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direction； toward the day when he will take charge。 The trust？ Ah； no。
Unlike the trembling middle…class man and the small capitalist； he sees
nothing at which to be frightened。 He likes the trust。 He exults in the trust；
for it is largely doing the task for him。 It socializes production； this done；
there remains nothing for him to do but socialize distribution； and all is
accomplished。 The trust？ 〃It organizes industry on an enormous； labor…
saving scale； and abolishes childish； wasteful competition。〃 It is a gigantic
object lesson； and it preaches his political economy far more potently than
he can preach it。 He points to the trust； laughing scornfully in the face of
the orthodox economists。 〃You told me this thing could not be；〃 ｛12｝ he
thunders。 〃Behold； the thing is！〃
He sees competition in the realm of production passing away。 When
the captains of industry have thoroughly organized production； and got
everything running smoothly； it will be very easy for him to eliminate the
profits by stepping in and having the thing run for himself。 And the captain
of industry； if he be good； may be given the privilege of continuing the
management on a fair salary。 The sixty millions of dividends which the
Standard Oil Company annually declares will be distributed among the
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workers。 The same with the great United States Steel Corporation。 The
president of that corporation knows his business。 Very good。 Let him
become Secretary of the Department of Iron and Steel of the United States。
But； since the chief executive of a nation of seventy…odd millions works
for 50；000 a year； the Secretary of the Department of Iron and Steel must
expect to have his salary cut accordingly。 And not only will the workers
take to themselves the profits of national and municipal monopolies； but
also the immense revenues which the dominant classes today draw from
rents； and mines； and factories； and all manner of enterprises。
All this would seem very like a dream； even to the worker； if it were
not for the fact that like things have been done before。 He points
triumphantly to the aristocrat of the eighteenth century； who fought；
legislated； governed； and dominated society； but who was shorn of power
and displaced by the rising bourgeoisie。 Ay； the thing was done； he holds。
And it shall be done again； but this time it is the proletariat who does the
shearing。 Sociology has taught him that m…i…g…h…t spells 〃right。〃 Every
society has been ruled by classes； and the classes have ruled by sheer
strength； and have been overthrown by sheer strength。 The bourgeoisie；
because it was the stronger； dragged down the nobility of the sword； and
the proletariat； because it is the strongest of all； can and will drag down the
bourgeoisie。
And in that day； for better or worse； the common man becomes the
masterfor better； he believes。 It is his intention to make the sum of
human happiness far greater。 No man shall work for a bare living wage；
which is degradation。 Every man shall have work to do； and shall be paid
exceedingly well for doing it。 There shall be no slum classes； no beggars。
Nor shall there be hundreds of thousands of men and women condemned；
for economic reasons； to lives of celibacy or sexual infertility。 Every man
shall be able to marry； to live in healthy； comfortable quarters； and to have
all he wants to eat as many times a day as he wishes。 There shall no longer
be a life…and…death struggle for food and shelter。 The old heartless law of
development shall be annulled。
All of which is very good and very fine。 And when these things have
come to pass； what then？ Of old； by virtue of their weakness and
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War of the Classes
inefficiency in the struggle for food and shelter； the race was purged of its
weak and inefficient members。 But this will no longer obtain。 Under the
new order the weak and the progeny of the weak will have a chance for
survival equal to that of the strong and the progeny of the strong。 This
being so； the premium upon strength will have been withdrawn； and on the
face of it the average strength of each generation； instead of continuing to
rise； will begin to decline。
When the common man's day shall have arrived； the new social
institutions of that day will prevent the weeding out of weakness and
inefficiency。 All； the weak and the strong； will have an equal chance for
procreation。 And the progeny of all； of the weak as well as the strong； will
have an equal chance for survival。 This being so； and if no new effective
law of development be put into operation； then progress must cease。 And
not only progress； for deterioration would at once set in。 It is a pregnant
problem。 What will be the nature of this new and most necessary law of
development？ Can the common man pause long enough from his
undermining labors to answer？ Since he is bent upon dragging down the
bourgeoisie and reconstructing society； can he so reconstruct that a
premium； in some unguessed way or other； will still be laid upon the
strong and efficient so that the human type will continue to develop？ Can
the common man； or the uncommon men who are allied with him； devise
such a law？ Or have they already devised one？ And if so； what is it？
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HOW I BECAME A SOCIALIST
It is quite fair to say that I became a Socialist in a fashion somewhat
similar to the way in which the Teutonic pagans became Christiansit was
hammered into me。 Not only was I not looking for Socialism at the time of
my conversion； but I was fighting it。 I was very young and callow； did not
know much of anything； and though I had never even heard of a school
called 〃Individualism；〃 I sang the paean of the strong with all my heart。
This was because I was strong myself。 By strong I mean that I had
good health and hard muscles； both of which possessions are easily
accounted for。 I had lived my childhood on California ranches； my
boyhood hustling newspapers on the streets of a healthy Western city； and
my youth on the ozone…laden waters of San Francisco Bay and the Pacific
Ocean。 I loved life in the open； and I toiled in the open； at the hardest
kinds of work。 Learning no trade； but drifting along from job to job； I
looked on the world and called it good； every bit of it。 Let me repeat； this
optimism was because I was healthy and strong； bothered with neither
aches nor weaknesses； never turned down by the boss because I did not
look fit； able always to get a job at shovelling coal； sailorizing； or manual
labor of some sort。
And because of all this； exulting in my young life； able to hold my
own at work or fight； I was a rampant individualist。 It was very natural。 I
was a winner。 Wherefore I called the game； as I saw it played； or thought I
saw it played； a very proper game for MEN。 To be a MAN was to write
man in large capitals on my heart。 To adventure like a man； and fight like a
man； and do a man's work （even for a boy's pay）these were things that
reached right in and gripped hold of me as no other thing could。 And I
looked ahead into long vistas of a hazy and interminable future； into which；
playing what I conceived to be MAN'S game； I should continue to travel
with unfailing health； without accidents； and with muscles ever vigorous。
As I say； this future was interminable。 I could see myself only raging
through life without end like one of Nietzsche's BLOND… BEASTS；
lustfully roving and conquering by sheer superiority and strength。
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As for the unfortunates； the sick； and ailing； and old； and maimed； I
must confess I hardly thought of them at a