war of the classes-第24章

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many　of　the　large　cities；　such　as　Marseilles；　are　in　the　hands　of

the　Socialists。　　A　large　body　of　them　is　in　the　Chamber　of　Deputies；

and　Millerand；　Socialist；　sits　in　the　cabinet。　　Of　him　M。　Leroy…

Beaulieu　says　with　horror：　　〃M。　Millerand　is　the　open　enemy　of

private　property；　private　capital；　the　resolute　advocate　of　the

socialization　of　production　。　。　。　a　constant　incitement　to　violence

。　。　。　a　collectivist；　avowed　and　militant；　taking　part　in　the

government；　dominating　the　departments　of　commerce　and　industry；

preparing　all　the　laws　and　presiding　at　the　passage　of　all　measures

which　should　be　submitted　to　merchants　and　tradesmen。〃



In　the　United　States　there　are　already　Socialist　mayors　of　towns　and

members　of　State　legislatures；　a　vast　literature；　and　single

Socialist　papers　with　subscription　lists　running　up　into　the

hundreds　of　thousands。　　In　1896；　36；000　votes　were　cast　for　the

Socialist　candidate　for　President；　in　1900；　nearly　200；000；　in　1904；

450；000。　　And　the　United　States；　young　as　it　is；　is　ripening

rapidly；　and　the　Socialists　claim；　according　to　the　materialistic

conception　of　history；　that　the　United　States　will　be　the　first

country　in　the　world　wherein　the　toilers　will　capture　the　political

machinery　and　expropriate　the　bourgeoisie。





But　the　Socialist　and　labor　movements　have　recently　entered　upon　a

new　phase。　　There　has　been　a　remarkable　change　in　attitude　on　both

sides。　　For　a　long　time　the　labor　unions　refrained　from　going　in　for

political　action。　　On　the　other　hand；　the　Socialists　claimed　that

without　political　action　labor　was　powerless。　　And　because　of　this

there　was　much　ill　feeling　between　them；　even　open　hostilities；　and

no　concerted　action。　　But　now　the　Socialists　grant　that　the　labor

movement　has　held　up　wages　and　decreased　the　hours　of　labor；　and　the

labor　unions　find　that　political　action　is　necessary。　　Today　both

parties　have　drawn　closely　together　in　the　common　fight。　　In　the

United　States　this　friendly　feeling　grows。　　The　Socialist　papers

espouse　the　cause　of　labor；　and　the　unions　have　opened　their　ears

once　more　to　the　wiles　of　the　Socialists。　　They　are　all　leavened

with　Socialist　workmen；　〃boring　from　within；〃　and　many　of　their

leaders　have　already　succumbed。　　In　England；　where　class

consciousness　is　more　developed；　the　name　〃Unionism〃　has　been

replaced　by　〃The　New　Unionism；〃　the　main　object　of　which　is　〃to

capture　existing　social　structures　in　the　interests　of　the　wage…

earners。〃　　There　the　Socialist；　the　trade…union；　and　other　working…

class　organizations　are　beginning　to　cooperate　in　securing　the

return　of　representatives　to　the　House　of　Commons。　　And　in　France；

where　the　city　councils　and　mayors　of　Marseilles　and　Monteaules…

Mines　are　Socialistic；　thousands　of　francs　of　municipal　money　were

voted　for　the　aid　of　the　unions　in　the　recent　great　strikes。



For　centuries　the　world　has　been　preparing　for　the　coming　of　the

common　man。　　And　the　period　of　preparation　virtually　past；　labor；

conscious　of　itself　and　its　desires；　has　begun　a　definite　movement

toward　solidarity。　　It　believes　the　time　is　not　far　distant　when　the

historian　will　speak　not　only　of　the　dark　ages　of　feudalism；　but　of

the　dark　ages　of　capitalism。　　And　labor　sincerely　believes　itself

justified　in　this　by　the　terrible　indictment　it　brings　against

capitalistic　society。　　In　the　face　of　its　enormous　wealth；

capitalistic　society　forfeits　its　right　to　existence　when　it　permits

widespread；　bestial　poverty。　　The　philosophy　of　the　survival　of　the

fittest　does　not　soothe　the　class…conscious　worker　when　he　learns

through　his　class　literature　that　among　the　Italian　pants…finishers

of　Chicago　｛9｝　the　average　weekly　wage　is　1。31；　and　the　average

number　of　weeks　employed　in　the　year　is　27。85。　　Likewise　when　he

reads：｛10｝　〃Every　room　in　these　reeking　tenements　houses　a　family　or

two。　　In　one　room　a　missionary　found　a　man　ill　with　small…pox；　his

wife　just　recovering　from　her　confinement；　and　the　children　running

about　half　naked　and　covered　with　dirt。　　Here　are　seven　people

living　in　one　underground　kitchen；　and　a　little　dead　child　lying　in

the　same　room。　　Here　live　a　widow　and　her　six　children；　two　of　whom

are　ill　with　scarlet　fever。　　In　another；　nine　brothers　and　sisters；

from　twenty…nine　years　of　age　downward；　live；　eat；　and　sleep

together。〃　　And　likewise；　when　he　reads：｛11｝　〃When　one　man；　fifty

years　old；　who　has　worked　all　his　life；　is　compelled　to　beg　a　little

money　to　bury　his　dead　baby；　and　another　man；　fifty　years　old；　can

give　ten　million　dollars　to　enable　his　daughter　to　live　in　luxury

and　bolster　up　a　decaying　foreign　aristocracy；　do　you　see　nothing

amiss？〃



And　on　the　other　hand；　the　class…conscious　worker　reads　the

statistics　of　the　wealthy　classes；　knows　what　their　incomes　are；　and

how　they　get　them。　　True；　down　all　the　past　he　has　known　his　own

material　misery　and　the　material　comfort　of　the　dominant　classes；

and　often　has　this　knowledge　led　him　to　intemperate　acts　and　unwise

rebellion。　　But　today；　and　for　the　first　time；　because　both　society

and　he　have　evolved；　he　is　beginning　to　see　a　possible　way　out。　　His

ears　are　opening　to　the　propaganda　of　Socialism；　the　passionate

gospel　of　the　dispossessed。　　But　it　does　not　inculcate　a　turning

back。　　The　way　through　is　the　way　out；　he　understands；　and　with　this

in　mind　he　draws　up　the　programme。



It　is　quite　simple；　this　programme。　　Everything　is　moving　in　his

direction；　toward　the　day　when　he　will　take　charge。　　The　trust？　　Ah；

no。　　Unlike　the　trembling　middle…class　man　and　the　small　capitalist；

he　sees　nothing　at　which　to　be　frightened。　　He　likes　the　trust。　　He

exults　in　the　trust；　for　it　is　largely　doing　the　task　for　him。　　It

socializes　production；　this　done；　there　remains　nothing　for　him　to

do　but　socialize　distribution；　and　all　is　accomplished。　　The　trust？

〃It　organizes　industry　on　an　enormous；　labor…saving　scale；　and

abolishes　childish；　wasteful　competition。〃　　It　is　a　gigantic　object

lesson；　and　it　preaches　his　political　economy　far　more　potently　than

he　can　preach　it。　　He　points　to　the　trust；　laughing　scornfully　in

the　face　of　the　orthodox　economists。　　〃You　told　me　this　thing　could

not　be；〃　｛12｝　he　thunders。　　〃Behold；　the　thing　is！〃



He　sees　competition　in　the　realm　of　production　passing　away。　　When

the　captains　of　industry　have　thoroughly　organized　production；　and

got　everything　running　smoothly；　it　will　be　very　easy　for　him　to

eliminate　the　profits　by　stepping　in　and　having　the　thing　run　for

himself。　　And　the　captain　of　industry；　if　he　be　good；　may　be　given

the　privilege　of　continuing　the　management　on　a　fair　salary。　　The

sixty　millions　of　dividends　which　the　Standard　Oil　Company　annually

declares　will　be　distributed　among　the　workers。　　The　same　with　the

great　United　States　Steel　Corporation。　　The　president　of　that

corporation　knows　his　business。　　Very　good。　　Let　him　become

Secretary　of　the　Department　of　Iron　and　Steel　of　the　United　States。

But；　since　the　chief　executive　of　a　nation　of　seventy…odd　millions

works　for　50；000　a　year；　the　Secretary　of　the　Department　of　Iron

and　Steel　must　expect　to　have　his　salary　cut　accordingly。　　And　not

only　will　the　workers　take　to　themselves　the　profits　of　national　and

municipal　monopolies；　but　also　the　immense　revenues　which　the

dominant　classes　today　draw　from　rents；　and　mines；　and　factories；

and　all　manner　of　enterprises。





All　this　would　seem　very　like　a　dream；　even　to　the　worker；　if　it

were　not　for　the　fact　that　like　things　have　been　done　before。　　He

points　triumphantly　to　the　aristocrat　of　the　eighteenth　century；　who

fought；　legislated；　governed；　and　dominated　society；　but　who　was

shorn　of　power　and　displaced　by　the　rising　bourgeoisie。　　Ay；　the

thing　was　done；　he　holds。　　And　it　shall　be　done　again；　but　this　time

it　is　the　proletariat　who　does　the　shearing。　　Sociology　has　taught

him　that　m…i…g…h…t　spells　〃right。〃　　Every　society　has　been　ruled　by

classes；