第 4 节
作者:爱之冰点      更新:2021-02-19 17:04      字数:9322
  was   expelled   from   his   union。   Also   his   union   demanded   his   employers;
  Shafer & Barry; to discharge him from their service。 This they complied
  with; rather than face the threatened strike。
  Mr。   Robert   L。   Walker;   first   lieutenant   of   the   Light   Guards;   a   New
  Haven militia company; recently resigned。 His reason was; that he was a
  member of the Car Builders' Union; and that the two organizations were
  antagonistic to each other。 During a New Orleans street…car strike not long
  ago;   a   whole   company   of   militia;   called   out   to   protect   non…union   men;
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  resigned   in   a   body。   Mr。   John   Mulholland;   president   of   the   International
  Association of Allied Metal Mechanics; has stated that he does not want
  the members to join the militia。 The Local Trades' Assembly of Syracuse;
  New York;   has   passed   a   resolution;   by   unanimous   vote;   requiring   union
  men   who   are   members   of   the   National   Guard   to   resign;   under   pain   of
  expulsion;      from    the  unions。    The    Amalgamated        Sheet    Metal    Workers'
  Association has incorporated in its constitution an amendment excluding
  from membership in its organization 〃any person a member of the regular
  army; or of the State militia or naval reserve。〃 The Illinois State Federation
  of   Labor;    at  a  recent   convention;      passed    without    a  dissenting    vote   a
  resolution      declaring    that   membership        in  military    organizations      is  a
  violation     of  labor   union    obligations;    and   requesting     all  union   men    to
  withdraw   from   the   militia。   The   president   of   the   Federation;   Mr。   Albert
  Young; declared that the militia was a menace not only to unions; but to all
  workers throughout the country。
  These     instances     may    be   multiplied     a   thousand     fold。   The    union
  workmen are becoming conscious of their class; and of the struggle their
  class is waging with the capitalist class。 To be a member of the militia is to
  be   a   traitor   to   the  union;   for   the   militia   is  a   weapon   wielded   by   the
  employers       to  crush    the  workers     in  the   struggle   between     the   warring
  groups。
  Another      interesting;    and   even    more    pregnant;    phase    of   the   class
  struggle is the political aspect of it as displayed by the socialists。 Five men;
  standing together; may perform prodigies; 500 men; marching as marched
  the historic Five Hundred of Marseilles; may sack a palace and destroy a
  king; while 500;000 men; passionately preaching the propaganda of a class
  struggle; waging a class struggle along political lines; and backed by the
  moral and intellectual support of 10;000;000 more men of like convictions
  throughout the world; may come pretty close to realizing a class struggle
  in these United States of ours。
  In 1900 these men cast 150;000 votes; two years later; in 1902; they
  cast 300;000 votes; and in 1904 they cast 450;000。 They have behind them
  a most imposing philosophic and scientific literature; they own illustrated
  magazines and reviews; high in quality; dignity; and restraint; they possess
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  countless   daily   and   weekly   papers   which   circulate   throughout   the   land;
  and single papers which have subscribers by the hundreds of thousands;
  and   they  literally  swamp   the   working   classes  in   a   vast   sea   of   tracts   and
  pamphlets。 No political party in the United States; no church organization
  nor mission effort; has as indefatigable workers as has the socialist party。
  They   multiply   themselves;   know   of   no   effort   nor   sacrifice   too   great   to
  make   for   the   Cause;   and   〃Cause;〃   with   them;   is   spelled   out   in   capitals。
  They     work     for  it  with    a  religious    zeal;   and   would     die   for  it  with   a
  willingness similar to that of the Christian martyrs。
  These      men     are   preaching      an   uncompromising           and    deadly     class
  struggle。   In   fact;   they   are   organized   upon   the   basis   of   a   class   struggle。
  〃The history of society;〃 they say; 〃is a history of class struggles。 Patrician
  struggled with plebeian in early Rome; the king and the burghers; with the
  nobles   in   the   Middle   Ages;   later   on;   the   king   and   the   nobles   with   the
  bourgeoisie;       and    today     the   struggle     is  on    between      the   triumphant
  bourgeoisie and the rising proletariat。 By 'proletariat' is meant the class of
  people without capital which sells its labor for a living。
  〃That the proletariat shall conquer;〃 (mark the note of fatalism); 〃is as
  certain as the rising sun。 Just as the bourgeoisie of the eighteenth century
  wanted democracy  applied   to   politics;   so   the proletariat   of the   twentieth
  century      wants     democracy        applied     to   industry。     As    the    bourgeoisie
  complained against the government being run by and for the nobles; so the
  proletariat   complains   against   the   government   and   industry   being   run   by
  and     for   the   bourgeoisie;      and    so;   following      in   the   footsteps     of   its
  predecessor;   the   proletariat   will   possess   itself   of   the   government;   apply
  democracy to industry; abolish wages; which are merely legalized robbery;
  and run the business of the country in its own interest。〃
  〃Their aim;〃 they say; 〃is to organize the working class; and those in
  sympathy with it; into a political party; with the object of conquering the
  powers of government and of using them for the purpose of transforming
  the present system  of private ownership of the means of production   and
  distribution into collective ownership by the entire people。〃
  Briefly   stated;   this   is   the   battle   plan   of   these   450;000   men   who   call
  themselves       〃socialists。〃    And;     in  the  face    of  the   existence     of  such    an
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  aggressive group of men; a class struggle cannot very well be denied by
  the   optimistic   Americans   who   say:   〃A   class   struggle   is   monstrous。   Sir;
  there is   no class   struggle。〃 The  class struggle  is here;  and the optimistic
  American had better gird himself for the fray and put a stop to it; rather
  than sit idly declaiming that what ought not to be is not; and never will be。
  But   the   socialists;   fanatics   and   dreamers   though   they   may   well   be;
  betray a foresight and insight; and a genius for organization; which put to
  shame the class with which they are openly at war。 Failing of rapid success
  in    waging     a   sheer    political    propaganda;       and   finding     that   they   were
  alienating   the   most   intelligent   and   most   easily   organized   portion   of   the
  voters;     the   socialists    lessoned      from    the   experience      and    turned     their
  energies   upon   the   trade…union   movement。   To   win   the   trade   unions   was
  well…nigh to win the war; and recent events show that they have done far
  more winning in this direction than have the capitalists。
  Instead   of   antagonizing   the   unions;   which   had   been   their   previous
  policy; the socialists proceeded to conciliate the unions。 〃Let every good
  socialist   join   the   union   of   his   trade;〃   the   edict   went   forth。   〃Bore   from
  within     and    capture    the   trade…union      movement。〃        And    this  policy;    only
  several years old; has reaped fruits far beyond their fondest expectations。
  Today   the   great   labor   unions   are   honeycombed   with   socialists;   〃boring
  from within;〃 as they picturesquely term their undermining labor。 At work
  and   at   play;   at   business   meeting   and   council; their   insidious   propaganda
  goes on。 At the shoulder of the trade…unionist is the socialist; sympathizing
  with     him;    aiding     him    with     head    and    hand;     suggestingperpetually
  suggestingthe         necessity     for   political    action。   As    the   JOURNAL;          of
  Lansing;   Michigan;   a   republican   paper;   has   remarked:   〃The   socialists   in
  the labor unions are tireless workers。 They are sincere; energetic; and self…
  sacrificing。   。   。   。   They   stick   to   the   union   and   work   all   the   while;   thus
  making   a   showing   which;   reckoned   by   ordinary   standard