按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
As for the unfortunates； the sick； and ailing； and old； and maimed； I
must confess I hardly thought of them at all； save that I vaguely felt that
they； barring accidents； could be as good as I if they wanted to real hard；
and could work just as well。 Accidents？ Well； they represented FATE； also
spelled out in capitals； and there was no getting around FATE。 Napoleon
had had an accident at Waterloo； but that did not dampen my desire to be
another and later Napoleon。 Further； the optimism bred of a stomach
which could digest scrap iron and a body which flourished on hardships
did not permit me to consider accidents as even remotely related to my
glorious personality。
I hope I have made it clear that I was proud to be one of Nature's
strong…armed noblemen。 The dignity of labor was to me the most
impressive thing in the world。 Without having read Carlyle； or Kipling； I
formulated a gospel of work which put theirs in the shade。 Work was
everything。 It was sanctification and salvation。 The pride I took in a hard
day's work well done would be inconceivable to you。 It is almost
inconceivable to me as I look back upon it。 I was as faithful a wage slave
as ever capitalist exploited。 To shirk or malinger on the man who paid me
my wages was a sin； first； against myself； and second； against him。 I
considered it a crime second only to treason and just about as bad。
In short； my joyous individualism was dominated by the orthodox
bourgeois ethics。 I read the bourgeois papers； listened to the bourgeois
preachers； and shouted at the sonorous platitudes of the bourgeois
politicians。 And I doubt not； if other events had not changed my career；
that I should have evolved into a professional strike…breaker； （one of
President Eliot's American heroes）； and had my head and my earning
power irrevocably smashed by a club in the hands of some militant trades…
unionist。
Just about this time； returning from a seven months' voyage before the
mast； and just turned eighteen； I took it into my head to go tramping。 On
rods and blind baggages I fought my way from the open West where men
bucked big and the job hunted the man； to the congested labor centres of
the East； where men were small potatoes and hunted the job for all they
were worth。 And on this new BLOND… BEAST adventure I found myself
86
… Page 87…
War of the Classes
looking upon life from a new and totally different angle。 I had dropped
down from the proletariat into what sociologists love to call the
〃submerged tenth；〃 and I was startled to discover the way in which that
submerged tenth was recruited。
I found there all sorts of men； many of whom had once been as good
as myself and just as BLOND…BEAST； sailor…men； soldier…men； labor…
men； all wrenched and distorted and twisted out of shape by toil and
hardship and accident； and cast adrift by their masters like so many old
horses。 I battered on the drag and slammed back gates with them； or
shivered with them in box cars and city parks； listening the while to life…
histories which began under auspices as fair as mine； with digestions and
bodies equal to and better than mine； and which ended there before my
eyes in the shambles at the bottom of the Social Pit。
And as I listened my brain began to work。 The woman of the streets
and the man of the gutter drew very close to me。 I saw the picture of the
Social Pit as vividly as though it were a concrete thing； and at the bottom
of the Pit I saw them； myself above them； not far； and hanging on to the
slippery wall by main strength and sweat。 And I confess a terror seized me。
What when my strength failed？ when I should be unable to work shoulder
to shoulder with the strong men who were as yet babes unborn？ And there
and then I swore a great oath。 It ran something like this： ALL MY DAYS I
HAVE WORKED HARD WITH MY BODY； AND ACCORDING TO
THE NUMBER OF DAYS I HAVE WORKED； BY JUST THAT MUCH
AM I NEARER THE BOTTOM OF THE PIT。 I SHALL CLIMB OUT OF
THE PIT； BUT NOT BY THE MUSCLES OF MY BODY SHALL I
CLIMB OUT。 I SHALL DO NO MORE HARD WORK； AND MAY
GOD STRIKE ME DEAD IF I DO ANOTHER DAY'S HARD WORK
WITH MY BODY MORE THAN I ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO DO。 And I
have been busy ever since running away from hard work。
Incidentally； while tramping some ten thousand miles through the
United States and Canada； I strayed into Niagara Falls； was nabbed by a
fee…hunting constable； denied the right to plead guilty or not guilty；
sentenced out of hand to thirty days' imprisonment for having no fixed
abode and no visible means of support； handcuffed and chained to a bunch
87
… Page 88…
War of the Classes
of men similarly circumstanced； carted down country to Buffalo；
registered at the Erie County Penitentiary； had my head clipped and my
budding mustache shaved； was dressed in convict stripes； compulsorily
vaccinated by a medical student who practised on such as we； made to
march the lock…step； and put to work under the eyes of guards armed with
Winchester riflesall for adventuring in BLOND…BEASTLY fashion。
Concerning further details deponent sayeth not； though he may hint that
some of his plethoric national patriotism simmered down and leaked out
of the bottom of his soul somewhereat least； since that experience he
finds that he cares more for men and women and little children than for
imaginary geographical lines。
To return to my conversion。 I think it is apparent that my rampant
individualism was pretty effectively hammered out of me； and something
else as effectively hammered in。 But； just as I had been an individualist
without knowing it； I was now a Socialist without knowing it； withal； an
unscientific one。 I had been reborn； but not renamed； and I was running
around to find out what manner of thing I was。 I ran back to California and
opened the books。 I do not remember which ones I opened first。 It is an
unimportant detail anyway。 I was already It； whatever It was； and by aid of
the books I discovered that It was a Socialist。 Since that day I have opened
many books； but no economic argument； no lucid demonstration of the
logic and inevitableness of Socialism affects me as profoundly and
convincingly as I was affected on the day when I first saw the walls of the
Social Pit rise around me and felt myself slipping down； down； into the
shambles at the bottom。
Footnotes：
｛1｝ 〃From 43 to 52 per cent of all applicants need work rather than
relief。〃Report of the Charity Organization Society of New York City。
｛2｝ Mr。 Leiter； who owns a coal mine at the town of Zeigler； Illinois；
in an interview printed in the Chicago Record…Herald of December 6；
1904； said： 〃When I go into the market to purchase labor； I propose to
retain just as much freedom as does a purchaser in any other kind of a
market。 。 。 。 There is no difficulty whatever in obtaining labor； FOR THE
88
… Page 89…
War of the Classes
COUNTRY IS FULL OF UNEMPLOYED MEN。〃
｛3｝ 〃Despondent and weary with vain attempts to struggle against an
unsympathetic world； two old men were brought before Police Judge
McHugh this afternoon to see whether some means could not be provided
for their support； at least until springtime。
〃George Westlake was the first one to receive the consideration of the
court。 Westlake is seventy…two years old。 A charge of habitual drunkenness
was placed against him； and he was sentenced to a term in the county jail；
though it is more than probable that he was never under the influence of
intoxicating liquor in his life。 The act on the part of the authorities was one
of kindness for him； as in the county jail he will