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locked the door。 These doors will not open again； and before them
pause thousands of ambitious young men to read the placard： NO
THOROUGH…FARE。
And day by day more doors are shut； while the ambitious young men
continue to be born。 It is they； denied the opportunity to rise
from the working class； who preach revolt to the working class。 Had
he been born fifty years later； Andrew Carnegie； the poor Scotch
boy； might have risen to be president of his union； or of a
federation of unions； but that he would never have become the
builder of Homestead and the founder of multitudinous libraries； is
as certain as it is certain that some other man would have developed
the steel industry had Andrew Carnegie never been born。
Theoretically； then； there exist in the United States all the
factors which go to make a class struggle。 There are the
capitalists and working classes； the interests of which conflict；
while the working class is no longer being emasculated to the extent
it was in the past by having drawn off from it its best blood and
brains。 Its more capable members are no longer able to rise out of
it and leave the great mass leaderless and helpless。 They remain to
be its leaders。
But the optimistic mouthpieces of the great American people； who are
themselves deft theoreticians； are not to be convinced by mere
theoretics。 So it remains to demonstrate the existence of the class
struggle by a marshalling of the facts。
When nearly two millions of men； finding themselves knit together by
certain interests peculiarly their own； band together in a strong
organization for the aggressive pursuit of those interests； it is
evident that society has within it a hostile and warring class。 But
when the interests which this class aggressively pursues conflict
sharply and vitally with the interests of another class； class
antagonism arises and a class struggle is the inevitable result。
One great organization of labor alone has a membership of 1；700；000
in the United States。 This is the American Federation of Labor； and
outside of it are many other large organizations。 All these men are
banded together for the frank purpose of bettering their condition；
regardless of the harm worked thereby upon all other classes。 They
are in open antagonism with the capitalist class； while the
manifestos of their leaders state that the struggle is one which can
never end until the capitalist class is exterminated。
Their leaders will largely deny this last statement； but an
examination of their utterances； their actions； and the situation
will forestall such denial。 In the first place； the conflict
between labor and capital is over the division of the join product。
Capital and labor apply themselves to raw material and make it into
a finished product。 The difference between the value of the raw
material and the value of the finished product is the value they
have added to it by their joint effort。 This added value is；
therefore； their joint product； and it is over the division of this
joint product that the struggle between labor and capital takes
place。 Labor takes its share in wages； capital takes its share in
profits。 It is patent； if capital took in profits the whole joint
product； that labor would perish。 And it is equally patent； if
labor took in wages the whole joint product； that capital would
perish。 Yet this last is the very thing labor aspires to do； and
that it will never be content with anything less than the whole
joint product is evidenced by the words of its leaders。
Mr。 Samuel Gompers； president of the American Federation of Labor；
has said： 〃The workers want more wages； more of the comforts of
life； more leisure； more chance for self…improvement as men； as
trade…unionists； as citizens。 THESE WERE THE WANTS OF YESTERDAY；
THEY ARE THE WANTS OF TODAY； THEY WILL BE THE WANTS OF TOMORROW； AND
OF TOMORROW'S MORROW。 The struggle may assume new forms； but the
issue is the immemorial one；an effort of the producers to obtain
an increasing measure of the wealth that flows from their
production。〃
Mr。 Henry White； secretary of the United Garment Workers of America
and a member of the Industrial Committee of the National Civic
Federation； speaking of the National Civic Federation soon after its
inception； said： 〃To fall into one another's arms； to avow
friendship； to express regret at the injury which has been done；
would not alter the facts of the situation。 Workingmen will
continue to demand more pay； and the employer will naturally oppose
them。 The readiness and ability of the workmen to fight will； as
usual； largely determine the amount of their wages or their share in
the product。 。 。 But when it comes to dividing the proceeds； there
is the rub。 We can also agree that the larger the product through
the employment of labor…saving methods the better； as there will be
more to be divided； but again the question of the division。 。 。 。 A
Conciliation Committee； having the confidence of the community； and
composed of men possessing practical knowledge of industrial
affairs； can therefore aid in mitigating this antagonism； in
preventing avoidable conflicts； in bringing about a TRUCE； I use the
word 'truce' because understandings can only be temporary。〃
Here is a man who might have owned cattle on a thousand hills； been
a lumber baron or a railroad king； had he been born a few years
sooner。 As it is； he remains in his class； is secretary of the
United Garment Workers of America； and is so thoroughly saturated
with the class struggle that he speaks of the dispute between
capital and labor in terms of war；workmen FIGHT with employers； it
is possible to avoid some CONFLICTS； in certain cases TRUCES may be；
for the time being； effected。
Man being man and a great deal short of the angels； the quarrel over
the division of the joint product is irreconcilable。 For the last
twenty years in the United States； there has been an average of over
a thousand strikes per year； and year by year these strikes increase
in magnitude； and the front of the labor army grows more imposing。
And it is a class struggle； pure and simple。 Labor as a class is
fighting with capital as a class。
Workingmen will continue to demand more pay； and employers will
continue to oppose them。 This is the key…note to LAISSEZ FAIRE；
everybody for himself and devil take the hindmost。 It is upon this
that the rampant individualist bases his individualism。 It is the
let…alone policy； the struggle for existence； which strengthens the
strong； destroys the weak； and makes a finer and more capable breed
of men。 But the individual has passed away and the group has come；
for better or worse； and the struggle has become； not a struggle
between individuals； but a struggle between groups。 So the query
rises： Has the individualist never speculated upon the labor group
becoming strong enough to destroy the capitalist group； and take to