the iron puddler-第30节

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th　all　the　hard　work　that　men　can　do；　they　can　not　boost　the　world's　supply　of　bread　so　as　to　increase　our　two　weeks'　lead　on　the　wolf　of　famine。　The　wolf　is　ever　behind　us　only　two　weeks　away。　And　if　we　stumble　for　a　moment；　he　gets　nearer。

American　machinery　enabled　the　western　farmer　to　raise　and　harvest　as　much　wheat　as　twenty　Russian　peasants。　In　India　where　wheat　is　raised　by　hand；　the　labor　of　one　family　will　only　feed　one　family。　But　in　the　Dakotas；　the　labor　of　one　man　will　deliver　in　Chicago　enough　flour　to　feed　three　hundred　men　a　year。　This　increase　in　man's　power　to　produce　wheat　caused　the　world's　population　to　double　itself　since　McCormack　invented　the　reaper。　The　Chinese　and　Hindu　millions　who　would　have　starved　to　death；　have　been　fed；　and　that's　why　they're　with　us　to…day。　The　natural　limit　of　population　is　starvation。　The　more　bread　the　more　mouths；　less　bread；　fewer　people。　Europe　and　the　Orient　reached　the　starvation　limit　before　America　was　settled。　A　bad　crop　meant　a　famine；　and　a　famine　started　a　plague。　This　plague　and　famine　would　sweep　off　a　third　of　the　population；　and　the　rest　could　then　raise　food　enough　to　thrive　on。　England　and　Wales　have　had　famines；　Ireland　has　had　famines；　France　has　had　famines；　Russia　has　a　deadly　famine　after　every　bad　crop　year；　while　in　India　and　China　famine　is　a　chronic　condition。

America　has　never　had　a　famine。　But　we　are　not　exempt　from　famine。　In　the　year　1816；　known　as　the　year　of　〃eighteen…hundred…　and…froze…to…death；〃　the　crops　failed　throughout　America　because　of　freezing　weather　all　summer　long。　Little　or　no　food　was　raised　and　the　Americans　would　have　perished　from　famine　had　it　not　been　for　the　wild　meat　in　the　woods。　The　people　lived　on　deer　and　bear　that　winter。　To…day　if　our　food　supply　fails　we　can　not　live　on　venison。　No　country　is　by　natural　law　exempt　from　famine。　Our　famine　will　come　when　we　fill　this　country　as　thickly　as　men　can　stand；　China　and　India　have　so　filled　themselves。　Famine　awaits　us　when　we　repeat　their　folly。　That　day　will　come　soon　unless　we　bar　the　unworthy　from　our　gates。

But　cold　weather　and　crop　failure　are　not　the　only　things　that　could　bring　a　famine　in　America。　Slacking　in　production　has　the　same　effect　as　crop　failure。　A　farmers'　strike　could　bring　a　famine。　A　railroad　strike　could　do　the　same。　Many　men　advocate　a　combination　farmers'　strike　and　railroad　strike　to　destroy　capital　（that　is；　to　destroy　the　food　supply）。　Don't　get　impatient；　boys。　You　shall　have　your　famine；　if　you　will　wait　long　enough。　And　the　less　work　you　do　while　you　are　waiting；　the　sooner　it　will　come。　Nature　is　never　whipped。　Nature　will　take　a　crack　at　you；　if　you　leave　an　opening。　The　generation　that　went　before　you　worked　ten　to　fourteen　hours　a　day；　they　battled　face　to　face　with　a　raw　continent　in　their　fight　with　Nature。　And　by　their　muscle　they　drove　Nature　back　and　she　surrendered。　She　went　down　like　crumpled　Germany；　and　she　signed　a　treaty。　Hard　were　the　treaty　terms　our　fighting　fathers　made　with　Nature。　They　took　an　indemnity。　She　delivered　to　them　more　houses　than　her　cyclones　had　destroyed；　she　furnished　them　millions　of　cattle　in　place　of　the　wild　deer　and　buffalo。　She　yielded　up　her　coal　regions　to　warm　them　in　payment　for　the　torture　her　winters　had　inflicted。　By　this　treaty　she　gave　them　everything　she　had　and　promised　to　be　good。

We　are　the　inheritors　of　the　good　things　of　that　peace　treaty。　We　were　born　rich；　we　revel　in　the　〃reparations〃　that　our　fathers　wrung　from　a　conquered　Nature。　But　Nature；　like　Germany；　is　not　really　whipped。　If　we　relax；　she　will　default　on　her　payments。　As　long　as　Nature　is　not　really　whipped；　her　treaty　is　a　scrap　of　paper。　Nature；　right　now；　is　preparing　for　a　come…back。　She　will　not　arm　openly；　for　we　would　then　arm　to　meet　her。　She　is　planning　to　attack　us　by　a　method　that　is　new。　She　will　weaken　us　by　propaganda；　and　when　we　are　helpless　she　will　march　over　us　at　will。

Who　then　are　the　propagandists　that　Nature　is　using　to　undermine　the　race　that　conquered　her？　Communists；　slackers；　sick　men　and　fools。　The　man　who　says　let　us　〃quit　work　and　divide　our　cake　and　eat　it〃　is　opening　the　way　for　Nature　to　strike　suddenly　with　a　famine。　The　man　who　advocates　〃one　big　strike〃　to　destroy　our　capital　is　the　secret　agent　of　starvation。　Nature　when　up　in　arms　can　sweep　men　off　like　flies。　She　has　always　done　it　and　she　always　will；　unless　man　uses　his　intelligence　and　his　cooperation　to　fight　the　evils　in　Nature　and　not　to　fight　his　fellow　men。

〃Capitalism；〃　as　the　communists　call　it；　is　an　imperfect　system。　But　it　is　the　only　system　that　has　banished　famine。　Under　communism　and　feudalism　there　was　hunger。　Under　capitalism　the　world　has　been　able　to　feed　twice　as　many　mouths　as　could　be　fed　before。

Capitalism　found　a　world　of　wood　and　iron　ore；　and　made　it　into　a　world　of　steel。　How？　It　puddled　the　pig…iron　until　the　dross　was　out；　and　the　pure　metal　was　bessemered　into　steel。　Now　the　task　is　to　purify　men　as　we　have　purified　metals。　Men　have　dross　in　their　nature。　They　break　under　civilization's　load。　A　steel　world　is　hopeless　if　men　are　pig…iron。　There　is　greed　and　envy　and　malice　in　all　of　us。　But　also　there　is　the　real　metal　of　brotherhood。　Our　task　is　to　puddle　out　the　impurities　so　that　the　true　iron　can　be　strong　enough　to　hold　our　civilization　up　forever。

I　have　been　a　puddler　of　iron　and　I　would　be　a　puddler　of　men。　Out　of　the　best　part　of　the　iron　I　helped　build　a　stronger　world。　Out　of　the　best　part　of　man's　metal　let　us　build　a　better　society。

I　have　no　new　cure　for　the　ills　of　humanity。

Life　is　a　struggle；　and　rest　is　in　the　grave。

All　nature　is　in　commotion；　there　is　wind　and　rain；　and　out　of　it　comes　seed　harvest。　The　waters　of　the　sea　are　poured　in　thunder　wrack　upon　the　hills　and　run　in　rivers　back　into　the　sea。　The　winds　make　weather；　and　weather　profits　man。　When　will　man's　turmoil　cease；　when　will　he　find　calm？　I　do　not　know。　I　only　know　that　toil　and　struggle　are　sweet；　and　that　life　well　lived　is　victory。　And　that　calm　is　death。

Man　must　face　an　iron　world；　but　he　is　iron　to　subdue　it。

The　lessons　of　my　life　were　learned　at　the　forge　and　I　am　grateful　for　my　schooling。


〃Thanks；　thanks　to　thee；　my　worthy　friend；　　　For　the　lesson　thou　hast　taught！　Thus　at　the　flaming　forge　of　Life　　　Our　fortunes　must　be　wrought；　Thus　on　its　sounding　anvil　shaped　　　Each　burning　deed　and　thought〃




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