the iron puddler-第33章

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〃I　have　dedicated　my　life　to　this　purpose。　We　will　build　this　freer　world　by　the　right　instruction　of　our　young。　Education　is　of　two　kinds；　one　kind　is　good　and　the　other　is　poison。　A　poisonous　education　took　but　one　generation　to　turn　the　German　working　men　into　a　race　of　blood…letters。　Wrong　education　tears　a　nation　down。　Right　education　will　build　it　up。　One　generation　of　right　education　will　remake　the　world。　Who　will　furnish　this　new　education？　I；　for　one；　will　do　my　share；　and　more。　My　heart　is　in　this　one　cause；　and　my　whole　life　from　now　on　shall　be　devoted　to　it。

〃You　will　hear　me　speaking　for　it　on　every　rostrum　and　in　every　schoolhouse　in　America。　I　have　been　handicapped　in　life　because　I　had　no　education。　But　it　is　better　to　have　no　education　than　a　false　one；　for　I　was　left　free　to　know　the　truth　when　I　found　it。　I　went　into　the　mills　when　I　should　have　been　in　school。　As　a　working　man　I　have　helped　get　better　conditions　for　the　worker。　Think　how　much　more　I　could　have　done　if　I　had　had　an　education。　Your　leaders　have　done　much　for　the　iron　workers　because　they　could　see　farther　than　the　common　man。　The　worker　with　an　education　can　see　far。　He　can　judge　quickly　and　be　guided　rightly；　for　he　has　knowledge　to　guide　him。　I　have　knelt　and　prayed　to　God　to　direct　me。　Now　I　know　He　has　answered　my　prayer。　My　mission　is　to　bring　to　the　poor　man's　boy　the　ample　education　that　the　rich　man　gives　his　son。　Equal　education　will　make　men　equal　in　the　gaining　of　wealth。　Education　is　Democracy。

〃A　French　soldier　lay　dying　on　the　battle…field；　and　a　comrade　kneeling　by　him　asked　what　last　word　he　wished　carried　to　his　wife　and　children。　And　the　dying　man　said　with　his　last　breath：　'Tell　them　that　I　gave　my　body　to　the　earth；　I　gave　my　heart　to　France　and　I　gave　my　soul　to　God。'

〃And　so　I　say　to　you　in　the　spirit　of　the　French　soldier　that　this；　my　body；　I　will　give　at　last　back　to　the　iron　earth；　in　whose　deep　mines　and　smoking　metal　shops　my　muscles　took　their　form。　This　heart　of　mine　that　beats　for　liberty　and　equality　I　giveand　give　to　its　last　beatto　the　cause　of　equal　education　for　our　young。　And　my　soul　at　last　I　shall　render　back　unto　my　Maker　knowing　that　I　have　served　His　cause　as　He　has　given　me　to　see　it。〃



CHAPTER　XLIX

CONCLUSION


H。　G。　Wells　has　asked　all　scholars　to　unite　in　writing　a　〃Bible　of　the　New　Education。〃　I　am　no　scholar；　but　if　Wells　will　take　suggestions　from　an　iron　puddler；　I　offer　him　these　random　thoughts。

This　generation　is　rich　because　the　preceding　generation　stored　up　lots　of　capital。　We　are　living　in　the　houses　and　using　the　railroads　that　our　fathers　built　by　working　overtime。

When　labor　loafs　on　the　job　it　makes　itself　poor。　We　are　not　building　fast　enough　to　keep　ourselves　housed。　Were　it　not　for　the　houses　our　fathers　built　this　generation　would　be　out…of…　doors　right　now；　with　no　roof　but　the　sky。

No　matter　who　owns　the　capital；　capital　works　for　everybody。　Ford　owns　the　flivver　factory；　but　everybody　owns　the　flivvers。　The　oil　king　owns　the　gasoline；　but　he　has　to　tote　it　to　the　roadside　where　every　one　can　get　it。　Equal　division　is　the　goal　that　capitalism　constantly　approaches。　No　man　wants　all　the　gasoline。　He　wants　six　gallons　at　a　time；　with　a　service　station　every　few　miles。　Capital　performs　this　service　for　him。　Under　〃capitalism；〃　so？called　wealth　is　more　equally　divided　than　under　any　other　system　ever　known。

Work　is　a　blessing；　not　a　curse。　This　country　had　the　good　luck　to　be　settled　by　the　hardest　workers　in　the　world。　Their　big　production　made　us　rich。　If　we　slacken　production　we　will　soon　be　poor。　The　Indians　owned　everything　in　common。　They　did　not　work。　And　they　were　so　poor　that　this　whole　continent　would　support　less　than　two　million　of　them。　Thousands　of　Indians　used　to　starve　and　freeze　to　death　every　hard　winter。

The　white　man　who　doesn't　want　to　work　is　sick。　He　needs　a　dose　of　medicine；　not　a　dose　of　the　millennium。　The　Bible　says　that　in　the　sweat　of　his　face　man　shall　eat　bread。　When　labor　loafs；　it　injures　labor　first　and　capital　last。　For　labor　grows　poor　to…day　while　the　capitalist　gets　poor　to…morrow。　But　to…morrow　never　comes。　The　capitalist　can　turn　laborer　and　raise　himself　a　mess　of　pork　and　beans。

The　laborer　who　does　not　turn　capitalist　and　have　a　house　and　garden　for　his　old　age　is　lacking　in　foresight。

Men　will　never　be　equal。　John　L。　Sullivan　had　many　fights；　and　John　always　whipped　the　other　fellow；　or　the　other　fellow　whipped　John。　When　all　men　are　equal；　every　prize　fight　will　end　in　a　draw；　and　every　batter　will　knock　as　many　home　runs　as　Babe　Ruth。

〃There　is　enough　already　created　to　supply　everybody　if　it　were　equally　divided。〃　Yes。　And　there　is　enough　ice　at　the　North　Pole　to　cool　off　the　Sahara　Desert　if　it　were　equally　divided。　There　is　enough　water　in　the　seven　seas　to　flood　the　six　continents　if　it　were　equally　divided。

The　time　to　quit　work　and　divide　the　wealth　is　just　two　weeks　before　the　end　of　the　world。　For　the　world's　surplus　of　supplies　is　just　two　weeks　ahead　of　starvation。　Wheat　is　being　harvested　in　one　country　or　another　every　week　in　the　year。　And　yet　with　all　the　hard　work　that　men　can　do；　they　can　not　boost　the　world's　supply　of　bread　so　as　to　increase　our　two　weeks'　lead　on　the　wolf　of　famine。　The　wolf　is　ever　behind　us　only　two　weeks　away。　And　if　we　stumble　for　a　moment；　he　gets　nearer。

American　machinery　enabled　the　western　farmer　to　raise　and　harvest　as　much　wheat　as　twenty　Russian　peasants。　In　India　where　wheat　is　raised　by　hand；　the　labor　of　one　family　will　only　feed　one　family。　But　in　the　Dakotas；　the　labor　of　one　man　will　deliver　in　Chicago　enough　flour　to　feed　three　hundred　men　a　year。　This　increase　in　man's　power　to　produce　wheat　caused　the　world's　population　to　double　itself　since　McCormack　invented　the　reaper。　The　Chinese　and　Hindu　millions　who　would　have　starved　to　death；　have　been　fed；　and　that's　why　they're　with　us　to…day。　The　natural　limit　of　population　is　starvation。　The　more　bread　the　more　mouths；　less　bread；　fewer　people。　Europe　and　the　Orient　reached　the　starvation　limit　before　America　was　settled。　A　bad　crop　meant　a　famine；　and　a　famine　started　a　plague。　This　plague　and　famine　would　sweep　off　a　third　of　the　population；　and　the　rest　could　then　raise　food　enough　to　thrive　on。　England　and　Wales　have　had　famines；　Ireland　has　had　famines；　France　has　had　famines；　Russia　has　a　deadly　famine　after　every　bad　crop　year；　while　in　India　and　China　famine　is　a　chronic　condition。

America　has　never　had　a　famine。　But　we　are　not　exempt　from　famine。　In　the　year　1816；　known　as　the　year　of　〃eighteen…hundred…　and…froze…to…death；〃　the　crops　failed　throughout　America　because　of　freezing　weather　all　summer　long。　Little　or　no　food　was　raised　and　the　Americans　would　have　perished　from　famine　had　it　not　been　for　the　wild　meat　in　the　woods。　The　people　lived　on　deer　and　bear　that　winter。　To…day　if　our　food　supply　fails　we　can　not　live　on　venison。　No　country　is　by　natural　law　exempt　from　famine。　Our　famine　will　come　when　we　fill　this　country　as　thickly　as　men　can　stand；　China　and　India　have　so　filled　themselves。　Famine　awaits　us　when　we　repeat　their　folly。　That　day　will　come　soon　unless　we　bar　the　unworthy　from　our　gates。

But　cold　weather　and　crop　failure　are　not　the　only　things　that　could　bring　a　famine　in　America。　Slacking　in　production　has　the　same　effect　as　crop　failure。　A　farmers'　strike　could　bring　a　famine。　A　railroad　strike　could　do　the　same。　Many　men　advocate　a　combination　farmers'　strike　and　railroad　strike　to　destroy　capital　（that　is；　to　destroy　the　food　supply）。　Don't　get　impatient；　boys。　You　shall　have　your　famine；　if　you　will　wait　long　enough。　And　the　less　work　you　do　while　you　are　waiting；　the　sooner　it　will　come。　Nature　is　never　whipped。　Nature　will　take　a　crack　at　you；　if　you　leave　an　opening。　The　generation　that　went　before　you　worked　ten　to　fourteen　hours　a　day；　they　battled　face　to　face　with　a　raw　continent　in　their　fight　with　Nature。　And　by　their　muscle　they　drove　Nature　back　and　she　surrendered。　She　went　down　like　crumpled　Germany；　and　she　signed　a　treaty。　Hard　were　the　treaty　terms　our　fighting　fathers　made　with　Nature。　They　took　an　indemnity。　She　delivered　to　the