第 21 节
作者:爱之冰点      更新:2021-02-19 17:04      字数:9301
  feudalism   of   ours   will   be;   Mr。   Ghent   says:   〃Peace   and   stability   it   will
  maintain at all hazards; and the mass; remembering the chaos; the turmoil;
  the insecurity of the past; will bless its reign。 。 。 。 Efficiencythe faculty of
  getting   thingsis   at   last   rewarded   as   it   should   be;   for   the   efficient   have
  inherited the earth and its fulness。 The lowly; whose happiness is greater
  and   whose   welfare   is   more   thoroughly   conserved   when   governed   than
  when   governing;        as   a  twentieth…century   philosopher          said   of  them;    are
  settled and happy in the state which reason and experience teach is their
  God…appointed lot。 They are comfortable too; and if the patriarchal ideal
  of   a   vine   and   fig   tree   for   each   is   not   yet   attained;   at   least   each   has   his
  rented patch in the country or his rented cell in a city building。 Bread and
  the  circus   are   freely   given   to   the   deserving;   and   as   for   the   undeserving;
  they are merely reaping the rewards of their contumacy and pride。 Order
  reigns; each has his justly appointed share; and the state rests; in security;
  'lapt in universal law。'〃
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  Mr。  Brooks;  on the   other   hand;  sees   rising   and dissolving   and   rising
  again in the social flux the ominous forms of a new society which is the
  direct    antithesis    of   a  benevolent      feudalism。     He    trembles     at  the   rash
  intrepidity     of   the  capitalists    who    fight   the  labor    unions;    for  by   such
  rashness he greatly fears that labor will be driven to express its aims and
  strength in political terms; which terms will inevitably be socialistic terms。
  To    keep    down     the   rising    tide  of   socialism;     he   preaches     greater
  meekness and benevolence to the capitalists。 No longer may they claim the
  right   to   run   their   own   business;   to   beat   down   the   laborer's   standard   of
  living for the sake of increased profits; to dictate terms of employment to
  individual   workers;   to   wax   righteously   indignant   when   organized   labor
  takes   a   hand   in   their   business。   No   longer   may   the   capitalist   say   〃my〃
  business;   or   even   think   〃my〃   business;   he   must   say   〃our〃   business;   and
  think   〃our〃   business   as   well;   accepting   labor   as   a   partner   whose   voice
  must   be    heard。   And     if   the  capitalists   do  not   become      more   meek     and
  benevolent in their dealings with labor; labor will be antagonized and will
  proceed to wreak terrible political vengeance; and the present social flux
  will harden into a status of socialism。
  Mr。   Brooks   dreams   of   a   society   at   which   Mr。   Ghent   sneers   as   〃a
  slightly modified individualism; wherein each unit secures the just reward
  of    his  capacity    and    service。〃    To   attain   this  happy     state;  Mr。    Brooks
  imposes circumspection upon the capitalists in their relations with labor。
  〃If the socialistic spirit is to be held in abeyance in this country; businesses
  of    this   character      (anthracite     coal    mining)     must     be   handled      with
  extraordinary caution。〃 Which is to say; that to withstand the advance of
  socialism;  a   great   and greater   measure of   Mr。   Ghent's   BENEVOLENCE
  will be required。
  Again and again; Mr。 Brooks reiterates the danger he sees in harshly
  treating labor。 〃It is not probable that employers can destroy unionism in
  the United States。 Adroit and desperate attempts will; however; be made; if
  we   mean   by  unionism  the   undisciplined   and aggressive   fact   of   vigorous
  and   determined   organizations。   If   capital   should   prove   too   strong   in   this
  struggle; the result is easy to predict。 The employers have only to convince
  organized labor that it cannot hold its own against the capitalist manager;
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  and the whole energy that now goes to the union will turn to an aggressive
  political   socialism。   It   will   not   be   the   harmless   sympathy   with   increased
  city and state functions which trade unions already feel; it will become a
  turbulent political force bent upon using every weapon of taxation against
  the rich。〃
  〃The most concrete impulse that now favors socialism in this country
  is   the   insane    purpose     to  deprive    labor    organizations      of  the   full  and
  complete rights that go with federated unionism。〃
  〃That which teaches a union that it cannot succeed as a union turns it
  toward socialism。  In long   strikes in towns like   Marlboro and   Brookfield
  strong unions are defeated。 Hundreds of men leave these towns for shoe…
  centres like Brockton; where they are now voting the socialist ticket。 The
  socialist mayor of this city tells me; 'The men who come to us now from
  towns where they have been thoroughly whipped in a strike are among our
  most active working socialists。' The bitterness engendered by this sense of
  defeat   is   turned   to   politics;   as   it   will   throughout   the   whole   country;   if
  organization of labor is deprived of its rights。〃
  〃This   enmity   of   capital   to   the   trade   union   is   watched   with   glee   by
  every   intelligent     socialist   in   our  midst。    Every   union   that     is  beaten   or
  discouraged in its struggle is ripening fruit for socialism。〃
  〃The real peril which we now face is the threat of a class conflict。 If
  capitalism insists upon the policy of outraging the saving aspiration of the
  American   workman   to   raise   his   standard   of   comfort   and   leisure;   every
  element of class conflict will strengthen among us。〃
  〃We have only to humiliate what is best in the trade union; and then
  every worst feature of socialism is fastened upon us。〃
  This strong tendency in the ranks of the workers toward socialism is
  what Mr。 Brooks characterizes the 〃social unrest〃; and he hopes to see the
  Republican;       the   Cleveland      Democrat;      and   the   conservative      and   large
  property      interests   〃band    together    against    this  common       foe;〃   which     is
  socialism。      And     he   is  not   above     feeling    grave    and    well…    contained
  satisfaction   wherever   the   socialist   doctrinaire   has   been   contradicted   by
  men   attempting   to   practise   cooperation   in   the   midst   of   the   competitive
  system; as in Belgium。
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  Nevertheless;        he   catches     fleeting    glimpses      of   an   extreme      and
  tyrannically benevolent feudalism very like to Mr。 Ghent's; as witness the
  following:
  〃I asked one of the largest employers of labor in the South if he feared
  the coming of the trade union。 'No;' he said; 'it is one good result of race
  prejudice; that the negro will enable us in the long run to weaken the trade
  union so that it cannot harm us。 We can keep wages down with the negro
  and we can prevent too much organization。'
  〃It   is   in   this   spirit   that   the   lower   standards   are   to   be   used。   If   this
  purpose should succeed; it has but one issue;the immense strengthening
  of   a   plutocratic   administration   at   the   top;   served   by   an   army   of   high…
  salaried helpers; with an elite of skilled and well… paid workmen; but all
  resting on what would essentially be a serf class of low…paid labor and this
  mass kept in order by an increased use of military force。〃
  In brief summary of these two notable books; it may be said that Mr。
  Ghent is alarmed; (though he does not flatly say so); at the too great social
  restfulness in   the  community;  which   is permitting   the  capitalists to   form
  the new  society  to   their liking;   and   that   Mr。  Brooks   is   alarmed;  (and   he
  flatly    says    so);   at  the    social   unrest    which     threatens     the   modified
  individualism into which he would like to see society evolve。 Mr。 Ghent
  beholds   the   capitalist   class   rising   to   dominate   the  state   and   the   working
  class; Mr。 Brooks beholds the working class rising to dominate the state
  and the capitalist class。 One fears the paternalism of a class; the other; the
  tyranny of the mass。
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  WANTED: A NEW LAW OF