war of the classes-第7章

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

which　this　city　has　accorded　the　great　army　of　homeless　unfortunates

has　made　it　the　victim　of　wholesale　imposition；　and　this　well…

intended　policy　of　kindness　has　resulted　in　making　Chicago　the

winter　Mecca　of　a　vast　and　undesirable　floating　population。〃　　That

is　to　say；　because　of　her　kindness；　Chicago　had　more　than　her　fair

share　of　tramps；　because　she　was　humane　and　generous　she　suffered

whole…sale　imposition。　　From　this　we　must　conclude　that　it　does　not

do　to　be　HUMANE　and　GENEROUS　to　our　fellow…menwhen　they　are

tramps。　　Mr。　O'Neil　is　right；　and　that　this　is　no　sophism　it　is　the

intention　of　this　article；　among　other　things；　to　show。



In　a　general　way　we　may　draw　the　following　inferences　from　the

remarks　of　Mr。　O'Neil：　　（1）　The　tramp　is　stronger　than　organized

society　and　cannot　be　put　down；　（2）　The　tramp　is　〃shabby；〃

〃tattered；〃　〃homeless；〃　〃unfortunate〃；　（3）　There　is　a　〃vast〃　number

of　tramps；　（4）　Very　few　tramps　are　willing　to　do　honest　work；　（5）

Those　tramps　who　are　willing　to　do　honest　work　have　to　hunt　very

hard　to　find　it；　（6）　The　tramp　is　undesirable。



To　this　last　let　the　contention　be　appended　that　the　tramp　is　only

PERSONALLY　undesirable；　that　he　is　NEGATIVELY　desirable；　that　the

function　he　performs　in　society　is　a　negative　function；　and　that　he

is　the　by…product　of　economic　necessity。



It　is　very　easy　to　demonstrate　that　there　are　more　men　than　there　is

work　for　men　to　do。　　For　instance；　what　would　happen　tomorrow　if　one

hundred　thousand　tramps　should　become　suddenly　inspired　with　an

overmastering　desire　for　work？　　It　is　a　fair　question。　　〃Go　to　work〃

is　preached　to　the　tramp　every　day　of　his　life。　　The　judge　on　the

bench；　the　pedestrian　in　the　street；　the　housewife　at　the　kitchen

door；　all　unite　in　advising　him　to　go　to　work。　　So　what　would　happen

tomorrow　if　one　hundred　thousand　tramps　acted　upon　this　advice　and

strenuously　and　indomitably　sought　work？　　Why；　by　the　end　of　the

week　one　hundred　thousand　workers；　their　places　taken　by　the　tramps；

would　receive　their　time　and　be　〃hitting　the　road〃　for　a　job。



Ella　Wheeler　Wilcox　unwittingly　and　uncomfortably　demonstrated　the

disparity　between　men　and　work。　｛1｝　She　made　a　casual　reference；　in

a　newspaper　column　she　conducts；　to　the　difficulty　two　business　men

found　in　obtaining　good　employees。　　The　first　morning　mail　brought

her　seventy…five　applications　for　the　position；　and　at　the　end　of

two　weeks　over　two　hundred　people　had　applied。



Still　more　strikingly　was　the　same　proposition　recently　demonstrated

in　San　Francisco。　　A　sympathetic　strike　called　out　a　whole

federation　of　trades'　unions。　　Thousands　of　men；　in　many　branches　of

trade；　quit　work；draymen；　sand　teamsters；　porters　and　packers；

longshoremen；　stevedores；　warehousemen；　stationary　engineers；

sailors；　marine　firemen；　stewards；　sea…cooks；　and　so　forth；an

interminable　list。　　It　was　a　strike　of　large　proportions。　　Every

Pacific　coast　shipping　city　was　involved；　and　the　entire　coasting

service；　from　San　Diego　to　Puget　Sound；　was　virtually　tied　up。　　The

time　was　considered　auspicious。　　The　Philippines　and　Alaska　had

drained　the　Pacific　coast　of　surplus　labor。　　It　was　summer…time；

when　the　agricultural　demand　for　laborers　was　at　its　height；　and

when　the　cities　were　bare　of　their　floating　populations。　　And　yet

there　remained　a　body　of　surplus　labor　sufficient　to　take　the　places

of　the　strikers。　　No　matter　what　occupation；　sea…cook　or　stationary

engineer；　sand　teamster　or　warehouseman；　in　every　case　there　was　an

idle　worker　ready　to　do　the　work。　　And　not　only　ready　but　anxious。

They　fought　for　a　chance　to　work。　　Men　were　killed；　hundreds　of

heads　were　broken；　the　hospitals　were　filled　with　injured　men；　and

thousands　of　assaults　were　committed。　　And　still　surplus　laborers；

〃scabs；〃　came　forward　to　replace　the　strikers。



The　question　arises：　　WHENCE　CAME　THIS　SECOND　ARMY　OF　WORKERS　TO

REPLACE　THE　FIRST　ARMY？　　One　thing　is　certain：　　the　trades'　unions

did　not　scab　on　one　another。　　Another　thing　is　certain：　　no　industry

on　the　Pacific　slope　was　crippled　in　the　slightest　degree　by　its

workers　being　drawn　away　to　fill　the　places　of　the　strikers。　　A

third　thing　is　certain：　　the　agricultural　workers　did　not　flock　to

the　cities　to　replace　the　strikers。　　In　this　last　instance　it　is

worth　while　to　note　that　the　agricultural　laborers　wailed　to　High

Heaven　when　a　few　of　the　strikers　went　into　the　country　to　compete

with　them　in　unskilled　employments。　　So　there　is　no　accounting　for

this　second　army　of　workers。　　It　simply　was。　　It　was　there　all　this

time；　a　surplus　labor　army　in　the　year　of　our　Lord　1901；　a　year

adjudged　most　prosperous　in　the　annals　of　the　United　States。　｛2｝



The　existence　of　the　surplus　labor　army　being　established；　there

remains　to　be　established　the　economic　necessity　for　the　surplus

labor　army。　　The　simplest　and　most　obvious　need　is　that　brought

about　by　the　fluctuation　of　production。　　If；　when　production　is　at

low　ebb；　all　men　are　at　work；　it　necessarily　follows　that　when

production　increases　there　will　be　no　men　to　do　the　increased　work。

This　may　seem　almost　childish；　and；　if　not　childish；　at　least　easily

remedied。　　At　low　ebb　let　the　men　work　shorter　time；　at　high　flood

let　them　work　overtime。　　The　main　objection　to　this　is；　that　it　is

not　done；　and　that　we　are　considering　what　is；　not　what　might　be　or

should　be。



Then　there　are　great　irregular　and　periodical　demands　for　labor

which　must　be　met。　　Under　the　first　head　come　all　the　big　building

and　engineering　enterprises。　　When　a　canal　is　to　be　dug　or　a

railroad　put　through；　requiring　thousands　of　laborers；　it　would　be

hurtful　to　withdraw　these　laborers　from　the　constant　industries。

And　whether　it　is　a　canal　to　be　dug　or　a　cellar；　whether　five

thousand　men　are　required　or　five；　it　is　well；　in　society　as　at

present　organized；　that　they　be　taken　from　the　surplus　labor　army。

The　surplus　labor　army　is　the　reserve　fund　of　social　energy；　and

this　is　one　of　the　reasons　for　its　existence。



Under　the　second　head；　periodical　demands；　come　the　harvests。

Throughout　the　year；　huge　labor　tides　sweep　back　and　forth　across

the　United　States。　　That　which　is　sown　and　tended　by　few　men；　comes

to　sudden　ripeness　and　must　be　gathered　by　many　men；　and　it　is

inevitable　that　these　many　men　form　floating　populations。　　In　the

late　spring　the　berries　must　be　picked；　in　the　summer　the　grain

garnered；　in　the　fall；　the　hops　gathered；　in　the　winter　the　ice

harvested。　　In　California　a　man　may　pick　berries　in　Siskiyou；

peaches　in　Santa　Clara；　grapes　in　the　San　Joaquin；　and　oranges　in

Los　Angeles；　going　from　job　to　job　as　the　season　advances；　and

travelling　a　thousand　miles　ere　the　season　is　done。　　But　the　great

demand　for　agricultural　labor　is　in　the　summer。　　In　the　winter；　work

is　slack；　and　these　floating　populations　eddy　into　the　cities　to　eke

out　a　precarious　existence　and　harrow　the　souls　of　the　police

officers　until　the　return　of　warm　weather　and　work。　　If　there　were

constant　work　at　good　wages　for　every　man；　who　would　harvest　the

crops？



But　the　last　and　most　significant　need　for　the　surplus　labor　army

remains　to　be　stated。　　This　surplus　labor　acts　as　a　check　upon　all

employed　labor。　　It　is　the　lash　by　which　the　masters　hold　the

workers　to　their　tasks；　or　drive　them　back　to　their　tasks　when　they

have　revolted。　　It　is　the　goad　which　forces　the　workers　into　the

compulsory　〃free　contracts〃　against　which　they　now　and　again　rebel。

There　is　only　one　reason　under　the　sun　that　strikes　fail；　and　that

is　because　there　are　always　plenty　of　men　to　take　the　strikers'

places。



The　strength　of　the　union　today；　other　things　remaining　equal；　is

proportionate　to　the　skill　of　the　trade；　or；　in　other　words；

proportionate　to　the　pressure　the　surplus　labor　army　can　put　upon

it。　　If　a　thousand　ditch…diggers　strike；　it　is　easy　to　replace　them