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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
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War of the Classes
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 hunt very hard to find it； （6） The tramp is undesirable。
To this last let the contention be appended that the tramp is only
PERSONALLY undesirable； that he is NEGATIVELY desirable； that the
function he performs in society is a negative function； and that he is the
by…product of economic necessity。
It is very easy to demonstrate that there are more men than there is
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War of the Classes
work for men to do。 For instance； what would happen tomorrow if one
hundred thousand tramps should become suddenly inspired with an
overmastering desire for work？ It is a fair question。 〃Go to work〃 is
preached to the tramp every day of his life。 The judge on the bench； the
pedestrian in the street； the housewife at the kitchen door； all unite in
advising him to go to work。 So what would happen tomorrow if one
hundred thousand tramps acted upon this advice and strenuously and
indomitably sought work？ Why； by the end of the week one hundred
thousand workers； their places taken by the tramps； would receive their
time and be 〃hitting the road〃 for a job。
Ella Wheeler Wilcox unwittingly and uncomfortably demonstrated the
disparity between men and work。 ｛1｝ She made a casual reference； in a
newspaper column she conducts； to the difficulty two business men found
in obtaining good employees。 The first morning mail brought her seventy…
five applications for the position； and at the end of two weeks over two
hundred people had applied。
Still more strikingly was the same proposition recently demonstrated
in San Francisco。 A sympathetic strike called out a whole federation of
trades' unions。 Thousands of men； in many branches of trade； quit work；
draymen； sand teamsters； porters and packers； longshoremen； stevedores；
warehousemen； stationary engineers； sailors； marine firemen； stewards；
sea…cooks； and so forth；an interminable list。 It was a strike of large
proportions。 Every Pacific coast shipping city was involved； and the entire
coasting service； from San Diego to Puget Sound； was virtually tied up。
The time was considered auspicious。 The Philippines and Alaska had
drained the Pacific coast of surplus labor。 It was summer…time； when the
agricultural demand for laborers was at its height； and when the cities
were bare of their floating populations。 And yet there remained a body of
surplus labor sufficient to take the places of the strikers。 No matter what
occupation； sea…cook or stationary engineer； sand teamster or
warehouseman； in every case there was an idle worker ready to do the
work。 And not only ready but anxious。 They fought for a chance to work。
Men were killed； hundreds of heads were broken； the hospitals were filled
with injured men； and thousands of assaults were committed。 And still
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War of the Classes
surplus laborers； 〃scabs；〃 came forward to replace the strikers。
The question arises： WHENCE CAME THIS SECOND ARMY OF
WORKERS TO REPLACE THE FIRST ARMY？ One thing is certain： the
trades' unions did not scab on one another。 Another thing is certain： no
industry on the Pacific slope was crippled in the slightest degree by its
workers being drawn away to fill the places of the strikers。 A third thing is
certain： the agricultural workers did not flock to the cities to replace the
strikers。 In this last instance it is worth while to note that the agricultural
laborers wailed to High Heaven when a few of the strikers went into the
country to compete with them in unskilled employments。 So there is no
accounting for this second army of workers。 It simply was。 It was there all
this time； a surplus labor army in the year of our Lord 1901； a year
adjudged most prosperous in the annals of the United States。 ｛2｝
The existence of the surplus labor army being established； there
remains to be established the economic necessity for the surplus labor