war of the classes-第15部分

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prize　of　world…empire。　　In　that　given　direction　they　will　have

attained　their　maximum　development；　before　the　whole　world；　in　the

same　direction；　has　attained　its。　　There　will　no　longer　be　room　for

them。　　But　if　they　can　survive　the　shock　of　being　flung　out　of　the

world's　industrial　orbit；　a　change　in　direction　may　then　be　easily

effected。　　That　the　decadent　and　barbarous　peoples　will　be　crushed

is　a　fair　presumption；　likewise　that　the　stronger　breeds　will

survive；　entering　upon　the　transition　stage　to　which　all　the　world

must　ultimately　come。



This　change　of　direction　must　be　either　toward　industrial

oligarchies　or　socialism。　　Either　the　functions　of　private

corporations　will　increase　till　they　absorb　the　central　government；

or　the　functions　of　government　will　increase　till　it　absorbs　the

corporations。　　Much　may　be　said　on　the　chance　of　the　oligarchy。

Should　an　old　manufacturing　nation　lose　its　foreign　trade；　it　is

safe　to　predict　that　a　strong　effort　would　be　made　to　build　a

socialistic　government；　but　it　does　not　follow　that　this　effort

would　be　successful。　　With　the　moneyed　class　controlling　the　State

and　its　revenues　and　all　the　means　of　subsistence；　and　guarding　its

own　interests　with　jealous　care；　it　is　not　at　all　impossible　that　a

strong　curb　could　be　put　upon　the　masses　till　the　crisis　were　past。

It　has　been　done　before。　　There　is　no　reason　why　it　should　not　be

done　again。　　At　the　close　of　the　last　century；　such　a　movement　was

crushed　by　its　own　folly　and　immaturity。　　In　1871　the　soldiers　of

the　economic　rulers　stamped　out；　root　and　branch；　a　whole　generation

of　militant　socialists。



Once　the　crisis　were　past；　the　ruling　class；　still　holding　the　curb

in　order　to　make　itself　more　secure；　would　proceed　to　readjust

things　and　to　balance　consumption　with　production。　　Having　a

monopoly　of　the　safe　investments；　the　great　masses　of　unremunerative

capital　would　be　directed；　not　to　the　production　of　more　surplus

value；　but　to　the　making　of　permanent　improvements；　which　would　give

employment　to　the　people；　and　make　them　content　with　the　new　order

of　things。　　Highways；　parks；　public　buildings；　monuments；　could　be

builded；　nor　would　it　be　out　of　place　to　give　better　factories　and

homes　to　the　workers。　　Such　in　itself　would　be　socialistic；　save

that　it　would　be　done　by　the　oligarchs；　a　class　apart。　　With　the

interest　rate　down　to　zero；　and　no　field　for　the　investment　of

sporadic　capital；　savings　among　the　people　would　utterly　cease；　and

old…age　pensions　be　granted　as　a　matter　of　course。　　It　is　also　a

logical　necessity　of　such　a　system　that；　when　the　population　began

to　press　against　the　means　of　subsistence；　（expansion　being

impossible）；　the　birth　rate　of　the　lower　classes　would　be　lessened。

Whether　by　their　own　initiative；　or　by　the　interference　of　the

rulers；　it　would　have　to　be　done；　and　it　would　be　done。　　In　other

words；　the　oligarchy　would　mean　the　capitalization　of　labor　and　the

enslavement　of　the　whole　population。　　But　it　would　be　a　fairer；

juster　form　of　slavery　than　any　the　world　has　yet　seen。　　The　per

capita　wage　and　consumption　would　be　increased；　and；　with　a

stringent　control　of　the　birth　rate；　there　is　no　reason　why　such　a

country　should　not　be　so　ruled　through　many　generations。



On　the　other　hand；　as　the　capitalistic　exploitation　of　the　planet

approaches　its　maximum；　and　countries　are　crowded　out　of　the　field

of　foreign　exchanges；　there　is　a　large　likelihood　that　their　change

in　direction　will　be　toward　socialism。　　Were　the　theory　of

collective　ownership　and　operation　then　to　arise　for　the　first　time；

such　a　movement　would　stand　small　chance　of　success。　　But　such　is

not　the　case。　　The　doctrine　of　socialism　has　flourished　and　grown

throughout　the　nineteenth　century；　its　tenets　have　been　preached

wherever　the　interests　of　labor　and　capital　have　clashed；　and　it　has

received　exemplification　time　and　again　by　the　State's　assumption　of

functions　which　had　always　belonged　solely　to　the　individual。



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。







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

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

art