war of the classes(阶级斗争)-第31章
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Winchester riflesall for adventuring in BLOND…BEASTLY fashion。
Concerning further details deponent sayeth not; though he may hint that
some of his plethoric national patriotism simmered down and leaked out
of the bottom of his soul somewhereat least; since that experience he
finds that he cares more for men and women and little children than for
imaginary geographical lines。
To return to my conversion。 I think it is apparent that my rampant
individualism was pretty effectively hammered out of me; and something
else as effectively hammered in。 But; just as I had been an individualist
without knowing it; I was now a Socialist without knowing it; withal; an
unscientific one。 I had been reborn; but not renamed; and I was running
around to find out what manner of thing I was。 I ran back to California and
opened the books。 I do not remember which ones I opened first。 It is an
unimportant detail anyway。 I was already It; whatever It was; and by aid of
the books I discovered that It was a Socialist。 Since that day I have opened
many books; but no economic argument; no lucid demonstration of the
logic and inevitableness of Socialism affects me as profoundly and
convincingly as I was affected on the day when I first saw the walls of the
Social Pit rise around me and felt myself slipping down; down; into the
shambles at the bottom。
Footnotes:
{1} 〃From 43 to 52 per cent of all applicants need work rather than
relief。〃Report of the Charity Organization Society of New York City。
{2} Mr。 Leiter; who owns a coal mine at the town of Zeigler; Illinois;
in an interview printed in the Chicago Record…Herald of December 6;
1904; said: 〃When I go into the market to purchase labor; I propose to
retain just as much freedom as does a purchaser in any other kind of a
market。 。 。 。 There is no difficulty whatever in obtaining labor; FOR THE
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War of the Classes
COUNTRY IS FULL OF UNEMPLOYED MEN。〃
{3} 〃Despondent and weary with vain attempts to struggle against an
unsympathetic world; two old men were brought before Police Judge
McHugh this afternoon to see whether some means could not be provided
for their support; at least until springtime。
〃George Westlake was the first one to receive the consideration of the
court。 Westlake is seventy…two years old。 A charge of habitual drunkenness
was placed against him; and he was sentenced to a term in the county jail;
though it is more than probable that he was never under the influence of
intoxicating liquor in his life。 The act on the part of the authorities was one
of kindness for him; as in the county jail he will be provided with a good
place to sleep and plenty to eat。
〃Joe Coat; aged sixty…nine years; will serve ninety days in the county
jail for much the same reason as Westlake。 He states that; if given a chance
to do so; he will go out to a wood…camp and cut timber during the winter;
but the police authorities realize that he could not long survive such a
task。〃From the Butte (Montana) Miner; December 7th; 1904。
〃'I end my life because I have reached the age limit; and there is no
place for me in this world。 Please notify my wife; No。 222 West 129th
Street; New York。' Having summed up the cause of his despondency in
this final message; James Hollander; fifty…six years old; shot himself
through the left temple; in his room at the Stafford Hotel today。〃New
York Herald。
{4} In the San Francisco Examiner of November 16; 1904; there is an
account of the use of fire…hose to drive away three hundred men who
wanted work at unloading a vessel in the harbor。 So anxious were the men
to get the two or three hours' job that they made a veritable mob and had
to be driven off。
{5} 〃It was no uncommon thing in these sweatshops for men to sit
bent over a sewing…machine continuously from eleven to fifteen hours a
day in July weather; operating a sewing…machine by foot…power; and often
so driven that they could not stop for lunch。 The seasonal character of the
work meant demoralizing toil for a few months in the year; and a not less
demoralizing idleness for the remainder of the time。 Consumption; the
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War of the Classes
plague of the tenements and the especial plague of the garment industry;
carried off many of these workers; poor nutrition and exhaustion; many
more。〃From McClure's Magazine。
{6} The Social Unrest。 Macmillan Company。
{7} 〃Our Benevolent Feudalism。〃 By W。 J。 Ghent。 The Macmillan
Company。
{8} 〃The Social Unrest。〃 By John Graham Brooks。 The Macmillan
Company。
{9} From figures presented by Miss Nellie Mason Auten in the
American Journal of Sociology; and copied extensively by the trade… union
and Socialist press。
{10} 〃The Bitter Cry of Outcast London。〃
{11} An item from the Social Democratic Herald。 Hundreds of these
items; culled from current happenings; are published weekly in the papers
of the workers。
{12} Karl Marx; the great Socialist; worked out the trust development
forty years ago; for which he was laughed at by the orthodox economists。
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