war of the classes-第2章

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It　surely　is　time　that　the　capitalists　knew　something　about　this

socialism　that　they　feel　menaces　them。　　And　it　is　the　hope　of　the

writer　that　the　socialistic　studies　in　this　volume　may　in　some

slight　degree　enlighten　a　few　capitalistic　minds。　　The　capitalist

must　learn；　first　and　for　always；　that　socialism　is　based；　not　upon

the　equality；　but　upon　the　inequality；　of　men。　　Next；　he　must　learn

that　no　new　birth　into　spiritual　purity　is　necessary　before

socialism　becomes　possible。　　He　must　learn　that　socialism　deals　with

what　is；　not　with　what　ought　to　be；　and　that　the　material　with　which

it　deals　is　the　〃clay　of　the　common　road；〃　the　warm　human；　fallible

and　frail；　sordid　and　petty；　absurd　and　contradictory；　even

grotesque；　and　yet；　withal；　shot　through　with　flashes　and

glimmerings　of　something　finer　and　God…like；　with　here　and　there

sweetnesses　of　service　and　unselfishness；　desires　for　goodness；　for

renunciation　and　sacrifice；　and　with　conscience；　stern　and　awful；　at

times　blazingly　imperious；　demanding　the　right；the　right；　nothing

more　nor　less　than　the　right。



JACK　LONDON。

OAKLAND；　CALIFORNIA。

January　12；　1905。







THE　CLASS　STRUGGLE







Unfortunately　or　otherwise；　people　are　prone　to　believe　in　the

reality　of　the　things　they　think　ought　to　be　so。　　This　comes　of　the

cheery　optimism　which　is　innate　with　life　itself；　and；　while　it　may

sometimes　be　deplored；　it　must　never　be　censured；　for；　as　a　rule；　it

is　productive　of　more　good　than　harm；　and　of　about　all　the

achievement　there　is　in　the　world。　　There　are　cases　where　this

optimism　has　been　disastrous；　as　with　the　people　who　lived　in

Pompeii　during　its　last　quivering　days；　or　with　the　aristocrats　of

the　time　of　Louis　XVI；　who　confidently　expected　the　Deluge　to

overwhelm　their　children；　or　their　children's　children；　but　never

themselves。　　But　there　is　small　likelihood　that　the　case　of　perverse

optimism　here　to　be　considered　will　end　in　such　disaster；　while

there　is　every　reason　to　believe　that　the　great　change　now

manifesting　itself　in　society　will　be　as　peaceful　and　orderly　in　its

culmination　as　it　is　in　its　present　development。



Out　of　their　constitutional　optimism；　and　because　a　class　struggle

is　an　abhorred　and　dangerous　thing；　the　great　American　people　are

unanimous　in　asserting　that　there　is　no　class　struggle。　　And　by

〃American　people〃　is　meant　the　recognized　and　authoritative　mouth…

pieces　of　the　American　people；　which　are　the　press；　the　pulpit；　and

the　university。　　The　journalists；　the　preachers；　and　the　professors

are　practically　of　one　voice　in　declaring　that　there　is　no　such

thing　as　a　class　struggle　now　going　on；　much　less　that　a　class

struggle　will　ever　go　on；　in　the　United　States。　　And　this

declaration　they　continually　make　in　the　face　of　a　multitude　of

facts　which　impeach；　not　so　much　their　sincerity；　as　affirm；　rather；

their　optimism。



There　are　two　ways　of　approaching　the　subject　of　the　class　struggle。

The　existence　of　this　struggle　can　be　shown　theoretically；　and　it

can　be　shown　actually。　　For　a　class　struggle　to　exist　in　society

there　must　be；　first；　a　class　inequality；　a　superior　class　and　an

inferior　class　（as　measured　by　power）；　and；　second；　the　outlets　must

be　closed　whereby　the　strength　and　ferment　of　the　inferior　class

have　been　permitted　to　escape。



That　there　are　even　classes　in　the　United　States　is　vigorously

denied　by　many；　but　it　is　incontrovertible；　when　a　group　of

individuals　is　formed；　wherein　the　members　are　bound　together　by

common　interests　which　are　peculiarly　their　interests　and　not　the

interests　of　individuals　outside　the　group；　that　such　a　group　is　a

class。　　The　owners　of　capital；　with　their　dependents；　form　a　class

of　this　nature　in　the　United　States；　the　working　people　form　a

similar　class。　　The　interest　of　the　capitalist　class；　say；　in　the

matter　of　income　tax；　is　quite　contrary　to　the　interest　of　the

laboring　class；　and；　VICE　VERSA；　in　the　matter　of　poll…tax。



If　between　these　two　classes　there　be　a　clear　and　vital　conflict　of

interest；　all　the　factors　are　present　which　make　a　class　struggle；

but　this　struggle　will　lie　dormant　if　the　strong　and　capable　members

of　the　inferior　class　be　permitted　to　leave　that　class　and　join　the

ranks　of　the　superior　class。　　The　capitalist　class　and　the　working

class　have　existed　side　by　side　and　for　a　long　time　in　the　United

States；　but　hitherto　all　the　strong；　energetic　members　of　the

working　class　have　been　able　to　rise　out　of　their　class　and　become

owners　of　capital。　　They　were　enabled　to　do　this　because　an

undeveloped　country　with　an　expanding　frontier　gave　equality　of

opportunity　to　all。　　In　the　almost　lottery…like　scramble　for　the

ownership　of　vast　unowned　natural　resources；　and　in　the　exploitation

of　which　there　was　little　or　no　competition　of　capital；　（the　capital

itself　rising　out　of　the　exploitation）；　the　capable；　intelligent

member　of　the　working　class　found　a　field　in　which　to　use　his　brains

to　his　own　advancement。　　Instead　of　being　discontented　in　direct

ratio　with　his　intelligence　and　ambitions；　and　of　radiating　amongst

his　fellows　a　spirit　of　revolt　as　capable　as　he　was　capable；　he　left

them　to　their　fate　and　carved　his　own　way　to　a　place　in　the　superior

class。



But　the　day　of　an　expanding　frontier；　of　a　lottery…like　scramble　for

the　ownership　of　natural　resources；　and　of　the　upbuilding　of　new

industries；　is　past。　　Farthest　West　has　been　reached；　and　an　immense

volume　of　surplus　capital　roams　for　investment　and　nips　in　the　bud

the　patient　efforts　of　the　embryo　capitalist　to　rise　through　slow

increment　from　small　beginnings。　　The　gateway　of　opportunity　after

opportunity　has　been　closed；　and　closed　for　all　time。　　Rockefeller

has　shut　the　door　on　oil；　the　American　Tobacco　Company　on　tobacco；

and　Carnegie　on　steel。　　After　Carnegie　came　Morgan；　who　triple…

locked　the　door。　　These　doors　will　not　open　again；　and　before　them

pause　thousands　of　ambitious　young　men　to　read　the　placard：　　NO

THOROUGH…FARE。



And　day　by　day　more　doors　are　shut；　while　the　ambitious　young　men

continue　to　be　born。　　It　is　they；　denied　the　opportunity　to　rise

from　the　working　class；　who　preach　revolt　to　the　working　class。　　Had

he　been　born　fifty　years　later；　Andrew　Carnegie；　the　poor　Scotch

boy；　might　have　risen　to　be　president　of　his　union；　or　of　a

federation　of　unions；　but　that　he　would　never　have　become　the

builder　of　Homestead　and　the　founder　of　multitudinous　libraries；　is

as　certain　as　it　is　certain　that　some　other　man　would　have　developed

the　steel　industry　had　Andrew　Carnegie　never　been　born。



Theoretically；　then；　there　exist　in　the　United　States　all　the

factors　which　go　to　make　a　class　struggle。　　There　are　the

capitalists　and　working　classes；　the　interests　of　which　conflict；

while　the　working　class　is　no　longer　being　emasculated　to　the　extent

it　was　in　the　past　by　having　drawn　off　from　it　its　best　blood　and

brains。　　Its　more　capable　members　are　no　longer　able　to　rise　out　of

it　and　leave　the　great　mass　leaderless　and　helpless。　　They　remain　to

be　its　leaders。



But　the　optimistic　mouthpieces　of　the　great　American　people；　who　are

themselves　deft　theoreticians；　are　not　to　be　convinced　by　mere

theoretics。　　So　it　remains　to　demonstrate　the　existence　of　the　class

struggle　by　a　marshalling　of　the　facts。



When　nearly　two　millions　of　men；　finding　themselves　knit　together　by

certain　interests　peculiarly　their　own；　band　together　in　a　strong

organization　for　the　aggressive　pursuit　of　those　interests；　it　is

evident　that　society　has　within　it　a　hostile　and　warring　class。　　But

when　the　interests　which　this　class　aggressively　pursues　conflict

sharply　and　vitally　with　the　interests　of　another　class；　class

antagonism　arises　and　a　class　struggle　is　the　inevitable　result。

One　great　organization　of　labor　alone　has　a　membership　of　1；700；000

in　the　United　States。　　This　is　the　American　Federation　of　Labor；　and

outside　of　it