demand　and　receive　an　advance

in　wages；　they　are　unwittingly　making　scabs　of　their　fellow…laborers

in　that　district　who　have　received　no　advance　in　wages。　　In　San

Francisco　the　barbers；　laundry…workers；　and　milk…wagon　drivers

received　such　an　advance　in　wages。　　Their　employers　promptly　added

the　amount　of　this　advance　to　the　selling　price　of　their　wares。　　The

price　of　shaves；　of　washing；　and　of　milk　went　up。　　This　reduced　the

purchasing　power　of　the　unorganized　laborers；　and；　in　point　of　fact；

reduced　their　wages　and　made　them　greater　scabs。



Because　the　British　laborer　is　disinclined　to　sc