“We have a ‘sure thing.’
“Lie low. Keep quiet.
“Let no one speak to the workers about this matter of the surplus. The worker who sees that beautiful thing called surplus, ceases to be a tame, blind thing, a humble lump, contented with only part of the product of his labor.... But whatever happens—we business men control the powers of government—and that gives us the use of all the judges in gowns and all the armed men in khaki we need to defend our surplus game. A meek, satisfied, contented wage-earner is such a useful animal—just as satisfactory as a chattel slave. Like the slave, he’s willing to produce a surplus. When he objects we have him whipped and kicked—with a policeman’s club or a bayonet.”
Discuss with your fellow-workers this also:—
Armed men, MORE AND MORE ARMED MEN, must be had at once for a new and special reason. A new danger is now growing vast and dark,—like an increasing storm. The army of the unemployed—hungry, insulted and angry, not permitted to work, not permitted to produce, not permitted to enjoy, not even permitted to beg,—this army of eager, disgusted, angry men and women are looking through the masters’ palace windows, where the masters and their pets feast on good things and sneer at the unemployed. With modern machinery, modern methods, modern knowledge, and modern skill the workers can produce vast surpluses so rapidly that the capitalists can’t dispose of it all promptly either in home markets or foreign markets; and thus cannot—dare not—employ all the workers all the time all the workers are willing to work. Thus some factories are run part time, some are run reduced force, and thus millions of willing workers are snubbed at the mill, snubbed at the mine, and snubbed at the factory door where they coax for permission to serve society by producing useful things. Millions in danger of losing their jobs, millions working part time, millions with wages reduced, millions out of work—millions—these millions are growing restless, fretful, thoughtful; the capitalist fears this meek fretfulness and thoughtfulness will grow into a vast, loud, BOLD ROAR OF PROTEST-AND-DEMAND BY THE WORKING CLASS.
Therefore,
Capitalists want more military legislation—and get it.
Capitalists want the strongest, healthiest jobless men to join the militia and the army and be ready to crush the other jobless men, ready to thrust bayonets into the rag-covered breasts of their weaker brothers if they should become loudly desperate with hunger.
Therefore,
Congress in 1907–08, legislating, as usual, in the service of the capitalist class, logically, naturally, obediently, still further developed the armed guard—the militia, the army and the navy—the fighting machine, the fist of the capitalist class. In March, 1908, the United States Government suddenly opened up many extra recruiting stations in New York City—in the open air in the public parks, where tens of thousands of jobless, discouraged, hungry men were to be found. The recruiting officers’ chief argument was “plenty of good food and clothing and not much to do.”[[22]]