Mr. Maxim, observing a wasteful
hand-labor process in his English factory, invented a machine which he
proved capable of displacing several men. But workman after workman was
put at the machine, and without exception they turned out neither more
nor less than a workman turned out by hand. They obeyed the mandate of
the union and went easy, while Mr. Maxim gave up in despair. Nor will
the British workman run machines at as high speed as the American, nor
will he run so many. An American workman will "give equal attention
simultaneously to three, four, or six machines or tools, while the
British workman is compelled by his trade union to limit his attention to
one, so that employment may be given to half a dozen men."

But for scabbing, no blame attaches itself anywhere. With rare
exceptions, all the people in the world are scabs. The strong, capable
workman gets a job and holds it because of his strength and capacity.
And he holds it because out of his strength and capacity he gives a
better value for his wage than does the weaker and less capable workman.
Therefore he is scabbing upon his weaker and less capable brother
workman. He is giving more value for the price paid by the employer.

The superior workman scabs upon the inferior workman because he is so
constituted and cannot help it. The one, by fortune of birth and
upbringing, is strong and capable; the other, by fortune of birth and
upbringing, is not so strong nor capable. It is for the same reason that
one country scabs upon another. That country which has the good fortune
to possess great natural resources, a finer sun and soil, unhampering
institutions, and a deft and intelligent labor class and capitalist class
is bound to scab upon a country less fortunately situated. It is the
good fortune of the United States that is making her the colossal scab,
just as it is the good fortune of one man to be born with a straight back
while his brother is born with a hump.

It is not good to give most for least, not good to be a scab. The word
has gained universal opprobrium. On the other hand, to be a non-scab, to
give least for most, is universally branded as stingy, selfish, and
unchristian-like. So all the world, like the British workman, is 'twixt
the devil and the deep sea. It is treason to one's fellows to scab, it
is unchristian-like not to scab.

Since to give least for most, and to give most for least, are universally
bad, what remains? Equ