第 5 节
作者:爱之冰点      更新:2021-02-19 17:04      字数:9322
  making   a   showing   which;   reckoned   by   ordinary   standards;   is   out   of   all
  proportion to their numbers。 Their cause is growing among union laborers;
  and     their   long   fight;   intended     to   turn   the   Federation      into   a  political
  organization; is likely to win。〃
  They miss no opportunity of driving home the necessity for political
  action;     the   necessity     for  capturing      the   political   machinery       of   society
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  whereby they may master society。 As an instance of this is the avidity with
  which the American socialists seized upon the famous Taft…Vale Decision
  in England; which was to the effect that an unincorporated union could be
  sued   and   its   treasury   rifled   by   process   of   law。   Throughout   the   United
  States; the socialists pointed the moral in similar fashion to the way it was
  pointed      by   the   Social…Democratic          Herald;    which     advised     the   trade…
  unionists;   in   view   of   the   decision;   to   stop   trying   to   fight   capital   with
  money;   which   they   lacked;   and   to   begin   fighting   with   the   ballot;   which
  was their strongest weapon。
  Night     and    day;   tireless   and   unrelenting;      they   labor    at  their   self…
  imposed task of undermining society。 Mr。 M。 G。 Cunniff; who lately made
  an    intimate     study    of   trade…unionism;       says:    〃All   through     the   unions
  socialism   filters。   Almost   every   other   man   is   a   socialist;   preaching   that
  unionism  is   but   a  makeshift。〃 〃Malthus be   damned;〃   they  told   him;   〃for
  the   good   time   was   coming   when   every   man   should   be   able   to   rear   his
  family     in   comfort。〃     In  one    union;    with    two   thousand      members;      Mr。
  Cunniff found every man a socialist; and from his experiences Mr。 Cunniff
  was forced to confess; 〃I lived in a world that showed our industrial life a…
  tremble from beneath with a never…ceasing ferment。〃
  The socialists have already captured the Western Federation of Miners;
  the     Western       Hotel     and    Restaurant       Employees'        Union;      and     the
  Patternmakers' National Association。 The Western Federation of Miners; at
  a   recent    convention;      declared:    〃The    strike   has   failed   to  secure    to  the
  working classes their liberty; we therefore call upon the workers to strike
  as one man for their liberties at the ballot box。 。 。 。 We put ourselves on
  record as committed to the programme of independent political action。 。 。 。
  We     indorse    the   platform     of   the   socialist   party;   and    accept    it  as  the
  declaration of principles of our organization。 We call upon our members as
  individuals   to   commence   immediately   the   organization   of   the   socialist
  movement in their respective towns and states; and to cooperate in every
  way for the furtherance of the principles of socialism and of the socialist
  party。 In states where the socialist party has not perfected its organization;
  we advise that every assistance be given by our members to that end。 。 。 。
  We   therefore   call   for   organizers;   capable   and   well…versed   in   the   whole
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  programme of the labor movement; to be sent into each state to preach the
  necessity of organization on the political as well as on the economic field。〃
  The     capitalist    class   has   a  glimmering       consciousness        of  the   class
  struggle which is shaping itself in the midst of society; but the capitalists;
  as   a   class;   seem   to   lack   the   ability   for   organizing;   for   coming   together;
  such   as   is   possessed   by   the   working   class。   No American   capitalist   ever
  aids    an   English    capitalist    in  the   common       fight;  while    workmen       have
  formed      international      unions;    the   socialists    a  world…wide       international
  organization; and on all sides space and race are bridged in the effort to
  achieve      solidarity。    Resolutions      of   sympathy;      and;   fully   as   important;
  donations of money; pass back and forth across the sea to wherever labor
  is fighting its pitched battles。
  For divers reasons; the capitalist class lacks this cohesion or solidarity;
  chief among which is the optimism bred of past success。 And; again; the
  capitalist class is divided; it has within itself a class struggle of no mean
  proportions;       which    tends    to  irritate   and   harass    it  and   to  confuse     the
  situation。   The   small   capitalist   and   the   large   capitalist   are   grappled   with
  each other; struggling over what Achille Loria calls the 〃bi…partition of the
  revenues。〃   Such   a   struggle;   though   not   precisely   analogous;   was   waged
  between       the   landlords     and    manufacturers       of   England      when     the   one
  brought about the passage of the Factory Acts and the other the abolition
  of the Corn Laws。
  Here   and   there;   however;   certain   members   of   the   capitalist   class   see
  clearly   the   cleavage   in   society   along   which   the   struggle   is   beginning   to
  show      itself;  while    the  press   and    magazines      are   beginning     to   raise  an
  occasional and troubled voice。 Two leagues of class…conscious capitalists
  have been formed for the purpose of carrying on their side of the struggle。
  Like the socialists; they do not mince matters; but state boldly and plainly
  that   they   are   fighting   to   subjugate   the   opposing   class。   It   is   the   barons
  against   the   commons。  One   of   these   leagues;  the   National Association   of
  Manufacturers; is   stopping short   of  nothing   in what   it   conceives   to  be  a
  life…and…death struggle。 Mr。 D。 M。 Parry; who is the president of the league;
  as well as president of the National Metal Trades' Association; is leaving
  no stone unturned in what he feels to be a desperate effort to organize his
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  class。 He has issued the call to arms in terms everything but ambiguous:
  〃THERE   IS   STILL  TIME   IN   THE   UNITED   STALES   TO   HEAD   OFF
  THE      SOCIALISTIC         PROGRAMME;            WHICH;       UNRESTRAINED;             IS
  SURE TO WRECK OUR COUNTRY。〃
  As he says; the work is for 〃federating employers in order that we may
  meet   with   a   united   front   all   issues   that   affect   us。   We   must   come   to   this
  sooner or later。 。 。 。 The work immediately before the National Association
  of   Manufacturers   is;   first;   KEEP   THE   VICIOUS   EIGHT…HOUR   BILL
  OFF   THE   BOOKS;   second;   to   DESTROY   THE   ANTI…   INJUNCTION
  BILL; which wrests your business from you and places it in the hands of
  your employees; third; to secure the PASSAGE OF THE DEPARTMENT
  OF   COMMERCE AND   INDUSTRY  BILL;   the   latter   would   go   through
  with a rush were it not for the hectoring opposition of Organized Labor。〃
  By this department; he further says; 〃business interests would have direct
  and sympathetic representation at Washington。〃
  In a later letter; issued broadcast to the capitalists outside the League;
  President Parry points out the success which is already beginning to attend
  the efforts of the League at Washington。 〃We have contributed more than
  any    other   influence    to  the   quick   passage     of  the  new    Department      of
  Commerce Bill。 It is said that the activities of this office are numerous and
  satisfactory;   but   of   that   I   must   not   say   too   muchor   anything。   。   。   。   At
  Washington the Association is not represented too much; either directly or
  indirectly。    Sometimes      it  is  known    in  a  most    powerful     way   that   it  is
  represented vigorously and unitedly。 Sometimes it is not known that it is
  represented at all。〃
  The     second    class…conscious       capitalist   organization     is   called   the
  National   Economic   League。   It   likewise   manifests   the   frankness   of   men
  who do not dilly…dally with terms; but who say what they mean; and who
  mean   to   settle   down   to   a   long;   hard   fight。   Their   letter   of   invitation   to
  prospective      members      opens    boldly。   〃We    beg   to  inform    you    that  the
  National      Economic      League     will   render    its  services   in   an   impartial
  educational       movement        TO     OPPOSE        SOCIALISM          A