war of the classes-第25章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



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；　and　the　classes　have　ruled　by　sheer　strength；　and　have　been

overthrown　by　sheer　strength。　　The　bourgeoisie；　because　it　was　the

stronger；　dragged　down　the　nobility　of　the　sword；　and　the

proletariat；　because　it　is　the　strongest　of　all；　can　and　will　drag

down　the　bourgeoisie。



And　in　that　day；　for　better　or　worse；　the　common　man　becomes　the

masterfor　better；　he　believes。　　It　is　his　intention　to　make　the

sum　of　human　happiness　far　greater。　　No　man　shall　work　for　a　bare

living　wage；　which　is　degradation。　　Every　man　shall　have　work　to　do；

and　shall　be　paid　exceedingly　well　for　doing　it。　　There　shall　be　no

slum　classes；　no　beggars。　　Nor　shall　there　be　hundreds　of　thousands

of　men　and　women　condemned；　for　economic　reasons；　to　lives　of

celibacy　or　sexual　infertility。　　Every　man　shall　be　able　to　marry；

to　live　in　healthy；　comfortable　quarters；　and　to　have　all　he　wants

to　eat　as　many　times　a　day　as　he　wishes。　　There　shall　no　longer　be　a

life…and…death　struggle　for　food　and　shelter。　　The　old　heartless　law

of　development　shall　be　annulled。



All　of　which　is　very　good　and　very　fine。　　And　when　these　things　have

come　to　pass；　what　then？　　Of　old；　by　virtue　of　their　weakness　and

inefficiency　in　the　struggle　for　food　and　shelter；　the　race　was

purged　of　its　weak　and　inefficient　members。　　But　this　will　no　longer

obtain。　　Under　the　new　order　the　weak　and　the　progeny　of　the　weak

will　have　a　chance　for　survival　equal　to　that　of　the　strong　and　the

progeny　of　the　strong。　　This　being　so；　the　premium　upon　strength

will　have　been　withdrawn；　and　on　the　face　of　it　the　average　strength

of　each　generation；　instead　of　continuing　to　rise；　will　begin　to

decline。



When　the　common　man's　day　shall　have　arrived；　the　new　social

institutions　of　that　day　will　prevent　the　weeding　out　of　weakness

and　inefficiency。　　All；　the　weak　and　the　strong；　will　have　an　equal

chance　for　procreation。　　And　the　progeny　of　all；　of　the　weak　as　well

as　the　strong；　will　have　an　equal　chance　for　survival。　　This　being

so；　and　if　no　new　effective　law　of　development　be　put　into

operation；　then　progress　must　cease。　　And　not　only　progress；　for

deterioration　would　at　once　set　in。　　It　is　a　pregnant　problem。　　What

will　be　the　nature　of　this　new　and　most　necessary　law　of

development？　　Can　the　common　man　pause　long　enough　from　his

undermining　labors　to　answer？　　Since　he　is　bent　upon　dragging　down

the　bourgeoisie　and　reconstructing　society；　can　he　so　reconstruct

that　a　premium；　in　some　unguessed　way　or　other；　will　still　be　laid

upon　the　strong　and　efficient　so　that　the　human　type　will　continue

to　develop？　　Can　the　common　man；　or　the　uncommon　men　who　are　allied

with　him；　devise　such　a　law？　　Or　have　they　already　devised　one？　　And

if　so；　what　is　it？







HOW　I　BECAME　A　SOCIALIST







It　is　quite　fair　to　say　that　I　became　a　Socialist　in　a　fashion

somewhat　similar　to　the　way　in　which　the　Teutonic　pagans　became

Christiansit　was　hammered　into　me。　　Not　only　was　I　not　looking　for

Socialism　at　the　time　of　my　conversion；　but　I　was　fighting　it。　　I

was　very　young　and　callow；　did　not　know　much　of　anything；　and　though

I　had　never　even　heard　of　a　school　called　〃Individualism；〃　I　sang

the　paean　of　the　strong　with　all　my　heart。



This　was　because　I　was　strong　myself。　　By　strong　I　mean　that　I　had

good　health　and　hard　muscles；　both　of　which　possessions　are　easily

accounted　for。　　I　had　lived　my　childhood　on　California　ranches；　my

boyhood　hustling　newspapers　on　the　streets　of　a　healthy　Western

city；　and　my　youth　on　the　ozone…laden　waters　of　San　Francisco　Bay

and　the　Pacific　Ocean。　　I　loved　life　in　the　open；　and　I　toiled　in

the　open；　at　the　hardest　kinds　of　work。　　Learning　no　trade；　but

drifting　along　from　job　to　job；　I　looked　on　the　world　and　called　it

good；　every　bit　of　it。　　Let　me　repeat；　this　optimism　was　because　I

was　healthy　and　strong；　bothered　with　neither　aches　nor　weaknesses；

never　turned　down　by　the　boss　because　I　did　not　look　fit；　able

always　to　get　a　job　at　shovelling　coal；　sailorizing；　or　manual　labor

of　some　sort。



And　because　of　all　this；　exulting　in　my　young　life；　able　to　hold　my

own　at　work　or　fight；　I　was　a　rampant　individualist。　　It　was　very

natural。　　I　was　a　winner。　　Wherefore　I　called　the　game；　as　I　saw　it

played；　or　thought　I　saw　it　played；　a　very　proper　game　for　MEN。　　To

be　a　MAN　was　to　write　man　in　large　capitals　on　my　heart。　　To

adventure　like　a　man；　and　fight　like　a　man；　and　do　a　man's　work

（even　for　a　boy's　pay）these　were　things　that　reached　right　in　and

gripped　hold　of　me　as　no　other　thing　could。　　And　I　looked　ahead　into

long　vistas　of　a　hazy　and　interminable　future；　into　which；　playing

what　I　conceived　to　be　MAN'S　game；　I　should　continue　to　travel　with

unfailing　health；　without　accidents；　and　with　muscles　ever　vigorous。

As　I　say；　this　future　was　interminable。　　I　could　see　myself　only

raging　through　life　without　end　like　one　of　Nietzsche's　BLOND…

BEASTS；　lustfully　roving　and　conquering　by　sheer　superiority　and

strength。



As　for　the　unfortunates；　the　sick；　and　ailing；　and　old；　and　maimed；

I　must　confess　I　hardly　thought　of　them　at　all；　save　that　I　vaguely

felt　that　they；　barring　accidents；　could　be　as　good　as　I　if　they

wanted　to　real　hard；　and　could　work　just　as　well。　　Accidents？　　Well；

they　represented　FATE；　also　spelled　out　in　capitals；　and　there　was

no　getting　around　FATE。　　Napoleon　had　had　an　accident　at　Waterloo；

but　that　did　not　dampen　my　desire　to　be　another　and　later　Napoleon。

Further；　the　optimism　bred　of　a　stomach　which　could　digest　scrap

iron　and　a　body　which　flourished　on　hardships　did　not　permit　me　to

consider　accidents　as　even　remotely　related　to　my　glorious

personality。



I　hope　I　have　made　it　clear　that　I　was　proud　to　be　one　of　Nature's

strong…armed　noblemen。　　The　dignity　of　labor　was　to　me　the　most

impressive　thing　in　the　world。　　Without　having　read　Carlyle；　or

Kipling；　I　formulated　a　gospel　of　work　which　put　theirs　in　the

shade。　　Work　was　everything。　　It　was　sanctification　and　salvation。

The　pride　I　took　in　a　hard　day's　work　well　done　would　be

inconceivable　to　you。　　It　is　almost　inconceivable　to　me　as　I　look

back　upon　it。　　I　was　as　faithful　a　wage　slave　as　ever　capitalist

exploited。　　To　shirk　or　malinger　on　the　man　who　paid　me　my　wages　was

a　sin；　first；　against　myself；　and　second；　against　him。　　I　considered

it　a　crime　second　only　to　treason　and　just　about　as　bad。



In　short；　my　joyous　individualism　was　dominated　by　the　orthodox

bourgeois　ethics。　　I　read　the　bourgeois　papers；　listened　to　the

bourgeois　preachers；　and　shouted　at　the　sonorous　platitudes　of　the

bourgeois　politicians。　　And　I　doubt　not；　if　other　events　had　not

changed　my　career；　that　I　should　have　evolved　into　a　professional

strike…breaker；　（one　of　President　Eliot's　American　heroes）；　and　had

my　head　and　my　earning　power　irrevocably　smashed　by　a　club　in　the

hands　of　some　militant　trades…unionist。



Just　about　this　time；　returning　from　a　seven　months'　voyage　before

the　mast；　and　just　turned　eighteen；　I　took　it　into　my　head　to　go

tramping。　　On　rods　and　blind　baggages　I　fought　my　way　from　the　open

West　where　men　bucked　big　and　the　job　hunted　the　man；　to　the

congested　labor　centres　of　the　East；　where　men　were　small　potatoes

and　hunted　the　job　for　all　they　were　worth。　　And　on　this　new　BLOND…

BEAST　adventure　I　found　myself　looking　upon　life　from　a　new　and

totally　different　angle。　　I　had　dropped　down　from　the　proletariat

into　what　sociologists　love　to　call　the　〃submerged　tenth；〃　and　I　was

startled　to　discover　the　way　in　which　that　submerged　tenth　was

recruited。



I　found　there　all　sorts　of　men；　many　of　whom　had　once　been　as　good

as　myself　and　just　as　BLOND…BEAST；　sailor…men；　soldier…men；　labor…

men；　all　wrenched　and　distorted　and　twisted　out　of　shape　by　toil　and

hardship　and　accident；