war of the classes-第3章

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

outside　of　it　are　many　other　large　organizations。　　All　these　men　are

banded　together　for　the　frank　purpose　of　bettering　their　condition；

regardless　of　the　harm　worked　thereby　upon　all　other　classes。　　They

are　in　open　antagonism　with　the　capitalist　class；　while　the

manifestos　of　their　leaders　state　that　the　struggle　is　one　which　can

never　end　until　the　capitalist　class　is　exterminated。



Their　leaders　will　largely　deny　this　last　statement；　but　an

examination　of　their　utterances；　their　actions；　and　the　situation

will　forestall　such　denial。　　In　the　first　place；　the　conflict

between　labor　and　capital　is　over　the　division　of　the　join　product。

Capital　and　labor　apply　themselves　to　raw　material　and　make　it　into

a　finished　product。　　The　difference　between　the　value　of　the　raw

material　and　the　value　of　the　finished　product　is　the　value　they

have　added　to　it　by　their　joint　effort。　　This　added　value　is；

therefore；　their　joint　product；　and　it　is　over　the　division　of　this

joint　product　that　the　struggle　between　labor　and　capital　takes

place。　　Labor　takes　its　share　in　wages；　capital　takes　its　share　in

profits。　　It　is　patent；　if　capital　took　in　profits　the　whole　joint

product；　that　labor　would　perish。　　And　it　is　equally　patent；　if

labor　took　in　wages　the　whole　joint　product；　that　capital　would

perish。　　Yet　this　last　is　the　very　thing　labor　aspires　to　do；　and

that　it　will　never　be　content　with　anything　less　than　the　whole

joint　product　is　evidenced　by　the　words　of　its　leaders。



Mr。　Samuel　Gompers；　president　of　the　American　Federation　of　Labor；

has　said：　　〃The　workers　want　more　wages；　more　of　the　comforts　of

life；　more　leisure；　more　chance　for　self…improvement　as　men；　as

trade…unionists；　as　citizens。　　THESE　WERE　THE　WANTS　OF　YESTERDAY；

THEY　ARE　THE　WANTS　OF　TODAY；　THEY　WILL　BE　THE　WANTS　OF　TOMORROW；　AND

OF　TOMORROW'S　MORROW。　　The　struggle　may　assume　new　forms；　but　the

issue　is　the　immemorial　one；an　effort　of　the　producers　to　obtain

an　increasing　measure　of　the　wealth　that　flows　from　their

production。〃



Mr。　Henry　White；　secretary　of　the　United　Garment　Workers　of　America

and　a　member　of　the　Industrial　Committee　of　the　National　Civic

Federation；　speaking　of　the　National　Civic　Federation　soon　after　its

inception；　said：　　〃To　fall　into　one　another's　arms；　to　avow

friendship；　to　express　regret　at　the　injury　which　has　been　done；

would　not　alter　the　facts　of　the　situation。　　Workingmen　will

continue　to　demand　more　pay；　and　the　employer　will　naturally　oppose

them。　　The　readiness　and　ability　of　the　workmen　to　fight　will；　as

usual；　largely　determine　the　amount　of　their　wages　or　their　share　in

the　product。　。　。　But　when　it　comes　to　dividing　the　proceeds；　there

is　the　rub。　　We　can　also　agree　that　the　larger　the　product　through

the　employment　of　labor…saving　methods　the　better；　as　there　will　be

more　to　be　divided；　but　again　the　question　of　the　division。　。　。　。　A

Conciliation　Committee；　having　the　confidence　of　the　community；　and

composed　of　men　possessing　practical　knowledge　of　industrial

affairs；　can　therefore　aid　in　mitigating　this　antagonism；　in

preventing　avoidable　conflicts；　in　bringing　about　a　TRUCE；　I　use　the

word　'truce'　because　understandings　can　only　be　temporary。〃



Here　is　a　man　who　might　have　owned　cattle　on　a　thousand　hills；　been

a　lumber　baron　or　a　railroad　king；　had　he　been　born　a　few　years

sooner。　　As　it　is；　he　remains　in　his　class；　is　secretary　of　the

United　Garment　Workers　of　America；　and　is　so　thoroughly　saturated

with　the　class　struggle　that　he　speaks　of　the　dispute　between

capital　and　labor　in　terms　of　war；workmen　FIGHT　with　employers；　it

is　possible　to　avoid　some　CONFLICTS；　in　certain　cases　TRUCES　may　be；

for　the　time　being；　effected。



Man　being　man　and　a　great　deal　short　of　the　angels；　the　quarrel　over

the　division　of　the　joint　product　is　irreconcilable。　　For　the　last

twenty　years　in　the　United　States；　there　has　been　an　average　of　over

a　thousand　strikes　per　year；　and　year　by　year　these　strikes　increase

in　magnitude；　and　the　front　of　the　labor　army　grows　more　imposing。

And　it　is　a　class　struggle；　pure　and　simple。　　Labor　as　a　class　is

fighting　with　capital　as　a　class。



Workingmen　will　continue　to　demand　more　pay；　and　employers　will

continue　to　oppose　them。　　This　is　the　key…note　to　LAISSEZ　FAIRE；

everybody　for　himself　and　devil　take　the　hindmost。　　It　is　upon　this

that　the　rampant　individualist　bases　his　individualism。　　It　is　the

let…alone　policy；　the　struggle　for　existence；　which　strengthens　the

strong；　destroys　the　weak；　and　makes　a　finer　and　more　capable　breed

of　men。　　But　the　individual　has　passed　away　and　the　group　has　come；

for　better　or　worse；　and　the　struggle　has　become；　not　a　struggle

between　individuals；　but　a　struggle　between　groups。　　So　the　query

rises：　　Has　the　individualist　never　speculated　upon　the　labor　group

becoming　strong　enough　to　destroy　the　capitalist　group；　and　take　to

itself　and　run　for　itself　the　machinery　of　industry？　　And；　further；

has　the　individualist　never　speculated　upon　this　being　still　a

triumphant　expression　of　individualism；of　group　individualism；if

the　confusion　of　terms　may　be　permitted？



But　the　facts　of　the　class　struggle　are　deeper　and　more　significant

than　have　so　far　been　presented。　　A　million　or　so　of　workmen　may

organize　for　the　pursuit　of　interests　which　engender　class

antagonism　and　strife；　and　at　the　same　time　be　unconscious　of　what

is　engendered。　　But　when　a　million　or　so　of　workmen　show

unmistakable　signs　of　being　conscious　of　their　class；of　being；　in

short；　class　conscious；then　the　situation　grows　serious。　　The

uncompromising　and　terrible　hatred　of　the　trade…unionist　for　a　scab

is　the　hatred　of　a　class　for　a　traitor　to　that　class；while　the

hatred　of　a　trade…unionist　for　the　militia　is　the　hatred　of　a　class

for　a　weapon　wielded　by　the　class　with　which　it　is　fighting。　　No

workman　can　be　true　to　his　class　and　at　the　same　time　be　a　member　of

the　militia：　　this　is　the　dictum　of　the　labor　leaders。



In　the　town　of　the　writer；　the　good　citizens；　when　they　get　up　a

Fourth　of　July　parade　and　invite　the　labor　unions　to　participate；

are　informed　by　the　unions　that　they　will　not　march　in　the　parade　if

the　militia　marches。　　Article　8　of　the　constitution　of　the　Painters'

and　Decorators'　Union　of　Schenectady　provides　that　a　member　must　not

be　a　〃militiaman；　special　police　officer；　or　deputy　marshal　in　the

employ　of　corporations　or　individuals　during　strikes；　lockouts；　or

other　labor　difficulties；　and　any　member　occupying　any　of　the　above

positions　will　be　debarred　from　membership。〃　　Mr。　William　Potter　was

a　member　of　this　union　and　a　member　of　the　National　Guard。　　As　a

result；　because　he　obeyed　the　order　of　the　Governor　when　his　company

was　ordered　out　to　suppress　rioting；　he　was　expelled　from　his　union。

Also　his　union　demanded　his　employers；　Shafer　&　Barry；　to　discharge

him　from　their　service。　　This　they　complied　with；　rather　than　face

the　threatened　strike。



Mr。　Robert　L。　Walker；　first　lieutenant　of　the　Light　Guards；　a　New

Haven　militia　company；　recently　resigned。　　His　reason　was；　that　he

was　a　member　of　the　Car　Builders'　Union；　and　that　the　two

organizations　were　antagonistic　to　each　other。　　During　a　New　Orleans

street…car　strike　not　long　ago；　a　whole　company　of　militia；　called

out　to　protect　non…union　men；　resigned　in　a　body。　　Mr。　John

Mulholland；　president　of　the　International　Association　of　Allied

Metal　Mechanics；　has　stated　that　he　does　not　want　the　members　to

join　the　militia。　　The　Local　Trades'　Assembly　of　Syracuse；　New　York；

has　passed　a　resolution；　by　unanimous　vote；　requiring　union　men　who

are　members　of　the　National　Guard　to　resign；　under　pain　of

expulsion；　from　the　unions。　　The　Amalgamated　Sheet　Metal　Workers'

Association　has　incorporated　in　its　constitution　an　amendment

excluding　from　membership　in　its　organization　〃any　person　a　member

of　the　r