war of the classes-第20节

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Shoers；　the　Gas　and　Electrical　Fixture　Hangers；　the　Metal　Roofers；

the　Blacksmiths；　the　Blacksmiths'　Helpers；　the　Stablemen；　the

Machinists；　the　Brewers；　the　Coast　Seamen；　the　Varnishers　and

Polishers；　the　Confectioners；　the　Upholsterers；　the　Paper　Hangers

and　Fresco　Painters；　the　Drug　Clerks；　the　Fitters　and　Helpers；　the

Metal　Workers；　the　Boiler　Makers　and　Iron　Ship　Builders；　the

Assistant　Undertakers；　the　Carriage　and　Wagon　Workers；　and　so　on

down　the　lengthy　list　of　organizations。



For；　over　all　these　trades；　over　all　these　thousands　of　men；　is　the

Labor　Council。　　When　it　speaks　its　voice　is　heard；　and　when　it

orders　it　is　obeyed。　　But　it；　in　turn；　is　dominated　by　the　National

Labor　Council；　with　which　it　is　constantly　in　touch。　　In　this　wholly

unimportant　little　local　strike　it　is　of　interest　to　note　the　stands

taken　by　the　different　sides。　　The　legal　representative　and　official

mouthpiece　of　the　Employers'　Association　said：　　〃This　organization

is　formed　for　defensive　purposes；　and　it　may　be　driven　to　take

offensive　steps；　and　if　so；　will　be　strong　enough　to　follow　them　up。

Labor　cannot　be　allowed　to　dictate　to　capital　and　say　how　business

shall　be　conducted。　　There　is　no　objection　to　the　formation　of

unions　and　trades　councils；　but　membership　must　not　be　compulsory。

It　is　repugnant　to　the　American　idea　of　liberty　and　cannot　be

tolerated。〃



On　the　other　hand；　the　president　of　the　Team　Drivers'　Union　said：

〃The　employers　of　labor　in　this　city　are　generally　against　the

trade…union　movement　and　there　seems　to　be　a　concerted　effort　on

their　part　to　check　the　progress　of　organized　labor。　　Such　action　as

has　been　taken　by　them　in　sympathy　with　the　present　labor　troubles

may；　if　continued；　lead　to　a　serious　conflict；　the　outcome　of　which

might　be　most　calamitous　for　the　business　and　industrial　interests

of　San　Francisco。〃



And　the　secretary　of　the　United　Brewery　Workmen：　　〃I　regard　a

sympathetic　strike　as　the　last　weapon　which　organized　labor　should

use　in　its　defence。　　When；　however；　associations　of　employers　band

together　to　defeat　organized　labor；　or　one　of　its　branches；　then　we

should　not　and　will　not　hesitate　ourselves　to　employ　the　same

instrument　in　retaliation。〃



Thus；　in　a　little　corner　of　the　world；　is　exemplified　the　growing

solidarity　of　labor。　　The　organization　of　labor　has　not　only　kept

pace　with　the　organization　of　industry；　but　it　has　gained　upon　it。

In　one　winter；　in　the　anthracite　coal　region；　160；000；000　in　mines

and　600；000；000　in　transportation　and　distribution　consolidated　its

ownership　and　control。　　And　at　once；　arrayed　as　solidly　on　the　other

side；　were　the　150；000　anthracite　miners。　　The　bituminous　mines；

however；　were　not　consolidated；　yet　the　250；000　men　employed　therein

were　already　combined。　　And　not　only　that；　but　they　were　also

combined　with　the　anthracite　miners；　these　400；000　men　being　under

the　control　and　direction　of　one　supreme　labor　council。　　And　in　this

and　the　other　great　councils　are　to　be　found　captains　of　labor　of

splendid　abilities；　who；　in　understanding　of　economic　and　industrial

conditions；　are　undeniably　the　equals　of　their　opponents；　the

captains　of　industry。



The　United　States　is　honeycombed　with　labor　organizations。　　And　the

big　federations　which　these　go　to　compose　aggregate　millions　of

members；　and　in　their　various　branches　handle　millions　of　dollars

yearly。　　And　not　only　this；　for　the　international　brotherhoods　and

unions　are　forming；　and　moneys　for　the　aid　of　strikers　pass　back　and

forth　across　the　seas。　　The　Machinists；　in　their　demand　for　a　nine…

hour　day；　affected　500；000　men　in　the　United　States；　Mexico；　and

Canada。　　In　England　the　membership　of　working…class　organizations　is

approximated　by　Keir　Hardie　at　2；500；000；　with　reserve　funds　of

18；000；000。　　There　the　cooperative　movement　has　a　membership　of

1；500；000；　and　every　year　turns　over　in　distribution　more　than

100；000；000。　　In　France；　one…eighth　of　the　whole　working　class　is

unionized。　　In　Belgium　the　unions　are　very　rich　and　powerful；　and　so

able　to　defy　the　masters　that　many　of　the　smaller　manufacturers；

unable　to　resist；　〃are　removing　their　works　to　other　countries　where

the　workmen's　organizations　are　not　so　potential。〃　　And　in　all　other

countries；　according　to　the　stage　of　their　economic　and　political

development；　like　figures　obtain。　　And　Europe；　today；　confesses　that

her　greatest　social　problem　is　the　labor　problem；　and　that　it　is　the

one　most　closely　engrossing　the　attention　of　her　statesmen。



The　organization　of　labor　is　one　of　the　chief　acknowledged　factors

in　the　retrogression　of　British　trade。　　The　workers　have　become

class　conscious　as　never　before。　　The　wrong　of　one　is　the　wrong　of

all。　　They　have　come　to　realize；　in　a　short…sighted　way；　that　their

masters'　interests　are　not　their　interests。　　The　harder　they　work；

they　believe；　the　more　wealth　they　create　for　their　masters。

Further；　the　more　work　they　do　in　one　day；　the　fewer　men　will　be

needed　to　do　the　work。　　So　the　unions　place　a　day's　stint　upon　their

members；　beyond　which　they　are　not　permitted　to　go。　　In　〃A　Study　of

Trade　Unionism；〃　by　Benjamin　Taylor　in　the　〃Nineteenth　Century〃　of

April；　1898；　are　furnished　some　interesting　corroborations。　　The

facts　here　set　forth　were　collected　by　the　Executive　Board　of　the

Employers'　Federation；　the　documentary　proofs　of　which　are　in　the

hands　of　the　secretaries。　　In　a　certain　firm　the　union　workmen　made

eight　ammunition　boxes　a　day。　　Nor　could　they　be　persuaded　into

making　more。　　A　young　Swiss；　who　could　not　speak　English；　was　set　to

work；　and　in　the　first　day　he　made　fifty　boxes。　　In　the　same　firm

the　skilled　union　hands　filed　up　the　outside　handles　of　one　machine…

gun　a　day。　　That　was　their　stint。　　No　one　was　known　ever　to　do　more。

A　non…union　filer　came　into　the　shop　and　did　twelve　a　day。　　A

Manchester　firm　found　that　to　plane　a　large　bed…casting　took　union

workmen　one　hundred　and　ninety　hours；　and　non…union　workmen　one

hundred　and　thirty…five　hours。　　In　another　instance　a　man；　resigning

from　his　union；　day　by　day　did　double　the　amount　of　work　he　had　done

formerly。　　And　to　cap　it　all；　an　English　gentleman；　going　out　to

look　at　a　wall　being　put　up　for　him　by　union　bricklayers；　found　one

of　their　number　with　his　right　arm　strapped　to　his　body；　doing　all

the　work　with　his　left　arm　…forsooth；　because　he　was　such　an

energetic　fellow　that　otherwise　he　would　involuntarily　lay　more

bricks　than　his　union　permitted。



All　England　resounds　to　the　cry；　〃Wake　up；　England！〃　　But　the　sulky

giant　is　not　stirred。　　〃Let　England's　trade　go　to　pot；〃　he　says；

〃what　have　I　to　lose？〃　　And　England　is　powerless。　　　The　capacity　of

her　workmen　is　represented　by　1；　in　comparison　with　the　2。25

capacity　of　the　American　workman。　　And　because　of　the　solidarity　of

labor　and　the　destructiveness　of　strikes；　British　capitalists　dare

not　even　strive　to　emulate　the　enterprise　of　American　capitalists。

So　England　watches　trade　slipping　through　her　fingers　and　wails

unavailingly。　　As　a　correspondent　writes：　　〃The　enormous　power　of

the　trade　unions　hangs；　a　sullen　cloud；　over　the　whole　industrial

world　here；　affecting　men　and　masters　alike。〃



The　political　movement　known　as　Socialism　is；　perhaps；　even　less

realized　by　the　general　public。　　The　great　strides　it　has　taken　and

the　portentous　front　it　today　exhibits　are　not　comprehended；　and；

fastened　though　it　is　in　every　land；　it　is　given　little　space　by　the

capitalistic　press。　　For　all　its　plea　and　passion　and　warmth；　it

wells　upward　like　a　great；　cold　tidal　wave；　irresistible；

inexorable；　ingulfing　present…day　society　level　by　level。　　By　its

own　preachment　it　is　inexorable。　　Just　as　societies　have　sprung　into

existence；　fulfilled　their　function；　and　passed　away；　it　claims；

just　as　surely　is　present　society　hastening　on　to　its　dissolution。

This　is　a　transition　periodand　destined　to　be　a　very　short　one。

Barely　a　century　old；　capitalism　is　ripening　so　rapidly　that　it　can

never　live　to　see　a　second　birthday。　　There　is　no　hope　for　it；　the

Socialists　say。　　It　is　doomed。



The　cardinal　tenet　of　Socialism　is　that　forbidding　doctrine；　the

materialistic　conception　of　history。　　Men　are　not　the　masters　of

their　souls。　　They　are　the　puppets　of　great；　blind　forces。　　The

lives　they　live　and　the　deaths　they　die　are　compulsory。　　All　social

codes　are　but　the　reflexes　of　existing　economic　conditions；　plus

certain　survivals　of　past　economic　conditions。　　The　institutions　men

build　they　are　compelled　to　build。　　Economic　laws　determine　at　any

given　time　what　these　institutions　shall　be；　how　long　they　shall

operate；　and　by　what　they　shall　be　replaced。　　And　so；　through　the

economic　process；　the　Socialist　preaches　the　ripening　of　the

capitalistic　society　and　the　coming　of　the　new　cooperative　society。



The　second　great　tenet　of　Socialism；　itself　a　phase　of　the

materialistic　conception　of　history；　is