The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1916-12-15
JACK LONDON WAS SCARED INTO
THINKING

JACK LONDON WAS SCARED INTO
THINKING
Though Jack London's books are
entertaining to one seeking enter
dainment alone, London did not write
merely as a simple story teller. His
intellect was forever graphing with
problems hereditary environment
the unequal distribution of wealth
the attempt of the brute to live in al
artificial civilization. London was
a Socialist, but he was Socialist OF
action, not passive one. His theory
of life was summed up with clear
cut emphasis in his remark, II would
rather be ashes than dust"
London believed intensely in living
while he was here. His remark meant
that he would rather be the cold and
lifeless remnant of what had once
been a vital fire than to be something
that was permanent but without
present or a past of action and worth
The story of how London became a
writer was told in little message en-
titled, what Life Means to Me-
which London wrote in explanation
of his Socialistic views. In it he said:
II was scared into thinking. / saw
the naked simplicities of the compli-
Gated civilization in which lived.
Life was a matter of food and shelter
In order to get food and shelter men
sold things The merchant sold
shoes, the politician sold his man
hood, and the representative Of the
people, with exceptions, of course,
sold his trust; while nearly all sold
their honor. Women, too, whether
on the streets or in the holy bond of
wedlock, were prone to sell their
tlesh. All things were commodities,
all people bought and sold The one
commodity that labor had to sell was
muscle. The honor of labor had no
price in the market place Labor had
muscle, and muscle alone, to sell
"But there was difference, a vital
difference. Shoes and trust and hon
or had a way of renewing themselves.
They were imperishable stocks Mus
Gle, on the other hand, did not renew
Ao hn t,nnrnhant oh hn
continued to replenish his stock But
there was no way of replenishing the
1aborer's stock of muscle. The more
he sold of his muscle, the less of it re-
manned to him. 1t was his one COM
modify, and each day his stock of 1t
In the end, If he did not
die before, he sold out and put up his
shutters. He was muscle bank
rupt, and nothing remained to him
hut to go down into the cellar of So
'ciety and perish miserably.
II learned, further, that brain was
likewise commodity. 1t, too, was
different from muscle. A brain seller
was only at his prime when he was
so or 60 years old, and his wares
were fetching higher prices than
ever. But laborer was worked out
or broken down at As or so. had
been in the cellar of sciety, and l did
not like the place as habitation.
The pipes and drains were insanitary,
and the air was bad to breathe. II
could not live on the parlor floor of |
society, / could, at any rate, have a |
try at the attic. 1t was true. the diet |
there was slim, but the air at least |
was pure. So resolved to sell no
more muscle. and to become a vender |
Of brains.
London reached and found en-
trance into the 'parlor floor" of So
ciety but he found it not to his liking.
There were things artificial, wrong,
foolish there, he found, and so he
went back to his own kind. He tells
of his return and of the vision that |
led him:
so | went back to the working
class, in which l had been born and |
where | belonged. l care no longer
to climb. The imposing ediflce of So
ciety above my head holds no de-
lights for me. 1t is the foundation |
of the edifice that interests me. There
i am content to labor, crowbar in
hand, shoulder to shoulder with in