war of the classes-第11部分

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！





This　struggle　not　to　be　a　scab；　to　avoid　giving　more　for　less　and　to

succeed　in　giving　less　for　more；　is　more　vital　than　it　would　appear

on　the　surface。　　The　capitalist　and　labor　groups　are　locked　together

in　desperate　battle；　and　neither　side　is　swayed　by　moral

considerations　more　than　skin…deep。　　The　labor　group　hires　business

agents；　lawyers；　and　organizers；　and　is　beginning　to　intimidate

legislators　by　the　strength　of　its　solid　vote；　and　more　directly；　in

the　near　future；　it　will　attempt　to　control　legislation　by　capturing

it　bodily　through　the　ballot…box。　　On　the　other　hand；　the　capitalist

group；　numerically　weaker；　hires　newspapers；　universities；　and

legislatures；　and　strives　to　bend　to　its　need　all　the　forces　which

go　to　mould　public　opinion。



The　only　honest　morality　displayed　by　either　side　is　white…hot

indignation　at　the　iniquities　of　the　other　side。　　The　striking

teamster　complacently　takes　a　scab　driver　into　an　alley；　and　with　an

iron　bar　breaks　his　arms；　so　that　he　can　drive　no　more；　but　cries

out　to　high　Heaven　for　justice　when　the　capitalist　breaks　his　skull

by　means　of　a　club　in　the　hands　of　a　policeman。　　Nay；　the　members　of

a　union　will　declaim　in　impassioned　rhetoric　for　the　God…given　right

of　an　eight…hour　day；　and　at　the　time　be　working　their　own　business

agent　seventeen　hours　out　of　the　twenty…four。



A　capitalist　such　as　Collis　P。　Huntington；　and　his　name　is　Legion；

after　a　long　life　spent　in　buying　the　aid　of　countless　legislatures；

will　wax　virtuously　wrathful；　and　condemn　in　unmeasured　terms　〃the

dangerous　tendency　of　crying　out　to　the　Government　for　aid〃　in　the

way　of　labor　legislation。　　Without　a　quiver；　a　member　of　the

capitalist　group　will　run　tens　of　thousands　of　pitiful　child…

laborers　through　his　life…destroying　cotton　factories；　and　weep

maudlin　and　constitutional　tears　over　one　scab　hit　in　the　back　with

a　brick。　　He　will　drive　a　〃compulsory〃　free　contract　with　an

unorganized　laborer　on　the　basis　of　a　starvation　wage；　saying；　〃Take

it　or　leave　it；〃　knowing　that　to　leave　it　means　to　die　of　hunger；

and　in　the　next　breath；　when　the　organizer　entices　that　laborer　into

a　union；　will　storm　patriotically　about　the　inalienable　right　of　all

men　to　work。　　In　short；　the　chief　moral　concern　of　either　side　is

with　the　morals　of　the　other　side。　　They　are　not　in　the　business　for

their　moral　welfare；　but　to　achieve　the　enviable　position　of　the

non…scab　who　gets　more　than　he　gives。



But　there　is　more　to　the　question　than　has　yet　been　discussed。　　The

labor　scab　is　no　more　detestable　to　his　brother　laborers　than　is　the

capitalist　scab　to　his　brother　capitalists。　　A　capitalist　may　get

most　for　least　in　dealing　with　his　laborers；　and　in　so　far　be　a　non…

scab；　but　at　the　same　time；　in　his　dealings　with　his　fellow…

capitalists；　he　may　give　most　for　least　and　be　the　very　worst　kind

of　scab。　　The　most　heinous　crime　an　employer　of　labor　can　commit　is

to　scab　on　his　fellow…employers　of　labor。　　Just　as　the　individual

laborers　have　organized　into　groups　to　protect　themselves　from　the

peril　of　the　scab　laborer；　so　have　the　employers　organized　into

groups　to　protect　themselves　from　the　peril　of　the　scab　employer。

The　employers'　federations；　associations；　and　trusts　are　nothing

more　nor　less　than　unions。　　They　are　organized　to　destroy　scabbing

amongst　themselves　and　to　encourage　scabbing　amongst　others。　　For

this　reason　they　pool　interests；　determine　prices；　and　present　an

unbroken　and　aggressive　front　to　the　labor　group。



As　has　been　said　before；　nobody　likes　to　play　the　compulsorily

generous　role　of　scab。　　It　is　a　bad　business　proposition　on　the　face

of　it。　　And　it　is　patent　that　there　would　be　no　capitalist　scabs　if

there　were　not　more　capital　than　there　is　work　for　capital　to　do。

When　there　are　enough　factories　in　existence　to　supply；　with

occasional　stoppages；　a　certain　commodity；　the　building　of　new

factories　by　a　rival　concern；　for　the　production　of　that　commodity；

is　plain　advertisement　that　that　capital　is　out　of　a　job。　　The　first

act　of　this　new　aggregation　of　capital　will　be　to　cut　prices；　to

give　more　for　less；in　short　to　scab；　to　strike　at　the　very

existence　of　the　less　generous　aggregation　of　capital　the　work　of

which　it　is　trying　to　do。



No　scab　capitalist　strives　to　give　more　for　less　for　any　other

reason　than　that　he　hopes；　by　undercutting　a　competitor　and　driving

that　competitor　out　of　the　market；　to　get　that　market　and　its

profits　for　himself。　　His　ambition　is　to　achieve　the　day　when　he

shall　stand　alone　in　the　field　both　as　buyer　and　seller；when　he

will　be　the　royal　non…scab；　buying　most　for　least；　selling　least　for

most；　and　reducing　all　about　him；　the　small　buyers　and　sellers；　（the

consumers　and　the　laborers）；　to　a　general　condition　of　scabdom。

This；　for　example；　has　been　the　history　of　Mr。　Rockefeller　and　the

Standard　Oil　Company。　　Through　all　the　sordid　villanies　of　scabdom

he　has　passed；　until　today　he　is　a　most　regal　non…scab。　　However；　to

continue　in　this　enviable　position；　he　must　be　prepared　at　a

moment's　notice　to　go　scabbing　again。　　And　he　is　prepared。　　Whenever

a　competitor　arises；　Mr。　Rockefeller　changes　about　from　giving　least

for　most　and　gives　most　for　least　with　such　a　vengeance　as　to　drive

the　competitor　out　of　existence。



The　banded　capitalists　discriminate　against　a　scab　capitalist　by

refusing　him　trade　advantages；　and　by　combining　against　him　in　most

relentless　fashion。　　The　banded　laborers；　discriminating　against　a

scab　laborer　in　more　primitive　fashion；　with　a　club；　are　no　more

merciless　than　the　banded　capitalists。



Mr。　Casson　tells　of　a　New　York　capitalist　who　withdrew　from　the

Sugar　Union　several　years　ago　and　became　a　scab。　　He　was　worth

something　like　twenty　millions　of　dollars。　　But　the　Sugar　Union；

standing　shoulder　to　shoulder　with　the　Railroad　Union　and　several

other　unions；　beat　him　to　his　knees　till　he　cried；　〃Enough。〃　　So

frightfully　did　they　beat　him　that　he　was　obliged　to　turn　over　to

his　creditors　his　home；　his　chickens；　and　his　gold　watch。　　In　point

of　fact；　he　was　as　thoroughly　bludgeoned　by　the　Federation　of

Capitalist　Unions　as　ever　scab　workman　was　bludgeoned　by　a　labor

union。　　The　intent　in　either　case　is　the　same；to　destroy　the

scab's　producing　power。　　The　labor　scab　with　concussion　of　the　brain

is　put　out　of　business；　and　so　is　the　capitalist　scab　who　has　lost

all　his　dollars　down　to　his　chickens　and　his　watch。



But　the　role　of　scab　passes　beyond　the　individual。　　Just　as

individuals　scab　on　other　individuals；　so　do　groups　scab　on　other

groups。　　And　the　principle　involved　is　precisely　the　same　as　in　the

case　of　the　simple　labor　scab。　　A　group；　in　the　nature　of　its

organization；　is　often　compelled　to　give　most　for　least；　and；　so

doing；　to　strike　at　the　life　of　another　group。　　At　the　present

moment　all　Europe　is　appalled　by　that　colossal　scab；　the　United

States。　　And　Europe　is　clamorous　with　agitation　for　a　Federation　of

National　Unions　to　protect　her　from　the　United　States。　　It　may　be

remarked；　in　passing；　that　in　its　prime　essentials　this　agitation　in

no　wise　differs　from　the　trade…union　agitation　among　workmen　in　any

industry。　　The　trouble　is　caused　by　the　scab　who　is　giving　most　for

least。　　The　result　of　the　American　scab's　nefarious　actions　will　be

to　strike　at　the　food　and　shelter　of　Europe。　　The　way　for　Europe　to

protect　herself　is　to　quit　bickering　among　her　parts　and　to　form　a

union　against　the　scab。　　And　if　the　union　is　formed；　armies　and

navies　may　be　expected　to　be　brought　into　play　in　fashion　similar　to

the　bricks　and　clubs　in　ordinary　labor　struggles。



In　this　connection；　and　as　one　of　many　walking　delegates　for　the

nations；　M。　Leroy…Beaulieu；　the　noted　French　economist；　may　well　be

quoted。　　In　a　letter　to　the　Vienna　Tageblatt；　he　advocates　an

economic　alliance　among　the　Continental　nations　for　the　purpose　of

barring　out　American　goods；　an　economic　alliance；　in　his　own

language；　〃WHICH　MAY　POSSIBLY　AND　DESIRABLY　DEVELOP　INTO　A　POLITICAL

ALLIANCE。〃



It　will　be　noted；　in　the　utterances　of　the　Continental　walking

delegates；　that；　one　and　all；　they　leave　England　out　of　the　proposed

union。　　And　in　England　herself　the　feeling　is　growing　that　her　days

are　numbered　if　she　cannot　unite　for　offence　and　defence　with　the

great　American　scab。　　As　Andrew　Carnegie　said　some　time　ago；　〃The

only　course　for　Great　Britain　seems　to　be　reunion　with　her

grandchild　or　sure　decline　to　a　secondary　place；　and　then　to

comparative　insignificance　in　the　future　annals　of　the　English…

speaking　race。〃



Cecil　Rhodes；　speaking　of　what　would　have　obtained　but　for　the　pig…

headedness　of　George　III；　and　of　what　will　obtain　when　England　and

the　United　States　are　united；　said；　〃NO　CANNON　WOULD。　。　。　BE　FIRED

ON　EITHER　HEMISPHERE　BUT　BY　PERMISSION　OF　THE　ENGLISH　RACE。〃　　It

would　seem　that　England；　fronted　by　the　hostile　Continental　Union

and　flanked　by　the