第 13 节
作者:爱之冰点      更新:2021-02-19 17:04      字数:9322
  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
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  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
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  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
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  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