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When capitalistic production has attained its maximum development；
it must confront a dividing of the ways； and the strength of capital on the
one hand； and the education and wisdom of the workers on the other； will
determine which path society is to travel。 It is possible； considering the
inertia of the masses； that the whole world might in time come to be
dominated by a group of industrial oligarchies； or by one great oligarchy；
but it is not probable。 That sporadic oligarchies may flourish for definite
periods of time is highly possible； that they may continue to do so is as
highly improbable。 The procession of the ages has marked not only the
rise of man； but the rise of the common man。 From the chattel slave； or the
serf chained to the soil； to the highest seats in modern society； he has risen；
rung by rung； amid the crumbling of the divine right of kings and the crash
of falling sceptres。 That he has done this； only in the end to pass into the
perpetual slavery of the industrial oligarch； is something at which his
whole past cries in protest。 The common man is worthy of a better future；
or else he is not worthy of his past。
NOTE。The above article was written as long ago as 1898。 The only
alteration has been the bringing up to 1900 of a few of its statistics。 As a
commercial venture of an author； it has an interesting history。 It was
promptly accepted by one of the leading magazines and paid for。 The
editor confessed that it was 〃one of those articles one could not possibly
let go of after it was once in his possession。〃 Publication was voluntarily
promised to be immediate。 Then the editor became afraid of its too radical
nature； forfeited the sum paid for it； and did not publish it。 Nor； offered far
and wide； could any other editor of bourgeois periodicals be found who
was rash enough to publish it。 Thus； for the first time； after seven years； it
appears in print。
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War of the Classes
A REVIEW
Two remarkable books are Ghent's 〃Our Benevolent Feudalism〃 ｛7｝
and Brooks's 〃The Social Unrest。〃 ｛8｝ In these two books the opposite
sides of the labor problem are expounded； each writer devoting himself
with apprehension to the side he fears and views with disfavor。 It would
appear that they have set themselves the task of collating； as a warning；
the phenomena of two counter social forces。 Mr。 Ghent； who is
sympathetic with the socialist movement； follows with cynic fear every
aggressive act of the capitalist class。 Mr。 Brooks； who yearns for the
perpetuation of the capitalist system as long as possible； follows with
grave dismay each aggressive act of the labor and socialist organizations。
Mr。 Ghent traces the emasculation of labor by capital； and Mr。 Brooks
traces the emasculation of independent competing capital by labor。 In
short； each marshals the facts of a side in the two sides which go to make a
struggle so great that even the French Revolution is insignificant beside it；
for this later struggle； for the first time in the history of struggles； is not
confined to any particular portion of the globe； but involves the whole of
it。
Starting on the assumption that society is at present in a state of flux；
Mr。 Ghent sees it rapidly crystallizing into a status which can best be
described as something in the nature of a benevolent feudalism。 He laughs
to scorn any immediate realization of the Marxian dream； while Tolstoyan
utopias and Kropotkinian communistic unions of shop and farm are too
wild to merit consideration。 The coming status which Mr。 Ghent depicts is
a class domination by the capitalists。 Labor will take its definite place as a
dependent class； living in a condition of machine servitude fairly
analogous to the land servitude of the Middle Ages。 That is to say； labor
will be bound to the machine； though less harshly； in fashion somewhat
similar to that in which the earlier serf was bound to the soil。 As he says；
〃Bondage to the land was the basis of villeinage in the old regime；
bondage to the job will be the basis of villeinage in the new。〃
At the top of the new society will tower the magnate； the new feudal
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War of the Classes
baron； at the bottom will be found the wastrels and the inefficients。 The
new society he grades as follows：
〃I。 The barons； graded on the basis of possessions。
〃II。 The court agents and retainers。 （This class will include the editors
of 'respectable' and 'safe' newspapers； the pastors of 'conservative' and
'wealthy' churches； the professors and teachers in endowed colleges and
schools； lawyers generally； and most judges and politicians）。
〃III。 The workers in pure and applied science； artists； and physicians。
〃IV。 The entrepreneurs； the managers of the great industries；
transformed into a salaried class。
〃V。 The foremen and superintendents。 This class has heretofore been
recruited largely from the skilled workers； but with the growth of technical
education in schools and colleges； and the development of fixed caste； it is
likely to become entirely differentiated。
〃VI。 The villeins of the cities and towns； more or less regularly
employed； who do skilled work and are partially protected by
organization。
〃VII。 The villeins of the cities and towns who do unskilled work and
are unprotected by organization。 They will comprise the laborers；
domestics； and clerks。
〃VIII。 The villeins of the manorial estates； of the great farms； the
mines； and the forests。
〃IX。 The small…unit farmers （land…owning）； the petty tradesmen； and
manufacturers。
〃X。 The subtenants of the manorial estates and great farms
（corresponding to the class of 'free tenants' in the old Feudalism）。
〃XI。 The cotters。
〃XII。 The tramps； the occasionally employed； the unemployedthe
wastrels of the city and country。〃
〃The new Feudalism； like most autocracies； will foster not only the
arts； but also certain kinds of learningparticularly the kinds which are
unlikely to disturb the minds of the multitude。 A future Marsh； or Cope； or
Le Comte will be liberally patronized and left free to discover what he will；
and so； too； an Edison or a Marconi。 Only they must not meddle with
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War of the Classes
anything relating to social science。〃
It must be confessed that Mr。 Ghent's arguments are cunningly
contrived and arrayed。 They must be read to be appreciated。 As an
example of his style； which at the same time generalizes a portion of his
argument； the following may well be given：
〃The new Feudalism will be but an orderly outgrowth of present
tendencies and conditions。 All societies evolve naturally out of their
predecessors。 In sociology； as in biology； there is no cell without a parent
cell。 The society of each generation develops a multitude of spontaneous
and acquired variations； and out of these； by a blending process of natural
and conscious selection； the succeeding society is evolved。 The new order
will differ in no important respects from the present； except in the
completer development of its more salient features。 The visitor from
another planet who had known the old and should see the new would note
but few changes。 Alter et Idemanother yet the samehe would say。 From
magnate to baron； from workman to villein； from publicist to court agent
and retainer； will be changes of state and function so slight as to elude all
but the keenest eyes。〃
And in conclusion； to show how benevolent and beautiful this new
feudalism of ours will be； Mr。 Ghent says： 〃Peace and