war of the classes-第6章

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if　possible；　even　more　destructive　to　national　welfare　than

sectional；　race；　or　religious　animosity。〃　　The　chief　thing　to　be

noted　here　is　President　Roosevelt's　tacit　recognition　of　class

animosity　in　the　industrial　world；　and　his　fear；　which　language

cannot　portray　stronger；　that　this　class　animosity　may　spread　to　the

political　world。　　Yet　this　is　the　very　policy　which　the　socialists

have　announced　in　their　declaration　of　war　against　present…day

societyto　capture　the　political　machinery　of　society　and　by　that

machinery　destroy　present…day　society。



The　New　York　Independent　for　February　12；　1903；　recognized　without

qualification　the　class　struggle。　　〃It　is　impossible　fairly　to　pass

upon　the　methods　of　labor　unions；　or　to　devise　plans　for　remedying

their　abuses；　until　it　is　recognized；　to　begin　with；　that　unions　are

based　upon　class　antagonism　and　that　their　policies　are　dictated　by

the　necessities　of　social　warfare。　　A　strike　is　a　rebellion　against

the　owners　of　property。　　The　rights　of　property　are　protected　by

government。　　And　a　strike；　under　certain　provocation；　may　extend　as

far　as　did　the　general　strike　in　Belgium　a　few　years　since；　when

practically　the　entire　wage…earning　population　stopped　work　in　order

to　force　political　concessions　from　the　property…owning　classes。

This　is　an　extreme　case；　but　it　brings　out　vividly　the　real　nature

of　labor　organization　as　a　species　of　warfare　whose　object　is　the

coercion　of　one　class　by　another　class。〃



It　has　been　shown；　theoretically　and　actually；　that　there　is　a　class

struggle　in　the　United　States。　　The　quarrel　over　the　division　of　the

joint　product　is　irreconcilable。　　The　working　class　is　no　longer

losing　its　strongest　and　most　capable　members。　　These　men；　denied

room　for　their　ambition　in　the　capitalist　ranks；　remain　to　be　the

leaders　of　the　workers；　to　spur　them　to　discontent；　to　make　them

conscious　of　their　class；　to　lead　them　to　revolt。



This　revolt；　appearing　spontaneously　all　over　the　industrial　field

in　the　form　of　demands　for　an　increased　share　of　the　joint　product；

is　being　carefully　and　shrewdly　shaped　for　a　political　assault　upon

society。　　The　leaders；　with　the　carelessness　of　fatalists；　do　not

hesitate　for　an　instant　to　publish　their　intentions　to　the　world。

They　intend　to　direct　the　labor　revolt　to　the　capture　of　the

political　machinery　of　society。　　With　the　political　machinery　once

in　their　hands；　which　will　also　give　them　the　control　of　the　police；

the　army；　the　navy；　and　the　courts；　they　will　confiscate；　with　or

without　remuneration；　all　the　possessions　of　the　capitalist　class

which　are　used　in　the　production　and　distribution　of　the　necessaries

and　luxuries　of　life。　　By　this；　they　mean　to　apply　the　law　of

eminent　domain　to　the　land；　and　to　extend　the　law　of　eminent　domain

till　it　embraces　the　mines；　the　factories；　the　railroads；　and　the

ocean　carriers。　　In　short；　they　intend　to　destroy　present…day

society；　which　they　contend　is　run　in　the　interest　of　another　class；

and　from　the　materials　to　construct　a　new　society；　which　will　be　run

in　their　interest。



On　the　other　hand；　the　capitalist　class　is　beginning　to　grow

conscious　of　itself　and　of　the　struggle　which　is　being　waged。　　It　is

already　forming　offensive　and　defensive　leagues；　while　some　of　the

most　prominent　figures　in　the　nation　are　preparing　to　lead　it　in　the

attack　upon　socialism。



The　question　to　be　solved　is　not　one　of　Malthusianism；　〃projected

efficiency；〃　nor　ethics。　　It　is　a　question　of　might。　　Whichever

class　is　to　win；　will　win　by　virtue　of　superior　strength；　for　the

workers　are　beginning　to　say；　as　they　said　to　Mr。　Cunniff；　〃Malthus

be　damned。〃　　In　their　own　minds　they　find　no　sanction　for　continuing

the　individual　struggle　for　the　survival　of　the　fittest。　　As　Mr。

Gompers　has　said；　they　want　more；　and　more；　and　more。　　The　ethical

import　of　Mr。　Kidd's　plan　of　the　present　generation　putting　up　with

less　in　order　that　race　efficiency　may　be　projected　into　a　remote

future；　has　no　bearing　upon　their　actions。　　They　refuse　to　be　the

〃glad　perishers〃　so　glowingly　described　by　Nietzsche。



It　remains　to　be　seen　how　promptly　the　capitalist　class　will　respond

to　the　call　to　arms。　　Upon　its　promptness　rests　its　existence；　for

if　it　sits　idly　by；　soothfully　proclaiming　that　what　ought　not　to　be

cannot　be；　it　will　find　the　roof　beams　crashing　about　its　head。　　The

capitalist　class　is　in　the　numerical　minority；　and　bids　fair　to　be

outvoted　if　it　does　not　put　a　stop　to　the　vast　propaganda　being

waged　by　its　enemy。　　It　is　no　longer　a　question　of　whether　or　not

there　is　a　class　struggle。　　The　question　now　is；　what　will　be　the

outcome　of　the　class　struggle？







THE　TRAMP







Mr。　Francis　O'Neil；　General　Superintendent　of　Police；　Chicago；

speaking　of　the　tramp；　says：　　〃Despite　the　most　stringent　police

regulations；　a　great　city　will　have　a　certain　number　of　homeless

vagrants　to　shelter　through　the　winter。〃　　〃Despite；〃mark　the　word；

a　confession　of　organized　helplessness　as　against　unorganized

necessity。　　If　police　regulations　are　stringent　and　yet　fail；　then

that　which　makes　them　fail；　namely；　the　tramp；　must　have　still　more

stringent　reasons　for　succeeding。　　This　being　so；　it　should　be　of

interest　to　inquire　into　these　reasons；　to　attempt　to　discover　why

the　nameless　and　homeless　vagrant　sets　at　naught　the　right　arm　of

the　corporate　power　of　our　great　cities；　why　all　that　is　weak　and

worthless　is　stronger　than　all　that　is　strong　and　of　value。



Mr。　O'Neil　is　a　man　of　wide　experience　on　the　subject　of　tramps。　　He

may　be　called　a　specialist。　　As　he　says　of　himself：　　〃As　an　old…time

desk　sergeant　and　police　captain；　I　have　had　almost　unlimited

opportunity　to　study　and　analyze　this　class　of　floating　population；

which　seeks　the　city　in　winter　and　scatters　abroad　through　the

country　in　the　spring。〃　　He　then　continues：　　〃This　experience

reiterated　the　lesson　that　the　vast　majority　of　these　wanderers　are

of　the　class　with　whom　a　life　of　vagrancy　is　a　chosen　means　of

living　without　work。〃　　Not　only　is　it　to　be　inferred　from　this　that

there　is　a　large　class　in　society　which　lives　without　work；　for　Mr。

O'Neil's　testimony　further　shows　that　this　class　is　forced　to　live

without　work。



He　says：　　〃I　have　been　astonished　at　the　multitude　of　those　who　have

unfortunately　engaged　in　occupations　which　practically　force　them　to

become　loafers　for　at　least　a　third　of　the　year。　　And　it　is　from

this　class　that　the　tramps　are　largely　recruited。　　I　recall　a

certain　winter　when　it　seemed　to　me　that　a　large　portion　of　the

inhabitants　of　Chicago　belonged　to　this　army　of　unfortunates。　　I　was

stationed　at　a　police　station　not　far　from　where　an　ice　harvest　was

ready　for　the　cutters。　　The　ice　company　advertised　for　helpers；　and

the　very　night　this　call　appeared　in　the　newspapers　our　station　was

packed　with　homeless　men；　who　asked　shelter　in　order　to　be　at　hand

for　the　morning's　work。　　Every　foot　of　floor　space　was　given　over　to

these　lodgers　and　scores　were　still　unaccommodated。〃



And　again：　　〃And　it　must　be　confessed　that　the　man　who　is　willing　to

do　honest　labor　for　food　and　shelter　is　a　rare　specimen　in　this　vast

army　of　shabby　and　tattered　wanderers　who　seek　the　warmth　of　the

city　with　the　coming　of　the　first　snow。〃　　Taking　into　consideration

the　crowd　of　honest　laborers　that　swamped　Mr。　O'Neil's　station…house

on　the　way　to　the　ice…cutting；　it　is　patent；　if　all　tramps　were

looking　for　honest　labor　instead　of　a　small　minority；　that　the

honest　laborers　would　have　a　far　harder　task　finding　something

honest　to　do　for　food　and　shelter。　　If　the　opinion　of　the　honest

laborers　who　swamped　Mr。　O'Neil's　station…house　were　asked；　one

could　rest　confident　that　each　and　every　man　would　express　a

preference　for　fewer　honest　laborers　on　the　morrow　when　he　asked　the

ice　foreman　for　a　job。



And；　finally；　Mr。　O'Neil　says：　　〃The　humane　and　generous　treatment

which　thi