第2章

类别:其他 作者:Jack London字数:22122更新时间:18/12/14 15:42:39
StillmorestrikinglywasthesamepropositionrecentlydemonstratedinSanFrancisco。Asympatheticstrikecalledoutawholefederationoftrades\'unions。Thousandsofmen,inmanybranchesoftrade,quitwork,——draymen,sandteamsters,portersandpackers,longshoremen,stevedores,warehousemen,stationaryengineers,sailors,marinefiremen,stewards,sea-cooks,andsoforth,——aninterminablelist。Itwasastrikeoflargeproportions。EveryPacificcoastshippingcitywasinvolved,andtheentirecoastingservice,fromSanDiegotoPugetSound,wasvirtuallytiedup。Thetimewasconsideredauspicious。ThePhilippinesandAlaskahaddrainedthePacificcoastofsurpluslabor。Itwassummer-time,whentheagriculturaldemandforlaborerswasatitsheight,andwhenthecitieswerebareoftheirfloatingpopulations。Andyetthereremainedabodyofsurpluslaborsufficienttotaketheplacesofthestrikers。Nomatterwhatoccupation,sea-cookorstationaryengineer,sandteamsterorwarehouseman,ineverycasetherewasanidleworkerreadytodothework。Andnotonlyreadybutanxious。 Theyfoughtforachancetowork。Menwerekilled,hundredsofheadswerebroken,thehospitalswerefilledwithinjuredmen,andthousandsofassaultswerecommitted。Andstillsurpluslaborers,\"scabs,\"cameforwardtoreplacethestrikers。 Thequestionarises:WHENCECAMETHISSECONDARMYOFWORKERSTO REPLACETHEFIRSTARMY?Onethingiscertain:thetrades\'unionsdidnotscabononeanother。Anotherthingiscertain:noindustryonthePacificslopewascrippledintheslightestdegreebyitsworkersbeingdrawnawaytofilltheplacesofthestrikers。A thirdthingiscertain:theagriculturalworkersdidnotflocktothecitiestoreplacethestrikers。InthislastinstanceitisworthwhiletonotethattheagriculturallaborerswailedtoHighHeavenwhenafewofthestrikerswentintothecountrytocompetewiththeminunskilledemployments。Sothereisnoaccountingforthissecondarmyofworkers。Itsimplywas。Itwasthereallthistime,asurpluslaborarmyintheyearofourLord1901,ayearadjudgedmostprosperousintheannalsoftheUnitedStates。{2} Theexistenceofthesurpluslaborarmybeingestablished,thereremainstobeestablishedtheeconomicnecessityforthesurpluslaborarmy。Thesimplestandmostobviousneedisthatbroughtaboutbythefluctuationofproduction。If,whenproductionisatlowebb,allmenareatwork,itnecessarilyfollowsthatwhenproductionincreasestherewillbenomentodotheincreasedwork。 Thismayseemalmostchildish,and,ifnotchildish,atleasteasilyremedied。Atlowebbletthemenworkshortertime;athighfloodletthemworkovertime。Themainobjectiontothisis,thatitisnotdone,andthatweareconsideringwhatis,notwhatmightbeorshouldbe。 Thentherearegreatirregularandperiodicaldemandsforlaborwhichmustbemet。Underthefirstheadcomeallthebigbuildingandengineeringenterprises。Whenacanalistobedugorarailroadputthrough,requiringthousandsoflaborers,itwouldbehurtfultowithdrawtheselaborersfromtheconstantindustries。 Andwhetheritisacanaltobedugoracellar,whetherfivethousandmenarerequiredorfive,itiswell,insocietyasatpresentorganized,thattheybetakenfromthesurpluslaborarmy。 Thesurpluslaborarmyisthereservefundofsocialenergy,andthisisoneofthereasonsforitsexistence。 Underthesecondhead,periodicaldemands,cometheharvests。 Throughouttheyear,hugelabortidessweepbackandforthacrosstheUnitedStates。Thatwhichissownandtendedbyfewmen,comestosuddenripenessandmustbegatheredbymanymen;anditisinevitablethatthesemanymenformfloatingpopulations。Inthelatespringtheberriesmustbepicked,inthesummerthegraingarnered,inthefall,thehopsgathered,inthewintertheiceharvested。InCaliforniaamanmaypickberriesinSiskiyou,peachesinSantaClara,grapesintheSanJoaquin,andorangesinLosAngeles,goingfromjobtojobastheseasonadvances,andtravellingathousandmileseretheseasonisdone。Butthegreatdemandforagriculturallaborisinthesummer。Inthewinter,workisslack,andthesefloatingpopulationseddyintothecitiestoekeoutaprecariousexistenceandharrowthesoulsofthepoliceofficersuntilthereturnofwarmweatherandwork。Iftherewereconstantworkatgoodwagesforeveryman,whowouldharvestthecrops? Butthelastandmostsignificantneedforthesurpluslaborarmyremainstobestated。Thissurpluslaboractsasacheckuponallemployedlabor。Itisthelashbywhichthemastersholdtheworkerstotheirtasks,ordrivethembacktotheirtaskswhentheyhaverevolted。Itisthegoadwhichforcestheworkersintothecompulsory\"freecontracts\"againstwhichtheynowandagainrebel。 Thereisonlyonereasonunderthesunthatstrikesfail,andthatisbecausetherearealwaysplentyofmentotakethestrikers\' places。 Thestrengthoftheuniontoday,otherthingsremainingequal,isproportionatetotheskillofthetrade,or,inotherwords,proportionatetothepressurethesurpluslaborarmycanputuponit。Ifathousandditch-diggersstrike,itiseasytoreplacethem,whereforetheditch-diggershavelittleornoorganizedstrength。 Butathousandhighlyskilledmachinistsaresomewhathardertoreplace,andinconsequencethemachinistunionsarestrong。Theditch-diggersarewhollyatthemercyofthesurpluslaborarmy,themachinistsonlypartly。Tobeinvincible,aunionmustbeamonopoly。Itmustcontroleverymaninitsparticulartrade,andregulateapprenticessothatthesupplyofskilledworkmenmayremainconstant;thisisthedreamofthe\"LaborTrust\"onthepartofthecaptainsoflabor。 Once,inEngland,aftertheGreatPlague,laborawoketofindtherewasmoreworkformenthantherewerementowork。Insteadofworkerscompetingforfavorsfromemployers,employerswerecompetingforfavorsfromtheworkers。Wageswentupandup,andcontinuedtogoup,untiltheworkersdemandedthefullproductoftheirtoil。Nowitisclearthat,whenlaborreceivesitsfullproductcapitalmustperish。Andsothepygmycapitalistsofthatpost-Plaguedayfoundtheirexistencethreatenedbythisuntowardconditionofaffairs。Tosavethemselves,theysetamaximumwage,restrainedtheworkersfrommovingaboutfromplacetoplace,smashedincipientorganization,refusedtotolerateidlers,andbymostbarbarouslegalpenaltiespunishedthosewhodisobeyed。Afterthat,thingswentonasbefore。 Thepointofthis,ofcourse,istodemonstratetheneedofthesurpluslaborarmy。Withoutsuchanarmy,ourpresentcapitalistsocietywouldbepowerless。Laborwouldorganizeasitneverorganizedbefore,andthelastleastworkerwouldbegatheredintotheunions。Thefullproductoftoilwouldbedemanded,andcapitalistsocietywouldcrumbleaway。Norcouldcapitalistsocietysaveitselfasdidthepost-Plaguecapitalistsociety。Thetimeispastwhenahandfulofmasters,byimprisonmentandbarbarouspunishment,candrivethelegionsoftheworkerstotheirtasks。 Withoutasurpluslaborarmy,thecourts,police,andmilitaryareimpotent。Insuchmattersthefunctionofthecourts,police,andmilitaryistopreserveorder,andtofilltheplacesofstrikerswithsurpluslabor。Iftherebenosurpluslabortoinstate,thereisnofunctiontoperform;fordisorderarisesonlyduringtheprocessofinstatement,whenthestrikinglaborarmyandthesurpluslaborarmyclashtogether。Thatistosay,thatwhichmaintainstheintegrityofthepresentindustrialsocietymorepotentlythanthecourts,police,andmilitaryisthesurpluslaborarmy。 Ithasbeenshownthattherearemorementhanthereisworkformen,andthatthesurpluslaborarmyisaneconomicnecessity。Toshowhowthetrampisaby-productofthiseconomicnecessity,itisnecessarytoinquireintothecompositionofthesurpluslaborarmy。 Whatmenformit?Whyaretheythere?Whatdotheydo? Inthefirstplace,sincetheworkersmustcompeteforemployment,itinevitablyfollowsthatitisthefitandefficientwhofindemployment。Theskilledworkerholdshisplacebyvirtueofhisskillandefficiency。Werehelessskilled,orwereheunreliableorerratic,hewouldbeswiftlyreplacedbyastrongercompetitor。 Theskilledandsteadyemploymentsarenotcumberedwithclownsandidiots。Amanfindshisplaceaccordingtohisabilityandtheneedsofthesystem,andthosewithoutability,orincapableofsatisfyingtheneedsofthesystem,havenoplace。Thus,thepoortelegraphermaydevelopintoanexcellentwood-chopper。Butifthepoortelegraphercherishesthedelusionthatheisagoodtelegrapher,andatthesametimedisdainsallotheremployments,hewillhavenoemploymentatall,orhewillbesopooratallotheremploymentsthathewillworkonlynowandagaininlieuofbettermen。Hewillbeamongthefirstletoffwhentimesaredull,andamongthelasttakenonwhentimesaregood。Or,tothepoint,hewillbeamemberofthesurpluslaborarmy。 Sotheconclusionisreachedthatthelessfitandlessefficient,ortheunfitandinefficient,composethesurpluslaborarmy。Herearetobefoundthemenwhohavetriedandfailed,themenwhocannotholdjobs,——theplumberapprenticewhocouldnotbecomeajourneyman,andtheplumberjourneymantooclumsyanddulltoretainemployment;switchmenwhowrecktrains;clerkswhocannotbalancebooks;blacksmithswholamehorses;lawyerswhocannotplead;inshort,thefailuresofeverytradeandprofession,andfailures,manyofthem,indiverstradesandprofessions。Failureiswritlarge,andintheirwretchednesstheybearthestampofsocialdisapprobation。Commonwork,anykindofwork,whereverorhowevertheycanobtainit,istheirportion。 Butthesehereditaryinefficientsdonotalonecomposethesurpluslaborarmy。Therearetheskilledbutunsteadyandunreliablemen; andtheoldmen,onceskilled,but,withdwindlingpowers,nolongerskilled。{3}Andtherearegoodmen,too,splendidlyskilledandefficient,butthrustoutoftheemploymentofdyingordisaster- smittenindustries。InthisconnectionitisnotoutofplacetonotethemisfortuneoftheworkersintheBritishirontrades,whoaresufferingbecauseofAmericaninroads。And,lastofall,aretheunskilledlaborers,thehewersofwoodanddrawersofwater,theditch-diggers,themenofpickandshovel,thehelpers,lumpers,roustabouts。Iftradeisslackonaseacoastoftwothousandmiles,ortheharvestsarelightinagreatinteriorvalley,myriadsoftheselaborerslieidle,ormakelifemiserablefortheirfellowsinkindredunskilledemployments。 Aconstantfiltrationgoesonintheworkingworld,andgoodmaterialiscontinuallydrawnfromthesurpluslaborarmy。Strikesandindustrialdislocationsshakeuptheworkers,bringgoodmentothesurfaceandsinkmenasgoodornotsogood。Thehopeoftheskilledstrikerisinthatthescabsarelessskilled,orlesscapableofbecomingskilled;yeteachstrikeatteststotheefficiencythatlurksbeneath。AfterthePullmanstrike,afewthousandrailroadmenwerechagrinedtofindtheworktheyhadflungdowntakenupbymenasgoodasthemselves。 Butonethingmustbeconsideredhere。Underthepresentsystem,iftheweakestandleastfitwereasstrongandfitasthebest,andthebestwerecorrespondinglystrongerandfitter,thesameconditionwouldobtain。Therewouldbethesamearmyofemployedlabor,thesamearmyofsurpluslabor。Thewholethingisrelative。 Thereisnoabsolutestandardofefficiency。 Comesnowthetramp。Andallconclusionsmaybeanticipatedbysayingatoncethatheisatrampbecausesomeonehastobeatramp。Ifheleftthe\"road\"andbecameaVERYefficientcommonlaborer,someORDINARILYEFFICIENTcommonlaborerwouldhavetotaketothe\"road。\"Thenooksandcranniesarecrowdedbythesurpluslaborers;andwhenthefirstsnowflies,andthetrampsaredrivenintothecities,thingsbecomeovercrowdedandstringentpoliceregulationsarenecessary。 Thetrampisoneoftwokindsofmen:heiseitheradiscouragedworkeroradiscouragedcriminal。Nowadiscouragedcriminal,oninvestigation,provestobeadiscouragedworker,orthedescendantofdiscouragedworkers;sothat,inthelastanalysis,thetrampisadiscouragedworker。Sincethereisnotworkforall,discouragementforsomeisunavoidable。How,then,doesthisprocessofdiscouragementoperate? Thelowertheemploymentintheindustrialscale,thehardertheconditions。Thefiner,themoredelicate,themoreskilledthetrade,thehigherisitliftedabovethestruggle。Thereislesspressure,lesssordidness,lesssavagery。Therearefewerglass- blowersproportionatetotheneedsoftheglass-blowingindustrythanthereareditch-diggersproportionatetotheneedsoftheditch-diggingindustry。Andnotonlythis,foritrequiresaglass- blowertotaketheplaceofastrikingglass-blower,whileanykindofastrikerorout-of-workcantaketheplaceofaditch-digger。 Sotheskilledtradesaremoreindependent,havemoreindividualityandlatitude。Theymayconferwiththeirmasters,makedemands,assertthemselves。Theunskilledlaborers,ontheotherhand,havenovoiceintheiraffairs。Thesettlementoftermsisnoneoftheirbusiness。\"Freecontract\"isallthatremainstothem。Theymaytakewhatisoffered,orleaveit。Thereareplentymoreoftheirkind。Theydonotcount。Theyaremembersofthesurpluslaborarmy,andmustbecontentwithahand-to-mouthexistence。 Therewardislikewiseproportioned。Thestrong,fitworkerinaskilledtrade,wherethereislittlelaborpressure,iswellcompensated。Heisakingcomparedwithhislessfortunatebrothersintheunskilledoccupationswherethelaborpressureisgreat。Themediocreworkernotonlyisforcedtobeidlealargeportionofthetime,butwhenemployedisforcedtoacceptapittance。Adollaradayonsomedaysandnothingonotherdayswillhardlysupportamanandwifeandsendchildrentoschool。Andnotonlydothemastersbearheavilyuponhim,andhisownkindstruggleforthemorselathismouth,butallskilledandorganizedlaboraddstohiswoe。 Unionmendonotscabononeanother,butinstrikes,orwhenworkisslack,itisconsidered\"fair\"forthemtodescendandtakeawaytheworkofthecommonlaborers。Andtakeitawaytheydo;for,asamatteroffact,awell-fed,ambitiousmachinistoracore-makerwilltransientlyshovelcoalbetterthananill-fed,spiritlesslaborer。 Thusthereisnoencouragementfortheunfit,inefficient,andmediocre。Theirveryinefficiencyandmediocritymakethemhelplessascattleandaddtotheirmisery。Andthewholetendencyforsuchisdownward,until,atthebottomofthesocialpit,theyarewretched,inarticulatebeasts,livinglikebeasts,breedinglikebeasts,dyinglikebeasts。Andhowdotheyfare,thesecreaturesbornmediocre,whoseheritageisneitherbrainsnorbrawnnorendurance?Theyaresweatedintheslumsinanatmosphereofdiscouragementanddespair。Thereisnostrengthinweakness,noencouragementinfoulair,vilefood,anddankdens。Theyaretherebecausetheyaresomadethattheyarenotfittobehigherup;butfilthandobscenitydonotstrengthentheneck,nordoeschronicemptinessofbellystiffentheback。 Forthemediocrethereisnohope。Mediocrityisasin。Povertyisthepenaltyoffailure,——poverty,fromwhoseloinsspringthecriminalandthetramp,bothfailures,bothdiscouragedworkers。 Povertyistheinfernowhereignorancefestersandvicecorrodes,andwherethephysical,mental,andmoralpartsofnatureareabortedanddenied。 Thatthechargeofrashnessinsplashingthepicturebenotincurred,letthefollowingauthoritativeevidencebeconsidered: first,theworkandwagesofmediocrityandinefficiency,and,second,thehabitat: TheNewYorkSunofFebruary28,1901,describestheopeningofafactoryinNewYorkCitybytheAmericanTobaccoCompany。Cherootsweretobemadeinthisfactoryincompetitionwithotherfactorieswhichrefusedtobeabsorbedbythetrust。Thetrustadvertisedforgirls。Thecrowdofmenandboyswhowantedworkwassogreatinfrontofthebuildingthatthepolicewereforcedwiththeirclubstoclearthemaway。Thewagepaidthegirlswas$2。50perweek,sixtycentsofwhichwentforcarfare。{4} MissNellieMasonAuten,agraduatestudentofthedepartmentofsociologyattheUniversityofChicago,recentlymadeathoroughinvestigationofthegarmenttradesofChicago。HerfigureswerepublishedintheAmericanJournalofSociology,andcommenteduponbytheLiteraryDigest。Shefoundwomenworkingtenhoursaday,sixdaysaweek,forfortycentsperweek(arateoftwo-thirdsofacentanhour)。Manywomenearnedlessthanadollaraweek,andnoneofthemworkedeveryweek。ThefollowingtablewillbestsummarizeMissAuten\'sinvestigationsamongaportionofthegarment-workers: IndustryAverageAverageAverageIndividualNumberofYearlyWeeklyWeeksEarningsWagesEmployedDressmakers$。9042。$37。00 Pants-Finishers1。3127。5842。41 Housewivesand1。5830。2147。49 Pants-FinishersSeamstresses2。0332。7864。10 Pants-makers2。1330。7775。61 Miscellaneous2。7729。81。80 Tailors6。2231。96211。92 GeneralAverages2。4831。1876。74 WalterA。Wyckoff,whoisasgreatanauthorityupontheworkerasJosiahFlyntisonthetramp,furnishesthefollowingChicagoexperience: \"Manyofthemenweresoweakenedbythewantandhardshipofthewinterthattheywerenolongerinconditionforeffectivelabor。 Someofthebosseswhowereinneedofaddedhandswereobligedtoturnmenawaybecauseofphysicalincapacity。OneinstanceofthisIshallnotsoonforget。ItwaswhenIoverheard,earlyonemorningatafactorygate,aninterviewbetweenawould-belaborerandtheboss。IknewtheapplicantforaRussianJew,whohadathomeanoldmotherandawifeandtwoyoungchildrentosupport。Hehadhadintermittentemploymentthroughoutthewinterinasweater\'sden,{5}barelyenoughtokeepthemallalive,and,afterthehardshipsofthecoldseason,hewasagainindesperatestraitsforwork。 \"Thebosshadallbutagreedtotakehimonforsomesortofunskilledlabor,when,struckbythecadaverouslookoftheman,hetoldhimtobarehisarm。Upwentthesleeveofhiscoatandhisraggedflannelshirt,exposinganakedarmwiththemusclesnearlygone,andtheblue-whitetransparentskinstretchedoversinewsandtheoutlinesofthebones。Pitifulbeyondwordswashisefforttogiveasemblanceofstrengthtothebicepswhichrosefaintlytotheupwardmovementoftheforearm。Butthebosssenthimoffwithanoathandacontemptuouslaugh;andIwatchedthefellowasheturneddownthestreet,facingthefactofhisstarvingfamilywithadespairathisheartwhichonlymortalmancanfeelandnomortaltonguecanspeak。\" Concerninghabitat,Mr。JacobRiishasstatedthatinNewYorkCity,intheblockboundedbyStanton,Houston,Attorney,andRidgestreets,thesizeofwhichis200by300,thereisawarrenof2244 humanbeings。 IntheblockboundedbySixty-firstandSixty-secondstreets,andAmsterdamandWestEndavenues,areoverfourthousandhumancreatures,——quiteacomfortableNewEnglandvillagetocrowdintoonecityblock。 TheRev。Dr。Behrends,speakingoftheblockboundedbyCanal,Hester,Eldridge,andForsythstreets,says:\"Inaroom12by8and5。5feethigh,itwasfoundthatninepersonssleptandpreparedtheirfood……Inanotherroom,locatedinadarkcellar,withoutscreensorpartitions,weretogethertwomenwiththeirwivesandagirloffourteen,twosinglemenandaboyofseventeen,twowomenandfourboys,——nine,ten,eleven,andfifteenyearsold,——fourteenpersonsinall。\" Herehumanityrots。Itsvictims,withgrimhumor,callit\"tenant- houserot。\"Or,asalegislativereportputsit:\"Hereinfantilelifeunfoldsitsbud,butperishesbeforeitsfirstanniversary。 Hereyouthisuglywithloathsomedisease,andthedeformitieswhichfollowphysicaldegeneration。\" Thesearethemenandwomenwhoarewhattheyarebecausetheywerenotbetterborn,orbecausetheyhappenedtobeunluckilybornintimeandspace。Gaugedbytheneedsofthesystem,theyareweakandworthless。Thehospitalandthepauper\'sgraveawaitthem,andtheyoffernoencouragementtothemediocreworkerwhohasfailedhigherupintheindustrialstructure。Suchaworker,consciousthathehasfailed,consciousfromthehardfactthathecannotobtainworkinthehigheremployments,findsseveralcoursesopentohim。Hemaycomedownandbeabeastinthesocialpit,forinstance;butifhebeofacertaincaliber,theeffectofthesocialpitwillbetodiscouragehimfromwork。Inhisbloodarebellionwillquicken,andhewillelecttobecomeeitherafelonoratramp。 Ifhehavefoughtthehardfightheisnotunacquaintedwiththelureofthe\"road。\"Whenoutofworkandstillundiscouraged,hehasbeenforcedto\"hittheroad\"betweenlargecitiesinhisquestforajob。Hehasloafed,seenthecountryandgreenthings,laughedinjoy,lainonhisbackandlistenedtothebirdssingingoverhead,unannoyedbyfactorywhistlesandbosses\'harshcommands; and,mostsignificantofall,HEHASLIVED!Thatisthepoint!Hehasnotstarvedtodeath。Notonlyhashebeencare-freeandhappy,buthehaslived!Andfromtheknowledgethathehasidledandisstillalive,heachievesanewoutlookonlife;andthemoreheexperiencestheunenviablelotofthepoorworker,themoretheblandishmentsofthe\"road\"takeholdofhim。Andfinallyheflingshischallengeinthefaceofsociety,imposesavalorousboycottonallwork,andjoinsthefar-wanderersofHoboland,thegypsyfolkofthislatterday。 Butthetrampdoesnotusuallycomefromtheslums。Hisplaceofbirthisordinarilyabitabove,andsometimesaverygreatbitabove。Aconfessedfailure,heyetrefusestoacceptthepunishment,andswervesasidefromtheslumtovagabondage。Theaveragebeastinthesocialpitiseithertoomuchofabeast,ortoomuchofaslavetothebourgeoisethicsandidealsofhismasters,tomanifestthisflickerofrebellion。Butthesocialpit,outofitsdiscouragementandviciousness,breedscriminals,menwhopreferbeingbeastsofpreytobeingbeastsofwork。Andthemediocrecriminal,inturn,theunfitandinefficientcriminal,isdiscouragedbythestrongarmofthelawandgoesovertotrampdom。 Thesemen,thediscouragedworkerandthediscouragedcriminal,voluntarilywithdrawthemselvesfromthestruggleforwork。 Industrydoesnotneedthem。Therearenofactoriesshutdownthroughlackoflabor,noprojectedrailroadsunbuiltforwantofpick-and-shovelmen。Womenarestillgladtotoilforadollaraweek,andmenandboystoclamorandfightforworkatthefactorygates。Noonemissesthesediscouragedmen,andingoingawaytheyhavemadeitsomewhateasierforthosethatremain。 Sothecasestandsthus:Therebeingmorementhanthereisworkformentodo,asurpluslaborarmyinevitablyresults。Thesurpluslaborarmyisaneconomicnecessity;withoutit,presentsocietywouldfalltopieces。Intothesurpluslaborarmyareherdedthemediocre,theinefficient,theunfit,andthoseincapableofsatisfyingtheindustrialneedsofthesystem。Thestruggleforworkbetweenthemembersofthesurpluslaborarmyissordidandsavage,andatthebottomofthesocialpitthestruggleisviciousandbeastly。Thisstruggletendstodiscouragement,andthevictimsofthisdiscouragementarethecriminalandthetramp。Thetrampisnotaneconomicnecessitysuchasthesurpluslaborarmy,butheistheby-productofaneconomicnecessity。 The\"road\"isoneofthesafety-valvesthroughwhichthewasteofthesocialorganismisgivenoff。AndBEINGGIVENOFFconstitutesthenegativefunctionofthetramp。Society,asatpresentorganized,makesmuchwasteofhumanlife。Thiswastemustbeeliminated。Chloroformorelectrocutionwouldbeasimple,mercifulsolutionofthisproblemofelimination;buttherulingethics,whilepermittingthehumanwaste,willnotpermitahumaneeliminationofthatwaste。Thisparadoxdemonstratestheirreconcilabilityoftheoreticalethicsandindustrialneed。 Andsothetrampbecomesself-eliminating。Andnotonlyself! Sinceheismanifestlyunfitforthingsastheyare,andsincekindispronetobegetkind,itisnecessarythathiskindceasewithhim,thathisprogenyshallnotbe,thatheplaytheeunuch\'spartinthistwentiethcenturyafterChrist。Andheplaysit。Hedoesnotbreed。Sterilityishisportion,asitistheportionofthewomanonthestreet。Theymighthavebeenmates,butsocietyhasdecreedotherwise。 And,whileitisnotnicethatthesemenshoulddie,itisordainedthattheymustdie,andweshouldnotquarrelwiththemiftheycumberourhighwaysandkitchenstoopswiththeirperambulatingcarcasses。Thisisaformofeliminationwenotonlycountenancebutcompel。Thereforeletusbecheerfulandhonestaboutit。Letusbeasstringentaswepleasewithourpoliceregulations,butforgoodness\'sakeletusrefrainfromtellingthetramptogotowork。 Notonlyisitunkind,butitisuntrueandhypocritical。Weknowthereisnoworkforhim。Asthescapegoattooureconomicandindustrialsinning,ortotheplanofthings,ifyouwill,weshouldgivehimcredit。Letusbejust。Heissomade。Societymadehim。 Hedidnotmakehimself。 THESCAB Inacompetitivesociety,wheremenstrugglewithoneanotherforfoodandshelter,whatismorenaturalthanthatgenerosity,whenitdiminishesthefoodandshelterofmenotherthanhewhoisgenerous,shouldbeheldanaccursedthing?Wiseoldsawstothecontrary,hewhotakesfromaman\'spursetakesfromhisexistence。 Tostrikeataman\'sfoodandshelteristostrikeathislife;andinasocietyorganizedonatooth-and-nailbasis,suchanact,performedthoughitmaybeundertheguiseofgenerosity,isnonethelessmenacingandterrible。 Itisforthisreasonthatalaborerissofiercelyhostiletoanotherlaborerwhoofferstoworkforlesspayorlongerhours。Toholdhisplace,(whichistolive),hemustoffsetthisofferbyanotherequallyliberal,whichisequivalenttogivingawaysomewhatfromthefoodandshelterheenjoys。Tosellhisday\'sworkfor$2,insteadof$2。50,meansthathe,hiswife,andhischildrenwillnothavesogoodaroofovertheirheads,sowarmclothesontheirbacks,sosubstantialfoodintheirstomachs。Meatwillbeboughtlessfrequentlyanditwillbetougherandlessnutritious,stoutnewshoeswillgolessoftenonthechildren\'sfeet,anddiseaseanddeathwillbemoreimminentinacheaperhouseandneighborhood。 Thusthegenerouslaborer,givingmoreofaday\'sworkforlessreturn,(measuredintermsoffoodandshelter),threatensthelifeofhislessgenerousbrotherlaborer,andatthebest,ifhedoesnotdestroythatlife,hediminishesit。Whereuponthelessgenerouslaborerlooksuponhimasanenemy,and,asmenareinclinedtodoinatooth-and-nailsociety,hetriestokillthemanwhoistryingtokillhim。 Whenastrikerkillswithabrickthemanwhohastakenhisplace,hehasnosenseofwrong-doing。Inthedeepestholdsofhisbeing,thoughhedoesnotreasontheimpulse,hehasanethicalsanction。 Hefeelsdimlythathehasjustification,justasthehome-defendingBoerfelt,thoughmoresharply,witheachbullethefiredattheinvadingEnglish。Behindeverybrickthrownbyastrikeristheselfishwill\"tolive\"ofhimself,andtheslightlyaltruisticwill\"tolive\"ofhisfamily。ThefamilygroupcameintotheworldbeforetheStategroup,andsociety,beingstillontheprimitivebasisoftoothandnail,thewill\"tolive\"oftheStateisnotsocompellingtothestrikerasisthewill\"tolive\"ofhisfamilyandhimself。 Inadditiontotheuseofbricks,clubs,andbullets,theselfishlaborerfindsitnecessarytoexpresshisfeelingsinspeech。Justasthepeacefulcountry-dwellercallsthesea-rovera\"pirate,\"andthestoutburghercallsthemanwhobreaksintohisstrong-boxa\"robber,\"sotheselfishlaborerappliestheopprobriousepitheta\"scab\"tothelaborerwhotakesfromhimfoodandshelterbybeingmoregenerousinthedisposalofhislaborpower。Thesentimentalconnotationof\"scab\"isasterrificasthatof\"traitor\"or\"Judas,\"andasentimentaldefinitionwouldbeasdeepandvariedasthehumanheart。Itisfareasiertoarriveatwhatmaybecalledatechnicaldefinition,wordedincommercialterms,as,forinstance,thatASCABISONEWHOGIVESMOREVALUEFORTHESAMEPRICETHAN ANOTHER。 Thelaborerwhogivesmoretimeorstrengthorskillforthesamewagethananother,orequaltimeorstrengthorskillforalesswage,isascab。Thisgenerousnessonhispartishurtfultohisfellow-laborers,foritcompelsthemtoanequalgenerousnesswhichisnottotheirliking,andwhichgivesthemlessoffoodandshelter。Butawordmaybesaidforthescab。Justashisactmakeshisrivalscompulsorilygenerous,sodothey,byfortuneofbirthandtraining,makecompulsoryhisactofgenerousness。Hedoesnotscabbecausehewantstoscab。Nowhimofthespirit,noburgeoningoftheheart,leadshimtogivemoreofhislaborpowerthantheyforacertainsum。 Itisbecausehecannotgetworkonthesametermsastheythatheisascab。Thereislessworkthantherearementodowork。Thisispatent,elsethescabwouldnotloomsolargeonthelabor-markethorizon。Becausetheyarestrongerthanhe,ormoreskilled,ormoreenergetic,itisimpossibleforhimtotaketheirplacesatthesamewage。Totaketheirplaceshemustgivemorevalue,mustworklongerhoursorreceiveasmallerwage。Hedoesso,andhecannothelpit,forhiswill\"tolive\"isdrivinghimonaswellastheyarebeingdrivenonbytheirwill\"tolive\";andtolivehemustwinfoodandshelter,whichhecandoonlybyreceivingpermissiontoworkfromsomemanwhoownsabitoflandorapieceofmachinery。 Andtoreceivepermissionfromthisman,hemustmakethetransactionprofitableforhim。 Viewedinthislight,thescab,whogivesmorelaborpowerforacertainpricethanhisfellows,isnotsogenerousafterall。Heisnomoregenerouswithhisenergythanthechattelslaveandtheconvictlaborer,who,bytheway,arethealmostperfectscabs。 Theygivetheirlaborpowerforabouttheminimumpossibleprice。 But,withinlimits,theymayloafandmalinger,and,asscabs,areexceededbythemachine,whichneverloafsandmalingersandwhichistheideallyperfectscab。 Itisnotnicetobeascab。Notonlyisitnotingoodsocialtasteandcomradeship,but,fromthestandpointoffoodandshelter,itisbadbusinesspolicy。Nobodydesirestoscab,togivemostforleast。Theambitionofeveryindividualisquitetheopposite,togiveleastformost;and,asaresult,livinginatooth-and-nailsociety,battleroyaliswagedbytheambitiousindividuals。Butinitsmostsalientaspect,thatofthestruggleoverthedivisionofthejointproduct,itisnolongerabattlebetweenindividuals,butbetweengroupsofindividuals。Capitalandlaborapplythemselvestorawmaterial,makesomethingusefuloutofit,addtoitsvalue,andthenproceedtoquarreloverthedivisionoftheaddedvalue。 Neithercarestogivemostforleast。Eachisintentongivinglessthantheotherandonreceivingmore。 Laborcombinesintoitsunions,capitalintopartnerships,associations,corporations,andtrusts。Agroup-struggleistheresult,inwhichtheindividuals,asindividuals,playnopart。TheBrotherhoodofCarpentersandJoiners,forinstance,servesnoticeontheMasterBuilders\'Associationthatitdemandsanincreaseofthewageofitsmembersfrom$3。50adayto$4,andaSaturdayhalf- holidaywithoutpay。Thismeansthatthecarpentersaretryingtogivelessformore。Wheretheyreceived$21forsixfulldays,theyareendeavoringtoget$22forfivedaysandahalf,——thatis,theywillworkhalfadaylesseachweekandreceiveadollarmore。 Also,theyexpecttheSaturdayhalf-holidaytogiveworktooneadditionalmanforeachelevenpreviouslyemployed。Thislastaffordsasplendidexampleofthedevelopmentofthegroupidea。Inthisparticularstruggletheindividualhasnochanceatallforlife。TheindividualcarpenterwouldbecrushedlikeamotebytheMasterBuilders\'Association,andlikeamotetheindividualmasterbuilderwouldbecrushedbytheBrotherhoodofCarpentersandJoiners。 Inthegroup-struggleoverthedivisionofthejointproduct,laborutilizestheunionwithitstwogreatweapons,thestrikeandtheboycott;whilecapitalutilizesthetrustandtheassociation,theweaponsofwhicharetheblack-list,thelockout,andthescab。Thescabisbyfarthemostformidableweaponofthethree。Heisthemanwhobreaksstrikesandcausesallthetrouble。Withouthimtherewouldbenotrouble,forthestrikersarewillingtoremainoutpeacefullyandindefinitelysolongasothermenarenotintheirplaces,andsolongastheparticularaggregationofcapitalwithwhichtheyarefightingiseatingitsheadoffinenforcedidleness。 Butbothwarringgroupshavereserveweapons。Wereitnotforthescab,theseweaponswouldnotbebroughtintoplay。Butthescabtakestheplaceofthestriker,whobeginsatoncetowieldamostpowerfulweapon,terrorism。Thewill\"tolive\"ofthescabrecoilsfromthemenaceofbrokenbonesandviolentdeath。Withallduerespecttothelaborleaders,whoarenottobeblamedforvolublyasseveratingotherwise,terrorismisawell-definedandeminentlysuccessfulpolicyofthelaborunions。Ithasprobablywonthemmorestrikesthanalltherestoftheweaponsintheirarsenal。 Thisterrorism,however,mustbeclearlyunderstood。Itisdirectedsolelyagainstthescab,placinghiminsuchfearforlifeandlimbastodrivehimoutofthecontest。Butwhenterrorismgetsoutofhandandinoffensivenon-combatantsareinjured,lawandorderthreatened,andpropertydestroyed,itbecomesanedgedtoolthatcutsbothways。Thissortofterrorismissincerelydeploredbythelaborleaders,forithasprobablylostthemasmanystrikesashavebeenlostbyanyothersinglecause。 Thescabispowerlessunderterrorism。Asarule,heisnotsogoodnorgrittyamanasthemenheisdisplacing,andhelackstheirfightingorganization。Hestandsindireneedofstiffeningandbacking。Hisemployers,thecapitalists,drawtheirtworemainingweapons,theownershipofwhichisdebatable,butwhichtheyforthetimebeinghappentocontrol。Thesetwoweaponsmaybecalledthepoliticalandjudicialmachineryofsociety。Whenthescabcrumplesupandisreadytogodownbeforethefists,bricks,andbulletsofthelaborgroup,thecapitalistgroupputsthepoliceandsoldiersintothefield,andbeginsageneralbombardmentofinjunctions。 Victoryusuallyfollows,forthelaborgroupcannotwithstandthecombinedassaultofgatlinggunsandinjunctions。 Butithasbeennotedthattheownershipofthepoliticalandjudicialmachineryofsocietyisdebatable。IntheTitanicstruggleoverthedivisionofthejointproduct,eachgroupreachesoutforeveryavailableweapon。Noraretheyblindedbythesmokeofconflict。Theyfighttheirbattlesascoollyandcollectedlyaseverbattleswerefoughtonpaper。Thecapitalistgrouphaslongsincerealizedtheimmenseimportanceofcontrollingthepoliticalandjudicialmachineryofsociety。 Taughtbygatlingsandinjunctions,whichhavesmashedmanyanotherwisesuccessfulstrike,thelaborgroupisbeginningtorealizethatitalldependsuponwhoisbehindandwhoisbeforethegatlingsandtheinjunctions。Andhewhoknowsthelabormovementknowsthatthereisslowlygrowingupandbeingformulatedaclearanddefinitepolicyforthecaptureofthepoliticalandjudicialmachinery。 ThisistheterriblespectrewhichMr。JohnGrahamBrooksseesloomingportentouslyoverthetwentiethcenturyworld。Nomanmayboastamoreintimateknowledgeofthelabormovementthanhe;andhereiteratesagainandagainthedangerouslikelihoodofthewholelaborgroupcapturingthepoliticalmachineryofsociety。Ashesaysinhisrecentbook:{6}\"ItisnotprobablethatemployerscandestroyunionismintheUnitedStates。Adroitanddesperateattemptswill,however,bemade,ifwemeanbyunionismtheundisciplinedandaggressivefactofvigorousanddeterminedorganizations。Ifcapitalshouldprovetoostronginthisstruggle,theresultiseasytopredict。Theemployershaveonlytoconvinceorganizedlaborthatitcannotholditsownagainstthecapitalistmanager,andthewholeenergythatnowgoestotheunionwillturntoanaggressivepoliticalsocialism。Itwillnotbetheharmlesssympathywithincreasedcityandstatefunctionswhichtradeunionsalreadyfeel;itwillbecomeaturbulentpoliticalforcebentuponusingeveryweaponoftaxationagainsttherich。\" Thisstrugglenottobeascab,toavoidgivingmoreforlessandtosucceedingivinglessformore,ismorevitalthanitwouldappearonthesurface。Thecapitalistandlaborgroupsarelockedtogetherindesperatebattle,andneithersideisswayedbymoralconsiderationsmorethanskin-deep。Thelaborgrouphiresbusinessagents,lawyers,andorganizers,andisbeginningtointimidatelegislatorsbythestrengthofitssolidvote;andmoredirectly,inthenearfuture,itwillattempttocontrollegislationbycapturingitbodilythroughtheballot-box。Ontheotherhand,thecapitalistgroup,numericallyweaker,hiresnewspapers,universities,andlegislatures,andstrivestobendtoitsneedalltheforceswhichgotomouldpublicopinion。 Theonlyhonestmoralitydisplayedbyeithersideiswhite-hotindignationattheiniquitiesoftheotherside。Thestrikingteamstercomplacentlytakesascabdriverintoanalley,andwithanironbarbreakshisarms,sothathecandrivenomore,butcriesouttohighHeavenforjusticewhenthecapitalistbreakshisskullbymeansofaclubinthehandsofapoliceman。Nay,themembersofaunionwilldeclaiminimpassionedrhetoricfortheGod-givenrightofaneight-hourday,andatthetimebeworkingtheirownbusinessagentseventeenhoursoutofthetwenty-four。 AcapitalistsuchasCollisP。Huntington,andhisnameisLegion,afteralonglifespentinbuyingtheaidofcountlesslegislatures,willwaxvirtuouslywrathful,andcondemninunmeasuredterms\"thedangeroustendencyofcryingouttotheGovernmentforaid\"inthewayoflaborlegislation。Withoutaquiver,amemberofthecapitalistgroupwillruntensofthousandsofpitifulchild- laborersthroughhislife-destroyingcottonfactories,andweepmaudlinandconstitutionaltearsoveronescabhitinthebackwithabrick。Hewilldrivea\"compulsory\"freecontractwithanunorganizedlaboreronthebasisofastarvationwage,saying,\"Takeitorleaveit,\"knowingthattoleaveitmeanstodieofhunger,andinthenextbreath,whentheorganizerenticesthatlaborerintoaunion,willstormpatrioticallyabouttheinalienablerightofallmentowork。Inshort,thechiefmoralconcernofeithersideiswiththemoralsoftheotherside。Theyarenotinthebusinessfortheirmoralwelfare,buttoachievetheenviablepositionofthenon-scabwhogetsmorethanhegives。 Butthereismoretothequestionthanhasyetbeendiscussed。Thelaborscabisnomoredetestabletohisbrotherlaborersthanisthecapitalistscabtohisbrothercapitalists。Acapitalistmaygetmostforleastindealingwithhislaborers,andinsofarbeanon- scab;butatthesametime,inhisdealingswithhisfellow- capitalists,hemaygivemostforleastandbetheveryworstkindofscab。Themostheinouscrimeanemployeroflaborcancommitistoscabonhisfellow-employersoflabor。Justastheindividuallaborershaveorganizedintogroupstoprotectthemselvesfromtheperilofthescablaborer,sohavetheemployersorganizedintogroupstoprotectthemselvesfromtheperilofthescabemployer。 Theemployers\'federations,associations,andtrustsarenothingmorenorlessthanunions。Theyareorganizedtodestroyscabbingamongstthemselvesandtoencouragescabbingamongstothers。Forthisreasontheypoolinterests,determineprices,andpresentanunbrokenandaggressivefronttothelaborgroup。 Ashasbeensaidbefore,nobodylikestoplaythecompulsorilygenerousroleofscab。Itisabadbusinesspropositiononthefaceofit。Anditispatentthattherewouldbenocapitalistscabsiftherewerenotmorecapitalthanthereisworkforcapitaltodo。 Whenthereareenoughfactoriesinexistencetosupply,withoccasionalstoppages,acertaincommodity,thebuildingofnewfactoriesbyarivalconcern,fortheproductionofthatcommodity,isplainadvertisementthatthatcapitalisoutofajob。Thefirstactofthisnewaggregationofcapitalwillbetocutprices,togivemoreforless,——inshorttoscab,tostrikeattheveryexistenceofthelessgenerousaggregationofcapitaltheworkofwhichitistryingtodo。 Noscabcapitaliststrivestogivemoreforlessforanyotherreasonthanthathehopes,byundercuttingacompetitoranddrivingthatcompetitoroutofthemarket,togetthatmarketanditsprofitsforhimself。Hisambitionistoachievethedaywhenheshallstandaloneinthefieldbothasbuyerandseller,——whenhewillbetheroyalnon-scab,buyingmostforleast,sellingleastformost,andreducingallabouthim,thesmallbuyersandsellers,(theconsumersandthelaborers),toageneralconditionofscabdom。 This,forexample,hasbeenthehistoryofMr。RockefellerandtheStandardOilCompany。Throughallthesordidvillaniesofscabdomhehaspassed,untiltodayheisamostregalnon-scab。However,tocontinueinthisenviableposition,hemustbepreparedatamoment\'snoticetogoscabbingagain。Andheisprepared。Wheneveracompetitorarises,Mr。Rockefellerchangesaboutfromgivingleastformostandgivesmostforleastwithsuchavengeanceastodrivethecompetitoroutofexistence。 Thebandedcapitalistsdiscriminateagainstascabcapitalistbyrefusinghimtradeadvantages,andbycombiningagainsthiminmostrelentlessfashion。Thebandedlaborers,discriminatingagainstascablaborerinmoreprimitivefashion,withaclub,arenomoremercilessthanthebandedcapitalists。 Mr。CassontellsofaNewYorkcapitalistwhowithdrewfromtheSugarUnionseveralyearsagoandbecameascab。Hewasworthsomethingliketwentymillionsofdollars。ButtheSugarUnion,standingshouldertoshoulderwiththeRailroadUnionandseveralotherunions,beathimtohiskneestillhecried,\"Enough。\"Sofrightfullydidtheybeathimthathewasobligedtoturnovertohiscreditorshishome,hischickens,andhisgoldwatch。Inpointoffact,hewasasthoroughlybludgeonedbytheFederationofCapitalistUnionsaseverscabworkmanwasbludgeonedbyalaborunion。Theintentineithercaseisthesame,——todestroythescab\'sproducingpower。Thelaborscabwithconcussionofthebrainisputoutofbusiness,andsoisthecapitalistscabwhohaslostallhisdollarsdowntohischickensandhiswatch。 Buttheroleofscabpassesbeyondtheindividual。Justasindividualsscabonotherindividuals,sodogroupsscabonothergroups。Andtheprincipleinvolvedispreciselythesameasinthecaseofthesimplelaborscab。Agroup,inthenatureofitsorganization,isoftencompelledtogivemostforleast,and,sodoing,tostrikeatthelifeofanothergroup。AtthepresentmomentallEuropeisappalledbythatcolossalscab,theUnitedStates。AndEuropeisclamorouswithagitationforaFederationofNationalUnionstoprotectherfromtheUnitedStates。Itmayberemarked,inpassing,thatinitsprimeessentialsthisagitationinnowisediffersfromthetrade-unionagitationamongworkmeninanyindustry。Thetroubleiscausedbythescabwhoisgivingmostforleast。TheresultoftheAmericanscab\'snefariousactionswillbetostrikeatthefoodandshelterofEurope。ThewayforEuropetoprotectherselfistoquitbickeringamongherpartsandtoformaunionagainstthescab。Andiftheunionisformed,armiesandnaviesmaybeexpectedtobebroughtintoplayinfashionsimilartothebricksandclubsinordinarylaborstruggles。 Inthisconnection,andasoneofmanywalkingdelegatesforthenations,M。Leroy-Beaulieu,thenotedFrencheconomist,maywellbequoted。InalettertotheViennaTageblatt,headvocatesaneconomicallianceamongtheContinentalnationsforthepurposeofbarringoutAmericangoods,aneconomicalliance,inhisownlanguage,\"WHICHMAYPOSSIBLYANDDESIRABLYDEVELOPINTOAPOLITICAL ALLIANCE。\" Itwillbenoted,intheutterancesoftheContinentalwalkingdelegates,that,oneandall,theyleaveEnglandoutoftheproposedunion。AndinEnglandherselfthefeelingisgrowingthatherdaysarenumberedifshecannotuniteforoffenceanddefencewiththegreatAmericanscab。AsAndrewCarnegiesaidsometimeago,\"TheonlycourseforGreatBritainseemstobereunionwithhergrandchildorsuredeclinetoasecondaryplace,andthentocomparativeinsignificanceinthefutureannalsoftheEnglish- speakingrace。\" CecilRhodes,speakingofwhatwouldhaveobtainedbutforthepig- headednessofGeorgeIII,andofwhatwillobtainwhenEnglandandtheUnitedStatesareunited,said,\"NOCANNONWOULD……BEFIRED ONEITHERHEMISPHEREBUTBYPERMISSIONOFTHEENGLISHRACE。\"ItwouldseemthatEngland,frontedbythehostileContinentalUnionandflankedbythegreatAmericanscab,hasnothingleftbuttojoinwiththescabandplaythehistoriclaborroleofarmedPinkerton。 GrantingthewordsofCecilRhodes,theUnitedStateswouldbeenabledtoscabwithoutletorhindranceonEurope,whileEngland,asprofessionalstrike-breakerandpoliceman,destroyedtheunionsandkeptorder。 Allthismayappearfantasticanderroneous,butthereisinitasouloftruthvastlymoresignificantthanitmayseem。 Civilizationmaybeexpressedtodayintermsoftrade-unionism。 Individualstruggleshavelargelypassedaway,butgroup-strugglesincreaseprodigiously。Andthethingsforwhichthegroupsstrugglearethesameasofold。Shornofallsubtletiesandcomplexities,thechiefstruggleofmen,andofgroupsofmen,isforfoodandshelter。And,asofoldtheystruggledwithtoothandnail,sotodaytheystrugglewithteethandnailselongatedintoarmiesandnavies,machines,andeconomicadvantages。 UnderthedefinitionthatascabisONEWHOGIVESMOREVALUEFORTHE SAMEPRICETHANANOTHER,itwouldseemthatsocietycanbegenerallydividedintothetwoclassesofthescabsandthenon-scabs。Butoncloserinvestigation,however,itwillbeseenthatthenon-scabisavanishingquantity。Inthesocialjungle,everybodyispreyinguponeverybodyelse。AsinthecaseofMr。Rockefeller,hewhowasascabyesterdayisanon-scabtoday,andtomorrowmaybeascabagain。 Thewomanstenographerorbook-keeperwhoreceivesfortydollarspermonthwhereamanwasreceivingseventy-fiveisascab。Soisthewomanwhodoesaman\'sworkataweaving-machine,andthechildwhogoesintothemillorfactory。Andthefather,whoisscabbedoutofworkbythewivesandchildrenofothermen,sendshisownwifeandchildrentoscabinordertosavehimself。 Whenapublisheroffersanauthorbetterroyaltiesthanotherpublishershavebeenpayinghim,heisscabbingonthoseotherpublishers。Thereporteronanewspaper,whofeelsheshouldbereceivingalargersalaryforhiswork,saysso,andisshownthedoor,isreplacedbyareporterwhoisascab;whereupon,whenthebelly-needpresses,thedisplacedreportergoestoanotherpaperandscabshimself。Theministerwhohardenshishearttoacall,andwaitsforacertaincongregationtoofferhimsay$500ayearmore,oftenfindshimselfscabbeduponbyanotherandmoreimpecuniousminister;andthenexttimeitisHISturntoscabwhileabrotherministerishardeninghishearttoacall。Thescabiseverywhere。 Theprofessionalstrike-breakers,whoasaclassreceivelargewages,willscabononeanother,whilescabunionsareevenformedtopreventscabbinguponscabs。 Therearenon-scabs,buttheyareusuallybornso,andareprotectedbythewholemightofsocietyinthepossessionoftheirfoodandshelter。KingEdwardissuchatype,asareallindividualswhoreceivehereditaryfood-and-shelterprivileges,——suchasthepresentDukeofBedford,forinstance,whoyearlyreceives$75,000fromthegoodpeopleofLondonbecausesomeformerkinggavesomeformerancestorofhisthemarketprivilegesofCoventGarden。Theirresponsiblericharelikewisenon-scabs,——andbythemismeantthatcoupon-clippingclasswhichhiresitsmanagersandbrainstoinvestthemoneyusuallyleftitbyitsancestors。 Outsidetheseluckycreatures,alltherest,atonetimeoranotherintheirlives,arescabs,atonetimeoranotherareengagedingivingmoreforacertainpricethananyoneelse。Themeekprofessorinsomeendowedinstitution,byhismeeksuppressionofhisconvictions,isgivingmoreforhissalarythangavetheotherandmoreoutspokenprofessorwhosechairheoccupies。Andwhenapoliticalpartydanglesafulldinner-pailintheeyesofthetoilingmasses,itisofferingmoreforavotethanthedubiousdollaroftheopposingparty。Evenamoney-lenderisnotabovetakingaslightlylowerrateofinterestandsayingnothingaboutit。 Suchisthetangleofconflictinginterestsinatooth-and-nailsocietythatpeoplecannotavoidbeingscabs,areoftenmadesoagainsttheirdesires,andareoftenunconsciouslymadeso。Whenseveraltradesinacertainlocalitydemandandreceiveanadvanceinwages,theyareunwittinglymakingscabsoftheirfellow-laborersinthatdistrictwhohavereceivednoadvanceinwages。InSanFranciscothebarbers,laundry-workers,andmilk-wagondriversreceivedsuchanadvanceinwages。Theiremployerspromptlyaddedtheamountofthisadvancetothesellingpriceoftheirwares。Thepriceofshaves,ofwashing,andofmilkwentup。Thisreducedthepurchasingpoweroftheunorganizedlaborers,and,inpointoffact,reducedtheirwagesandmadethemgreaterscabs。 BecausetheBritishlaborerisdisinclinedtoscab,——thatis,becauseherestrictshisoutputinordertogivelessforthewagehereceives,——itistoacertainextentmadepossiblefortheAmericancapitalist,whoreceivesalessrestrictedoutputfromhislaborers,toplaythescabontheEnglishcapitalist。Asaresultofthis,(ofcoursecombinedwithothercauses),theAmericancapitalistandtheAmericanlaborerarestrikingatthefoodandshelteroftheEnglishcapitalistandlaborer。 TheEnglishlaborerisstarvingtodaybecause,amongotherthings,heisnotascab。Hepractisesthepolicyof\"ca\'canny,\"whichmaybedefinedas\"goeasy。\"Inordertogetmostforleast,inmanytradesheperformsbutfromone-fourthtoone-sixthofthelaborheiswellabletoperform。AninstanceofthisisfoundinthebuildingoftheWestinghouseElectricWorksatManchester。TheBritishlimitpermanwas400bricksperday。TheWestinghouseCompanyimporteda\"driving\"Americancontractor,aidedbyhalfadozen\"driving\"Americanforemen,andtheBritishbricklayerswiftlyattainedanaverageof1800bricksperday,withamaximumof2500 bricksfortheplainestwork。