war of the classes-第12节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



would　seem　that　England；　fronted　by　the　hostile　Continental　Union

and　flanked　by　the　great　American　scab；　has　nothing　left　but　to　join

with　the　scab　and　play　the　historic　labor　role　of　armed　Pinkerton。

Granting　the　words　of　Cecil　Rhodes；　the　United　States　would　be

enabled　to　scab　without　let　or　hindrance　on　Europe；　while　England；

as　professional　strike…breaker　and　policeman；　destroyed　the　unions

and　kept　order。



All　this　may　appear　fantastic　and　erroneous；　but　there　is　in　it　a

soul　of　truth　vastly　more　significant　than　it　may　seem。

Civilization　may　be　expressed　today　in　terms　of　trade…unionism。

Individual　struggles　have　largely　passed　away；　but　group…struggles

increase　prodigiously。　　And　the　things　for　which　the　groups　struggle

are　the　same　as　of　old。　　Shorn　of　all　subtleties　and　complexities；

the　chief　struggle　of　men；　and　of　groups　of　men；　is　for　food　and

shelter。　　And；　as　of　old　they　struggled　with　tooth　and　nail；　so

today　they　struggle　with　teeth　and　nails　elongated　into　armies　and

navies；　machines；　and　economic　advantages。



Under　the　definition　that　a　scab　is　ONE　WHO　GIVES　MORE　VALUE　FOR　THE

SAME　PRICE　THAN　ANOTHER；　it　would　seem　that　society　can　be　generally

divided　into　the　two　classes　of　the　scabs　and　the　non…scabs。　　But　on

closer　investigation；　however；　it　will　be　seen　that　the　non…scab　is

a　vanishing　quantity。　　In　the　social　jungle；　everybody　is　preying

upon　everybody　else。　　As　in　the　case　of　Mr。　Rockefeller；　he　who　was

a　scab　yesterday　is　a　non…scab　today；　and　tomorrow　may　be　a　scab

again。



The　woman　stenographer　or　book…keeper　who　receives　forty　dollars　per

month　where　a　man　was　receiving　seventy…five　is　a　scab。　　So　is　the

woman　who　does　a　man's　work　at　a　weaving…machine；　and　the　child　who

goes　into　the　mill　or　factory。　　And　the　father；　who　is　scabbed　out

of　work　by　the　wives　and　children　of　other　men；　sends　his　own　wife

and　children　to　scab　in　order　to　save　himself。



When　a　publisher　offers　an　author　better　royalties　than　other

publishers　have　been　paying　him；　he　is　scabbing　on　those　other

publishers。　　The　reporter　on　a　newspaper；　who　feels　he　should　be

receiving　a　larger　salary　for　his　work；　says　so；　and　is　shown　the

door；　is　replaced　by　a　reporter　who　is　a　scab；　whereupon；　when　the

belly…need　presses；　the　displaced　reporter　goes　to　another　paper　and

scabs　himself。　　The　minister　who　hardens　his　heart　to　a　call；　and

waits　for　a　certain　congregation　to　offer　him　say　500　a　year　more；

often　finds　himself　scabbed　upon　by　another　and　more　impecunious

minister；　and　the　next　time　it　is　HIS　turn　to　scab　while　a　brother

minister　is　hardening　his　heart　to　a　call。　　The　scab　is　everywhere。

The　professional　strike…breakers；　who　as　a　class　receive　large

wages；　will　scab　on　one　another；　while　scab　unions　are　even　formed

to　prevent　scabbing　upon　scabs。



There　are　non…scabs；　but　they　are　usually　born　so；　and　are　protected

by　the　whole　might　of　society　in　the　possession　of　their　food　and

shelter。　　King　Edward　is　such　a　type；　as　are　all　individuals　who

receive　hereditary　food…and…shelter　privileges；such　as　the　present

Duke　of　Bedford；　for　instance；　who　yearly　receives　75；000　from　the

good　people　of　London　because　some　former　king　gave　some　former

ancestor　of　his　the　market　privileges　of　Covent　Garden。　　The

irresponsible　rich　are　likewise　non…scabs；and　by　them　is　meant

that　coupon…clipping　class　which　hires　its　managers　and　brains　to

invest　the　money　usually　left　it　by　its　ancestors。



Outside　these　lucky　creatures；　all　the　rest；　at　one　time　or　another

in　their　lives；　are　scabs；　at　one　time　or　another　are　engaged　in

giving　more　for　a　certain　price　than　any　one　else。　　The　meek

professor　in　some　endowed　institution；　by　his　meek　suppression　of

his　convictions；　is　giving　more　for　his　salary　than　gave　the　other

and　more　outspoken　professor　whose　chair　he　occupies。　　And　when　a

political　party　dangles　a　full　dinner…pail　in　the　eyes　of　the

toiling　masses；　it　is　offering　more　for　a　vote　than　the　dubious

dollar　of　the　opposing　party。　　Even　a　money…lender　is　not　above

taking　a　slightly　lower　rate　of　interest　and　saying　nothing　about

it。



Such　is　the　tangle　of　conflicting　interests　in　a　tooth…and…nail

society　that　people　cannot　avoid　being　scabs；　are　often　made　so

against　their　desires；　and　are　often　unconsciously　made　so。　　When

several　trades　in　a　certain　locality　demand　and　receive　an　advance

in　wages；　they　are　unwittingly　making　scabs　of　their　fellow…laborers

in　that　district　who　have　received　no　advance　in　wages。　　In　San

Francisco　the　barbers；　laundry…workers；　and　milk…wagon　drivers

received　such　an　advance　in　wages。　　Their　employers　promptly　added

the　amount　of　this　advance　to　the　selling　price　of　their　wares。　　The

price　of　shaves；　of　washing；　and　of　milk　went　up。　　This　reduced　the

purchasing　power　of　the　unorganized　laborers；　and；　in　point　of　fact；

reduced　their　wages　and　made　them　greater　scabs。



Because　the　British　laborer　is　disinclined　to　scab；that　is；

because　he　restricts　his　output　in　order　to　give　less　for　the　wage

he　receives；it　is　to　a　certain　extent　made　possible　for　the

American　capitalist；　who　receives　a　less　restricted　output　from　his

laborers；　to　play　the　scab　on　the　English　capitalist。　　As　a　result

of　this；　（of　course　combined　with　other　causes）；　the　American

capitalist　and　the　American　laborer　are　striking　at　the　food　and

shelter　of　the　English　capitalist　and　laborer。



The　English　laborer　is　starving　today　because；　among　other　things；

he　is　not　a　scab。　　He　practises　the　policy　of　〃ca'　canny；〃　which　may

be　defined　as　〃go　easy。〃　　In　order　to　get　most　for　least；　in　many

trades　he　performs　but　from　one…fourth　to　one…sixth　of　the　labor　he

is　well　able　to　perform。　　An　instance　of　this　is　found　in　the

building　of　the　Westinghouse　Electric　Works　at　Manchester。　　The

British　limit　per　man　was　400　bricks　per　day。　　The　Westinghouse

Company　imported　a　〃driving〃　American　contractor；　aided　by　half　a

dozen　〃driving〃　American　foremen；　and　the　British　bricklayer　swiftly

attained　an　average　of　1800　bricks　per　day；　with　a　maximum　of　2500

bricks　for　the　plainest　work。



But；　the　British　laborer's　policy　of　〃ca'　canny；〃　which　is　the　very

honorable　one　of　giving　least　for　most；　and　which　is　likewise　the

policy　of　the　English　capitalist；　is　nevertheless　frowned　upon　by

the　English　capitalist；　whose　business　existence　is　threatened　by

the　great　American　scab。　　From　the　rise　of　the　factory　system；　the

English　capitalist　gladly　embraced　the　opportunity；　wherever　he

found　it；　of　giving　least　for　most。　　He　did　it　all　over　the　world

whenever　he　enjoyed　a　market　monopoly；　and　he　did　it　at　home　with

the　laborers　employed　in　his　mills；　destroying　them　like　flies　till

prevented；　within　limits；　by　the　passage　of　the　Factory　Acts。　　Some

of　the　proudest　fortunes　of　England　today　may　trace　their　origin　to

the　giving　of　least　for　most　to　the　miserable　slaves　of　the　factory

towns。　　But　at　the　present　time　the　English　capitalist　is　outraged

because　his　laborers　are　employing　against　him　precisely　the　same

policy　he　employed　against　them；　and　which　he　would　employ　again　did

the　chance　present　itself。



Yet　〃ca'　canny〃　is　a　disastrous　thing　to　the　British　laborer。　　It

has　driven　ship…building　from　England　to　Scotland；　bottle…making

from　Scotland　to　Belgium；　flint…glass…making　from　England　to

Germany；　and　today　is　steadily　driving　industry　after　industry　to

other　countries。　　A　correspondent　from　Northampton　wrote　not　long

ago：　　〃Factories　are　working　half　and　third　time。　。　。　。　There　is　no

strike；　there　is　no　real　labor　trouble；　but　the　masters　and　men　are

alike　suffering　from　sheer　lack　of　employment。　　Markets　which　were

once　theirs　are　now　American。〃　　It　would　seem　that　the　unfortunate

British　laborer　is　'twixt　the　devil　and　the　deep　sea。　　If　he　gives

most　for　least；　he　faces　a　frightful　slavery　such　as　marked　the

beginning　of　the　factory　system。　　If　he　gives　least　for　most；　he

drives　industry　away　to　other　countries　and　has　no　work　at　all。



But　the　union　laborers　of　the　United　States　have　nothing　of　which　to

boast；　while；　according　to　their　trade…union　ethics；　they　have　a

great　deal　of　which　to　be　ashamed。　　They　passionately　preach　short

hours　and　big　wages；　the　shorter　the　hours　and　the　bigger　the　wages

the　better。　　Their　hatred　for　a　scab　is　as　terrible　as　the　hatred　of

a　patriot　for　a　traitor；　of　a　Christian　for　a　Judas。　　And　in　the

face　of　all　this；　they　are　as　colossal　scabs　as　the　United　States　is

a　colossal　scab。　　For　all　of　their　boasted　unions　and　high　labor

ideals；　they　are　about　the　most　thoroughgoing　scabs　on　the　planet。



Receiving　4。50　per　day；　because　of　his　proficiency　and　immense

working　power；　the　American　laborer　has　been　known　to　scab　upon

scabs　（so　called）　who　took　his　place　and　received　only　0。90　per　day

for　a　longer　day。　　In　this　particular　instance；　five　Chinese

coolies；　working　longer　hours；　gave　less　v