第 6 节
作者:爱之冰点      更新:2021-02-19 17:04      字数:9322
  National      Economic      League     will   render    its  services   in   an   impartial
  educational       movement        TO     OPPOSE        SOCIALISM          AND      CLASS
  HATRED。〃 Among its class…conscious members; men who recognize that
  the opening guns of the class struggle have been fired; may be instanced
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  the following names: Hon。 Lyman J。 Gage; Ex…Secretary U。 S。 Treasury;
  Hon。 Thomas   Jefferson   Coolidge;  Ex…Minister   to   France;   Rev。  Henry  C。
  Potter; Bishop New York Diocese; Hon。 John D。 Long; Ex…Secretary U。 S。
  Navy;     Hon。    Levi   P。  Morton;     Ex…Vice     President    United    States;   Henry
  Clews; John F。 Dryden; President Prudential Life Insurance Co。; John A。
  McCall;      President    New     York    Life   Insurance     Co。;   J。  L。   Greatsinger;
  President   Brooklyn   Rapid   Transit   Co。;   the   shipbuilding   firm   of   William
  Cramp & Sons; the Southern Railway system; and the Atchison; Topeka;
  & Santa Fe Railway Company。
  Instances of the troubled editorial voice have not been rare during the
  last   several   years。 There   were   many   cries   from  the   press   during   the   last
  days     of   the   anthracite    coal   strike   that   the   mine    owners;     by   their
  stubbornness; were sowing the regrettable seeds of socialism。 The World's
  Work      for   December;      1902;    said:   〃The    next    significant    fact   is  the
  recommendation by the Illinois State Federation of Labor that all members
  of labor unions who are also members of the state militia shall resign from
  the   militia。 This   proposition   has   been   favorably  regarded   by  some   other
  labor    organizations。      It  has   done    more    than   any    other   single   recent
  declaration or action to cause a public distrust of such unions as favor it。
  IT   HINTS   OF   A   CLASS   SEPARATION   THAT   IN   TURN   HINTS   OF
  ANARCHY。〃
  The   OUTLOOK;   February   14;   1903;   in   reference   to   the   rioting   at
  Waterbury; remarks; 〃That all this disorder should have occurred in a city
  of the character and intelligence of Waterbury indicates that the industrial
  war spirit is by no means confined to the immigrant or ignorant working
  classes。〃
  That President Roosevelt has smelt the smoke from the firing line of
  the   class   struggle    is  evidenced    by   his  words;    〃Above     all  we   need   to
  remember   that   any   kind   of   CLASS ANIMOSITY  IN   THE   POLITICAL
  WORLD   is;   if   possible;   even   more   destructive   to   national   welfare   than
  sectional; race; or religious animosity。〃 The chief thing to be noted here is
  President Roosevelt's tacit recognition of class animosity in the industrial
  world; and his fear; which language cannot portray stronger; that this class
  animosity   may   spread   to   the   political   world。  Yet   this   is   the   very   policy
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  which   the   socialists   have   announced   in   their   declaration   of   war   against
  present…day societyto capture the political machinery of society and by
  that machinery destroy present…day society。
  The New York Independent for February 12; 1903; recognized without
  qualification   the   class   struggle。   〃It   is   impossible   fairly   to   pass   upon   the
  methods   of   labor   unions;   or   to   devise   plans   for   remedying   their   abuses;
  until   it   is   recognized;   to   begin   with;   that   unions   are   based   upon   class
  antagonism and that their policies are dictated by the necessities of social
  warfare。 A strike is a rebellion against the owners of property。 The rights
  of    property    are   protected     by   government。       And    a  strike;   under    certain
  provocation; may extend as far as did the general strike in Belgium a few
  years since; when practically the entire wage…earning population stopped
  work   in   order   to   force   political   concessions   from   the   property…owning
  classes。 This is an extreme case; but it brings out vividly the real nature of
  labor organization as a species of warfare whose object is the coercion of
  one class by another class。〃
  It   has   been   shown;   theoretically   and   actually;   that   there   is   a   class
  struggle   in   the   United   States。   The   quarrel   over   the   division   of   the   joint
  product      is  irreconcilable。      The    working      class   is  no   longer     losing    its
  strongest   and   most   capable   members。   These   men;   denied   room  for   their
  ambition in the capitalist ranks; remain to be the leaders of the workers; to
  spur   them   to   discontent;   to   make   them   conscious   of   their   class;   to   lead
  them to revolt。
  This revolt; appearing spontaneously all over the industrial field in the
  form   of   demands   for   an   increased   share   of   the   joint   product;   is   being
  carefully   and   shrewdly   shaped   for   a   political   assault   upon   society。   The
  leaders; with the carelessness of fatalists; do not hesitate for an instant to
  publish their intentions to the world。 They intend to direct the labor revolt
  to   the   capture   of   the   political   machinery   of   society。   With   the   political
  machinery once in their hands; which will also give them the control of the
  police;   the   army;   the   navy;   and   the   courts;   they   will   confiscate;   with   or
  without remuneration; all the possessions of the capitalist class which are
  used in the production and distribution of the necessaries and luxuries of
  life。 By this; they mean to apply the law of eminent domain to the land;
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  and to extend the law of eminent   domain till   it embraces the mines; the
  factories;   the   railroads;   and   the   ocean   carriers。   In   short;   they   intend   to
  destroy  present…day  society;   which   they  contend   is   run   in   the   interest   of
  another   class;   and   from   the   materials   to   construct   a   new   society;   which
  will be run in their interest。
  On the other hand; the capitalist class is beginning to grow conscious
  of itself and of the struggle which is being waged。 It is already forming
  offensive and defensive leagues; while some of the most prominent figures
  in the nation are preparing to lead it in the attack upon socialism。
  The   question   to   be   solved   is   not   one   of   Malthusianism;   〃projected
  efficiency;〃 nor ethics。 It is a question of might。 Whichever class is to win;
  will win by virtue of superior strength; for the workers are beginning to
  say; as they said to Mr。 Cunniff; 〃Malthus be damned。〃 In their own minds
  they find no sanction for continuing the individual struggle for the survival
  of the   fittest。 As   Mr。   Gompers has   said; they  want   more;   and   more;   and
  more。   The   ethical   import   of   Mr。   Kidd's   plan   of   the   present   generation
  putting up with less in order that race efficiency may be projected into a
  remote   future;   has   no   bearing   upon   their   actions。   They   refuse   to   be   the
  〃glad perishers〃 so glowingly described by Nietzsche。
  It remains to be seen how promptly the capitalist class will respond to
  the call to arms。 Upon its promptness rests its existence; for if it sits idly
  by; soothfully proclaiming that what ought not to be cannot be; it will find
  the   roof    beams    crashing     about    its  head。   The    capitalist   class   is  in  the
  numerical minority; and bids fair to be outvoted if it does not put a stop to
  the vast propaganda being waged by its enemy。 It is no longer a question
  of whether or not there is a class struggle。 The question now is; what will
  be the outcome of the class struggle?
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  THE TRAMP
  Mr。    Francis     O'Neil;    General    Superintendent       of   Police;    Chicago;
  speaking of the tramp; says: 〃Despite the most stringent police regulations;
  a   great   city   will   have   a   certain   number   of   homeless   vagrants   to   shelter
  through the winter。〃 〃Despite;〃mark the word; a confession of organized
  helplessness   as   against   unorganized   necessity。   If   police   regulations   are
  stringent and yet fail; then that which makes them fail; namely; the tramp;
  must   have   still   more   stringent   reasons   for   succeeding。   This   being   so