war of the classes-第14章

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reduced　their　wages　and　made　them　greater　scabs。



Because　the　British　laborer　is　disinclined　to　scab；that　is；

because　he　restricts　his　output　in　order　to　give　less　for　the　wage

he　receives；it　is　to　a　certain　extent　made　possible　for　the

American　capitalist；　who　receives　a　less　restricted　output　from　his

laborers；　to　play　the　scab　on　the　English　capitalist。　　As　a　result

of　this；　（of　course　combined　with　other　causes）；　the　American

capitalist　and　the　American　laborer　are　striking　at　the　food　and

shelter　of　the　English　capitalist　and　laborer。



The　English　laborer　is　starving　today　because；　among　other　things；

he　is　not　a　scab。　　He　practises　the　policy　of　〃ca'　canny；〃　which　may

be　defined　as　〃go　easy。〃　　In　order　to　get　most　for　least；　in　many

trades　he　performs　but　from　one…fourth　to　one…sixth　of　the　labor　he

is　well　able　to　perform。　　An　instance　of　this　is　found　in　the

building　of　the　Westinghouse　Electric　Works　at　Manchester。　　The

British　limit　per　man　was　400　bricks　per　day。　　The　Westinghouse

Company　imported　a　〃driving〃　American　contractor；　aided　by　half　a

dozen　〃driving〃　American　foremen；　and　the　British　bricklayer　swiftly

attained　an　average　of　1800　bricks　per　day；　with　a　maximum　of　2500

bricks　for　the　plainest　work。



But；　the　British　laborer's　policy　of　〃ca'　canny；〃　which　is　the　very

honorable　one　of　giving　least　for　most；　and　which　is　likewise　the

policy　of　the　English　capitalist；　is　nevertheless　frowned　upon　by

the　English　capitalist；　whose　business　existence　is　threatened　by

the　great　American　scab。　　From　the　rise　of　the　factory　system；　the

English　capitalist　gladly　embraced　the　opportunity；　wherever　he

found　it；　of　giving　least　for　most。　　He　did　it　all　over　the　world

whenever　he　enjoyed　a　market　monopoly；　and　he　did　it　at　home　with

the　laborers　employed　in　his　mills；　destroying　them　like　flies　till

prevented；　within　limits；　by　the　passage　of　the　Factory　Acts。　　Some

of　the　proudest　fortunes　of　England　today　may　trace　their　origin　to

the　giving　of　least　for　most　to　the　miserable　slaves　of　the　factory

towns。　　But　at　the　present　time　the　English　capitalist　is　outraged

because　his　laborers　are　employing　against　him　precisely　the　same

policy　he　employed　against　them；　and　which　he　would　employ　again　did

the　chance　present　itself。



Yet　〃ca'　canny〃　is　a　disastrous　thing　to　the　British　laborer。　　It

has　driven　ship…building　from　England　to　Scotland；　bottle…making

from　Scotland　to　Belgium；　flint…glass…making　from　England　to

Germany；　and　today　is　steadily　driving　industry　after　industry　to

other　countries。　　A　correspondent　from　Northampton　wrote　not　long

ago：　　〃Factories　are　working　half　and　third　time。　。　。　。　There　is　no

strike；　there　is　no　real　labor　trouble；　but　the　masters　and　men　are

alike　suffering　from　sheer　lack　of　employment。　　Markets　which　were

once　theirs　are　now　American。〃　　It　would　seem　that　the　unfortunate

British　laborer　is　'twixt　the　devil　and　the　deep　sea。　　If　he　gives

most　for　least；　he　faces　a　frightful　slavery　such　as　marked　the

beginning　of　the　factory　system。　　If　he　gives　least　for　most；　he

drives　industry　away　to　other　countries　and　has　no　work　at　all。



But　the　union　laborers　of　the　United　States　have　nothing　of　which　to

boast；　while；　according　to　their　trade…union　ethics；　they　have　a

great　deal　of　which　to　be　ashamed。　　They　passionately　preach　short

hours　and　big　wages；　the　shorter　the　hours　and　the　bigger　the　wages

the　better。　　Their　hatred　for　a　scab　is　as　terrible　as　the　hatred　of

a　patriot　for　a　traitor；　of　a　Christian　for　a　Judas。　　And　in　the

face　of　all　this；　they　are　as　colossal　scabs　as　the　United　States　is

a　colossal　scab。　　For　all　of　their　boasted　unions　and　high　labor

ideals；　they　are　about　the　most　thoroughgoing　scabs　on　the　planet。



Receiving　4。50　per　day；　because　of　his　proficiency　and　immense

working　power；　the　American　laborer　has　been　known　to　scab　upon

scabs　（so　called）　who　took　his　place　and　received　only　0。90　per　day

for　a　longer　day。　　In　this　particular　instance；　five　Chinese

coolies；　working　longer　hours；　gave　less　value　for　the　price

received　from　their　employer　than　did　one　American　laborer。



It　is　upon　his　brother　laborers　overseas　that　the　American　laborer

most　outrageously　scabs。　　As　Mr。　Casson　has　shown；　an　English　nail…

maker　gets　3　per　week；　while　an　American　nail…maker　gets　30。　　But

the　English　worker　turns　out　200　pounds　of　nails　per　week；　while　the

American　turns　out　5500　pounds。　　If　he　were　as　〃fair〃　as　his　English

brother；　other　things　being　equal；　he　would　be　receiving；　at　the

English　worker's　rate　of　pay；　82。50。　　As　it　is；　he　is　scabbing　upon

his　English　brother　to　the　tune　of　79。50　per　week。　　Dr。　Schultze…

Gaevernitz　has　shown　that　a　German　weaver　produces　466　yards　of

cotton　a　week　at　a　cost　of　。303　per　yard；　while　an　American　weaver

produces　1200　yards　at　a　cost　of　。02　per　yard。



But；　it　may　be　objected；　a　great　part　of　this　is　due　to　the　more

improved　American　machinery。　　Very　true；　but　none　the　less　a　great

part　is　still　due　to　the　superior　energy；　skill；　and　willingness　of

the　American　laborer。　　The　English　laborer　is　faithful　to　the　policy

of　〃ca'　canny。〃　　He　refuses　point…blank　to　get　the　work　out　of　a

machine　that　the　New　World　scab　gets　out　of　a　machine。　　Mr。　Maxim；

observing　a　wasteful　hand…labor　process　in　his　English　factory；

invented　a　machine　which　he　proved　capable　of　displacing　several

men。　　But　workman　after　workman　was　put　at　the　machine；　and　without

exception　they　turned　out　neither　more　nor　less　than　a　workman

turned　out　by　hand。　　They　obeyed　the　mandate　of　the　union　and　went

easy；　while　Mr。　Maxim　gave　up　in　despair。　　Nor　will　the　British

workman　run　machines　at　as　high　speed　as　the　American；　nor　will　he

run　so　many。　　An　American　workman　will　〃give　equal　attention

simultaneously　to　three；　four；　or　six　machines　or　tools；　while　the

British　workman　is　compelled　by　his　trade　union　to　limit　his

attention　to　one；　so　that　employment　may　be　given　to　half　a　dozen

men。〃



But　for　scabbing；　no　blame　attaches　itself　anywhere。　　With　rare

exceptions；　all　the　people　in　the　world　are　scabs。　　The　strong；

capable　workman　gets　a　job　and　holds　it　because　of　his　strength　and

capacity。　　And　he　holds　it　because　out　of　his　strength　and　capacity

he　gives　a　better　value　for　his　wage　than　does　the　weaker　and　less

capable　workman。　　Therefore　he　is　scabbing　upon　his　weaker　and　less

capable　brother　workman。　　He　is　giving　more　value　for　the　price　paid

by　the　employer。



The　superior　workman　scabs　upon　the　inferior　workman　because　he　is

so　constituted　and　cannot　help　it。　　The　one；　by　fortune　of　birth　and

upbringing；　is　strong　and　capable；　the　other；　by　fortune　of　birth

and　upbringing；　is　not　so　strong　nor　capable。　　It　is　for　the　same

reason　that　one　country　scabs　upon　another。　　That　country　which　has

the　good　fortune　to　possess　great　natural　resources；　a　finer　sun　and

soil；　unhampering　institutions；　and　a　deft　and　intelligent　labor

class　and　capitalist　class　is　bound　to　scab　upon　a　country　less

fortunately　situated。　　It　is　the　good　fortune　of　the　United　States

that　is　making　her　the　colossal　scab；　just　as　it　is　the　good　fortune

of　one　man　to　be　born　with　a　straight　back　while　his　brother　is　born

with　a　hump。



It　is　not　good　to　give　most　for　least；　not　good　to　be　a　scab。　　The

word　has　gained　universal　opprobrium。　　On　the　other　hand；　to　be　a

non…scab；　to　give　least　for　most；　is　universally　branded　as　stingy；

selfish；　and　unchristian…like。　　So　all　the　world；　like　the　British

workman；　is　'twixt　the　devil　and　the　deep　sea。　　It　is　treason　to

one's　fellows　to　scab；　it　is　unchristian…like　not　to　scab。



Since　to　give　least　for　most；　and　to　give　most　for　least；　are

universally　bad；　what　remains？　　Equity　remains；　which　is　to　give

like　for　like；　the　same　for　the　same；　neither　more　nor　less。　　But

this　equity；　society；　as　at　present　constituted；　cannot　give。　　It　is

not　in　the　nature　of　present…day　socie