war of the classes-第13节

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

coolies；　working　longer　hours；　gave　less　value　for　the　price

received　from　their　employer　than　did　one　American　laborer。



It　is　upon　his　brother　laborers　overseas　that　the　American　laborer

most　outrageously　scabs。　　As　Mr。　Casson　has　shown；　an　English　nail…

maker　gets　3　per　week；　while　an　American　nail…maker　gets　30。　　But

the　English　worker　turns　out　200　pounds　of　nails　per　week；　while　the

American　turns　out　5500　pounds。　　If　he　were　as　〃fair〃　as　his　English

brother；　other　things　being　equal；　he　would　be　receiving；　at　the

English　worker's　rate　of　pay；　82。50。　　As　it　is；　he　is　scabbing　upon

his　English　brother　to　the　tune　of　79。50　per　week。　　Dr。　Schultze…

Gaevernitz　has　shown　that　a　German　weaver　produces　466　yards　of

cotton　a　week　at　a　cost　of　。303　per　yard；　while　an　American　weaver

produces　1200　yards　at　a　cost　of　。02　per　yard。



But；　it　may　be　objected；　a　great　part　of　this　is　due　to　the　more

improved　American　machinery。　　Very　true；　but　none　the　less　a　great

part　is　still　due　to　the　superior　energy；　skill；　and　willingness　of

the　American　laborer。　　The　English　laborer　is　faithful　to　the　policy

of　〃ca'　canny。〃　　He　refuses　point…blank　to　get　the　work　out　of　a

machine　that　the　New　World　scab　gets　out　of　a　machine。　　Mr。　Maxim；

observing　a　wasteful　hand…labor　process　in　his　English　factory；

invented　a　machine　which　he　proved　capable　of　displacing　several

men。　　But　workman　after　workman　was　put　at　the　machine；　and　without

exception　they　turned　out　neither　more　nor　less　than　a　workman

turned　out　by　hand。　　They　obeyed　the　mandate　of　the　union　and　went

easy；　while　Mr。　Maxim　gave　up　in　despair。　　Nor　will　the　British

workman　run　machines　at　as　high　speed　as　the　American；　nor　will　he

run　so　many。　　An　American　workman　will　〃give　equal　attention

simultaneously　to　three；　four；　or　six　machines　or　tools；　while　the

British　workman　is　compelled　by　his　trade　union　to　limit　his

attention　to　one；　so　that　employment　may　be　given　to　half　a　dozen

men。〃



But　for　scabbing；　no　blame　attaches　itself　anywhere。　　With　rare

exceptions；　all　the　people　in　the　world　are　scabs。　　The　strong；

capable　workman　gets　a　job　and　holds　it　because　of　his　strength　and

capacity。　　And　he　holds　it　because　out　of　his　strength　and　capacity

he　gives　a　better　value　for　his　wage　than　does　the　weaker　and　less

capable　workman。　　Therefore　he　is　scabbing　upon　his　weaker　and　less

capable　brother　workman。　　He　is　giving　more　value　for　the　price　paid

by　the　employer。



The　superior　workman　scabs　upon　the　inferior　workman　because　he　is

so　constituted　and　cannot　help　it。　　The　one；　by　fortune　of　birth　and

upbringing；　is　strong　and　capable；　the　other；　by　fortune　of　birth

and　upbringing；　is　not　so　strong　nor　capable。　　It　is　for　the　same

reason　that　one　country　scabs　upon　another。　　That　country　which　has

the　good　fortune　to　possess　great　natural　resources；　a　finer　sun　and

soil；　unhampering　institutions；　and　a　deft　and　intelligent　labor

class　and　capitalist　class　is　bound　to　scab　upon　a　country　less

fortunately　situated。　　It　is　the　good　fortune　of　the　United　States

that　is　making　her　the　colossal　scab；　just　as　it　is　the　good　fortune

of　one　man　to　be　born　with　a　straight　back　while　his　brother　is　born

with　a　hump。



It　is　not　good　to　give　most　for　least；　not　good　to　be　a　scab。　　The

word　has　gained　universal　opprobrium。　　On　the　other　hand；　to　be　a

non…scab；　to　give　least　for　most；　is　universally　branded　as　stingy；

selfish；　and　unchristian…like。　　So　all　the　world；　like　the　British

workman；　is　'twixt　the　devil　and　the　deep　sea。　　It　is　treason　to

one's　fellows　to　scab；　it　is　unchristian…like　not　to　scab。



Since　to　give　least　for　most；　and　to　give　most　for　least；　are

universally　bad；　what　remains？　　Equity　remains；　which　is　to　give

like　for　like；　the　same　for　the　same；　neither　more　nor　less。　　But

this　equity；　society；　as　at　present　constituted；　cannot　give。　　It　is

not　in　the　nature　of　present…day　society　for　men　to　give　like　for

like；　the　same　for　the　same。　　And　so　long　as　men　continue　to　live　in

this　competitive　society；　struggling　tooth　and　nail　with　one　another

for　food　and　shelter；　（which　is　to　struggle　tooth　and　nail　with　one

another　for　life）；　that　long　will　the　scab　continue　to　exist。　　His

will　〃to　live〃　will　force　him　to　exist。　　He　may　be　flouted　and

jeered　by　his　brothers；　he　may　be　beaten　with　bricks　and　clubs　by

the　men　who　by　superior　strength　and　capacity　scab　upon　him　as　he

scabs　upon　them　by　longer　hours　and　smaller　wages；　but　through　it

all　he　will　persist；　giving　a　bit　more　of　most　for　least　than　they

are　giving。







THE　QUESTION　OF　THE　MAXIMUM







For　any　social　movement　or　development　there　must　be　a　maximum　limit

beyond　which　it　cannot　proceed。　　That　civilization　which　does　not

advance　must　decline；　and　so；　when　the　maximum　of　development　has

been　reached　in　any　given　direction；　society　must　either　retrograde

or　change　the　direction　of　its　advance。　　There　are　many　families　of

men　that　have　failed；　in　the　critical　period　of　their　economic

evolution；　to　effect　a　change　in　direction；　and　were　forced　to　fall

back。　　Vanquished　at　the　moment　of　their　maximum；　they　have　dropped

out　of　the　whirl　of　the　world。　　There　was　no　room　for　them。

Stronger　competitors　have　taken　their　places；　and　they　have　either

rotted　into　oblivion　or　remain　to　be　crushed　under　the　iron　heel　of

the　dominant　races　in　as　remorseless　a　struggle　as　the　world　has　yet

witnessed。　　But　in　this　struggle　fair　women　and　chivalrous　men　will

play　no　part。　　Types　and　ideals　have　changed。　　Helens　and　Launcelots

are　anachronisms。　　Blows　will　be　given　and　taken；　and　men　fight　and

die；　but　not　for　faiths　and　altars。　　Shrines　will　be　desecrated；　but

they　will　be　the　shrines；　not　of　temples；　but　market…places。

Prophets　will　arise；　but　they　will　be　the　prophets　of　prices　and

products。　　Battles　will　be　waged；　not　for　honor　and　glory；　nor　for

thrones　and　sceptres；　but　for　dollars　and　cents　and　for　marts　and

exchanges。　　Brain　and　not　brawn　will　endure；　and　the　captains　of　war

will　be　commanded　by　the　captains　of　industry。　　In　short；　it　will　be

a　contest　for　the　mastery　of　the　world's　commerce　and　for　industrial

supremacy。



It　is　more　significant；　this　struggle　into　which　we　have　plunged；

for　the　fact　that　it　is　the　first　struggle　to　involve　the　globe。　　No

general　movement　of　man　has　been　so　wide…spreading；　so　far…reaching。

Quite　local　was　the　supremacy　of　any　ancient　people；　likewise　the

rise　to　empire　of　Macedonia　and　Rome；　the　waves　of　Arabian　valor　and

fanaticism；　and　the　mediaeval　crusades　to　the　Holy　Sepulchre。　　But

since　those　times　the　planet　has　undergone　a　unique　shrinkage。



The　world　of　Homer；　limited　by　the　coast…lines　of　the　Mediterranean

and　Black　seas；　was　a　far　vaster　world　than　ours　of　today；　which　we

weigh；　measure；　and　compute　as　accurately　and　as　easily　as　if　it

were　a　child's　play…ball。　　Steam　has　made　its　parts　accessible　and

drawn　them　closer　together。　　The　telegraph　annihilates　space　and

time。　　Each　morning；　every　part　knows　what　every　other　part　is

thinking；　contemplating；　or　doing。　　A　discovery　in　a　German

laboratory　is　being　demonstrated　in　San　Francisco　within　twenty…four

hours。　　A　book　written　in　South　Africa　is　published　by　simultaneous

copyright　in　every　English…speaking　country；　and　on　the　day

following　is　in　the　hands　of　the　translators。　　The　death　of　an

obscure　missionary　in　China；　or　of　a　whiskey…smuggler　in　the　South

Seas；　is　served；　the　world　over；　with　the　morning　toast。　　The　wheat

output　of　Argentine　or　the　gold　of　Klondike　are　known　wherever　men

meet　and　trade。　　Shrinkage；　or　centralization；　has　become　such　that

the　humblest　clerk　in　any　metropolis　may　place　his　hand　on　the　pulse

of　the　world。　　The　planet　has　indeed　grown　very　small；　and　because

of　this；　no　vital　movement　can　remain　in　the　clime　or　country　where

it　takes　its　rise。



And　so　today　the　economic　and　industrial　impulse　is　world…wide。　　It

is　a　matter　of　import　to　every　people。　　None　may　be　careless　of　it。

To　do　so　is　to　perish。　　It　is　become　a　battle；　the　fruits　of　which

are　to　the　strong；　and　to　none　but　the　strongest　of　the　strong。　　As

the　movement　approaches　its　maximum；　centralization　accelerates　and

competition　grows　keener　and　closer。　　The　competitor　nations　cannot

all　succeed。　　So　long　as　the　movement　continues　its　present

direction；　not　only　will　there　not　be　room　for　all；　but　the　room

that　is　will　become　less　and　less；　and　when　the　moment　of　the

maximum　is　at　hand；　there　will　be　no　room　at　all。　　Capitalistic

production　will　have　overreached　itself；　and　a　change　of　direction

will　then　be　inevitable。



Divers　queries　arise：　　What　is　the　maximum　of　commercial　development

the　world　can　sustain？　　How　far　can　it　be　exploited？　　How　much

capital　is　necessary？　　Can　sufficient　capital　be　accumulated？　　A

brief　resume　of　the　industrial　histor