第 15 节
作者:爱之冰点      更新:2021-02-19 17:04      字数:9315
  third   time。  。   。  。 There   is   no   strike;  there   is no   real labor trouble;  but   the
  masters      and   men    are   alike   suffering    from   sheer    lack    of  employment。
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  Markets which were once theirs are now American。〃 It would seem that
  the unfortunate British laborer is 'twixt the devil and the deep sea。 If he
  gives     most    for  least;   he   faces   a  frightful    slavery    such    as  marked      the
  beginning   of   the   factory   system。   If   he   gives   least   for   most;   he   drives
  industry away to other countries and has no work at all。
  But the union laborers of the United States have nothing of which to
  boast; while; according to their trade…union ethics; they have a great deal
  of   which   to   be   ashamed。   They   passionately   preach   short   hours   and   big
  wages;   the   shorter   the   hours   and   the   bigger   the   wages   the   better。   Their
  hatred for a scab is as terrible as the hatred of a patriot for a traitor; of a
  Christian for a Judas。 And in the face of all this; they are as colossal scabs
  as the United States is a colossal scab。 For all of their boasted unions and
  high   labor   ideals;   they   are   about   the   most   thoroughgoing   scabs   on   the
  planet。
  Receiving   4。50   per   day;   because   of   his   proficiency   and            immense
  working power; the American laborer has been known to scab upon scabs
  (so called) who took his place and received only 0。90 per day for a longer
  day。 In this particular instance; five Chinese coolies; working longer hours;
  gave   less   value   for   the   price   received   from   their   employer   than   did   one
  American laborer。
  It is upon his brother laborers overseas that the American laborer most
  outrageously scabs。 As Mr。 Casson has shown; an English nail… maker gets
  3   per   week;   while   an   American   nail…maker   gets   30。   But   the   English
  worker turns out 200 pounds of nails per week; while the American turns
  out 5500 pounds。 If he were as 〃fair〃 as his English brother; other things
  being   equal;   he   would   be   receiving;   at   the   English   worker's   rate   of   pay;
  82。50。 As   it   is;   he   is   scabbing   upon   his   English   brother   to   the   tune   of
  79。50      per   week。    Dr。   Schultze…     Gaevernitz      has   shown      that  a  German
  weaver produces   466   yards   of   cotton   a   week at   a   cost   of   。303 per   yard;
  while an American weaver produces 1200 yards at a cost of 。02 per yard。
  But;    it  may    be   objected;     a  great    part  of   this   is  due   to  the   more
  improved American machinery。 Very true; but none the less a great part is
  still   due   to   the   superior   energy;   skill;   and   willingness   of   the   American
  laborer。   The   English   laborer   is   faithful   to   the   policy   of   〃ca'   canny。〃   He
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  refuses point…blank to get the work out of a machine that the New World
  scab gets out of a machine。 Mr。 Maxim; observing a wasteful hand…labor
  process     in  his   English    factory;   invented     a  machine     which    he   proved
  capable of displacing several men。 But workman after workman was put at
  the machine; and without exception they turned out neither more nor less
  than   a   workman   turned   out   by   hand。   They   obeyed   the   mandate   of   the
  union and went easy; while Mr。 Maxim gave up in despair。 Nor will the
  British workman run machines at as high speed as the American; nor will
  he    run   so   many。    An    American      workman       will   〃give   equal    attention
  simultaneously to three; four; or six machines or tools; while the British
  workman is compelled by his trade union to limit his attention to one; so
  that employment may be given to half a dozen men。〃
  But    for   scabbing;     no   blame     attaches    itself  anywhere。      With    rare
  exceptions;   all   the   people   in   the   world   are   scabs。   The   strong;   capable
  workman gets a job and holds it because of his strength and capacity。 And
  he holds it because out of his strength and capacity he gives a better value
  for his wage than does the weaker and less capable workman。 Therefore he
  is   scabbing   upon   his   weaker   and   less   capable   brother   workman。   He   is
  giving more value for the price paid by the employer。
  The superior workman scabs upon the inferior workman because he is
  so    constituted    and    cannot    help   it。  The   one;   by   fortune   of   birth  and
  upbringing;      is  strong   and    capable;    the  other;   by   fortune   of   birth  and
  upbringing; is not so strong nor capable。 It is for the same reason that one
  country scabs upon another。 That country which has the good fortune to
  possess     great    natural    resources;    a   finer   sun   and    soil;  unhampering
  institutions;   and   a   deft   and   intelligent   labor   class   and   capitalist   class   is
  bound   to   scab   upon   a   country   less   fortunately   situated。   It   is   the   good
  fortune of the United States that is making her the colossal scab; just as it
  is the good fortune of one man to be born with a straight back while his
  brother is born with a hump。
  It is not good to give most for least; not good to be a scab。 The word
  has gained universal opprobrium。 On the other hand; to be a non…scab; to
  give     least   for  most;    is   universally     branded     as   stingy;   selfish;   and
  unchristian…like。 So all the world; like the British workman; is 'twixt the
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  devil     and   the   deep    sea。   It  is  treason     to  one's    fellows     to  scab;    it  is
  unchristian…like not to scab。
  Since to give least for most; and to give most for least; are universally
  bad; what remains? Equity remains; which is to give like for like; the same
  for the same; neither more nor less。 But this equity; society; as at present
  constituted; cannot give。 It is not in the nature of present…day society for
  men   to   give   like   for   like;   the   same   for   the   same。  And   so   long   as   men
  continue to live in this competitive society; struggling tooth and nail with
  one another for food and shelter; (which is to struggle tooth and nail with
  one another for life); that long will the scab continue to exist。 His will 〃to
  live〃 will force him to exist。 He may be flouted and jeered by his brothers;
  he   may   be   beaten   with   bricks   and   clubs   by   the   men   who   by   superior
  strength   and   capacity   scab   upon   him   as   he   scabs   upon   them   by   longer
  hours   and   smaller   wages;   but   through   it   all   he   will   persist;   giving   a   bit
  more of most for least than they are giving。
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  THE QUESTION OF THE
  MAXIMUM
  For any social movement or   development there must be a   maximum
  limit   beyond   which   it   cannot   proceed。   That   civilization   which   does   not
  advance   must   decline;   and   so;   when   the   maximum   of   development   has
  been   reached   in   any   given   direction;   society   must   either   retrograde   or
  change the direction of its advance。 There are many families of men that
  have failed; in the critical period of their economic evolution; to effect a
  change     in  direction;   and   were    forced   to  fall  back。   Vanquished     at  the
  moment   of   their   maximum;   they   have   dropped   out   of   the   whirl   of   the
  world。 There was no room for them。 Stronger competitors have taken their
  places; and they have either rotted into oblivion or remain to be crushed
  under the iron heel of the dominant races in as remorseless a struggle as
  the    world    has   yet  witnessed。     But   in  this   struggle   fair   women     and
  chivalrous men will play no part。 Types and ideals have changed。 Helens
  and Launcelots are anachronisms。 Blows will be given and taken; and men
  fight and die; but not for faiths and altars。 Shrines will be desecrated; but
  they will be the shrines; not of temples; but market…places。 Prophets will
  arise; but they will be the prophets of prices and products。 Battles will be
  waged;   not   for   honor   and   glory;   nor   for   thrones   and   sceptres;   but   for
  dollars and cents and for marts and exchanges。 Brain and not brawn