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in the form of demands for an increased share of the joint product；
is being carefully and shrewdly shaped for a political assault upon
society。 The leaders； with the carelessness of fatalists； do not
hesitate for an instant to publish their intentions to the world。
They intend to direct the labor revolt to the capture of the
political machinery of society。 With the political machinery once
in their hands； which will also give them the control of the police；
the army； the navy； and the courts； they will confiscate； with or
without remuneration； all the possessions of the capitalist class
which are used in the production and distribution of the necessaries
and luxuries of life。 By this； they mean to apply the law of
eminent domain to the land； and to extend the law of eminent domain
till it embraces the mines； the factories； the railroads； and the
ocean carriers。 In short； they intend to destroy present…day
society； which they contend is run in the interest of another class；
and from the materials to construct a new society； which will be run
in their interest。
On the other hand； the capitalist class is beginning to grow
conscious of itself and of the struggle which is being waged。 It is
already forming offensive and defensive leagues； while some of the
most prominent figures in the nation are preparing to lead it in the
attack upon socialism。
The question to be solved is not one of Malthusianism； 〃projected
efficiency；〃 nor ethics。 It is a question of might。 Whichever
class is to win； will win by virtue of superior strength； for the
workers are beginning to say； as they said to Mr。 Cunniff； 〃Malthus
be damned。〃 In their own minds they find no sanction for continuing
the individual struggle for the survival of the fittest。 As Mr。
Gompers has said； they want more； and more； and more。 The ethical
import of Mr。 Kidd's plan of the present generation putting up with
less in order that race efficiency may be projected into a remote
future； has no bearing upon their actions。 They refuse to be the
〃glad perishers〃 so glowingly described by Nietzsche。
It remains to be seen how promptly the capitalist class will respond
to the call to arms。 Upon its promptness rests its existence； for
if it sits idly by； soothfully proclaiming that what ought not to be
cannot be； it will find the roof beams crashing about its head。 The
capitalist class is in the numerical minority； and bids fair to be
outvoted if it does not put a stop to the vast propaganda being
waged by its enemy。 It is no longer a question of whether or not
there is a class struggle。 The question now is； what will be the
outcome of the class struggle？
THE TRAMP
Mr。 Francis O'Neil； General Superintendent of Police； Chicago；
speaking of the tramp； says： 〃Despite the most stringent police
regulations； a great city will have a certain number of homeless
vagrants to shelter through the winter。〃 〃Despite；〃mark the word；
a confession of organized helplessness as against unorganized
necessity。 If police regulations are stringent and yet fail； then
that which makes them fail； namely； the tramp； must have still more
stringent reasons for succeeding。 This being so； it should be of
interest to inquire into these reasons； to attempt to discover why
the nameless and homeless vagrant sets at naught the right arm of
the corporate power of our great cities； why all that is weak and
worthless is stronger than all that is strong and of value。
Mr。 O'Neil is a man of wide experience on the subject of tramps。 He
may be called a specialist。 As he says of himself： 〃As an old…time
desk sergeant and police captain； I have had almost unlimited
opportunity to study and analyze this class of floating population；
which seeks the city in winter and scatters abroad through the
country in the spring。〃 He then continues： 〃This experience
reiterated the lesson that the vast majority of these wanderers are
of the class with whom a life of vagrancy is a chosen means of
living without work。〃 Not only is it to be inferred from this that
there is a large class in society which lives without work； for Mr。
O'Neil's testimony further shows that this class is forced to live
without work。
He says： 〃I have been astonished at the multitude of those who have
unfortunately engaged in occupations which practically force them to
become loafers for at least a third of the year。 And it is from
this class that the tramps are largely recruited。 I recall a
certain winter when it seemed to me that a large portion of the
inhabitants of Chicago belonged to this army of unfortunates。 I was
stationed at a police station not far from where an ice harvest was
ready for the cutters。 The ice company advertised for helpers； and
the very night this call appeared in the newspapers our station was
packed with homeless men； who asked shelter in order to be at hand
for the morning's work。 Every foot of floor space was given over to
these lodgers and scores were still unaccommodated。〃
And again： 〃And it must be confessed that the man who is willing to
do honest labor for food and shelter is a rare specimen in this vast
army of shabby and tattered wanderers who seek the warmth of the
city with the coming of the first snow。〃 Taking into consideration
the crowd of honest laborers that swamped Mr。 O'Neil's station…house
on the way to the ice…cutting； it is patent； if all tramps were
looking for honest labor instead of a small minority； that the
honest laborers would have a far harder task finding something
honest to do for food and shelter。 If the opinion of the honest
laborers who swamped Mr。 O'Neil's station…house were asked； one
could rest confident that each and every man would express a
preference for fewer honest laborers on the morrow when he asked the
ice foreman for a job。
And； finally； Mr。 O'Neil says： 〃The humane and generous treatment
which this city has accorded the great army of homeless unfortunates
has made it the victim of wholesale imposition； and this well…
intended policy of kindness has resulted in making Chicago the
winter Mecca of a vast and undesirable floating population。〃 That
is to say； because of her kindness； Chicago had more than her fair
share of tramps； because she was humane and generous she suffered
whole…sale imposition。 From this we must conclude that it does not
do to be HUMANE and GENEROUS to our fellow…menwhen they are
tramps。 Mr。 O'Neil is right； and that this is no sophism it is the
intention of this article； among other things； to show。
In a general way we may draw the following inferences from the
remarks of Mr。 O'Neil： （1） The tramp is stronger than organized
society and cannot be put down； （2） The tramp is 〃shabby；〃
〃tattered；〃 〃homeless；〃 〃unfortunate〃； （3） There is a 〃vast〃 number
of tramps； （4） Very few tramps are willing to do honest work； （5）
Those tramps who are willing to do honest work have to hun