Montana news. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-191?, 1905-08-30

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Now in the matter of the unem-
ployed problem, you will agree with
me that before we get Socialism, the
capitalist class will do everything
under the sun to prevent the unem-
ployed problem. They will build
canals, railroads, and what not in
order to take care of the unemployed
problem, and in the outlay of these
millions, who will pay for it2 The
worker, of course.
Again referring TO the matter of
craft unionism, we operators of the
Great Northern and Northern Pa
ciic are now out on strike. 1 am
simply lying on my oars to be re-
lieved here as agent. We have
about as much show of winning this
strike, as have of going to Seattle
tomorrow and draining the Pacific
ocean with a spoon before sunset.
/ knew this, as persume all Social
lists in the employ of the two COM
panies did, and of course voted and
worked as hard as | could against
the strike suicide. The officials of
the o. X. T., prepared the strike
vote, so that the unsophisticated
pure and simple o. X. T., member,
could not with any degree of 10y
atty, refuse to vote for the strike
Now what have these o. X. T.,
leaders to lose by this, OF obviously
what do they carer They have
done this right in the face of their
losing on the Katy" and on the
Santa Fe, and every strike they have
participated in for the last ten years;
their glowing reports in their Jour
nal, to the contrary notwithstanding.
Now how long are we Socialists.
who have studied this question, and
know our ground, to put up with
this kind of work?
The odium of the word scab" is
hurled at us, if we refuse to slaugh-
ter ourselves, while these labor
leaders encourage "scabbery" at the
ballot box with impunity. In fact
our constitution says that no poll
tics will be admitted to the union or
Journal" The result of this is that
the telegraph operators are the most
ignorant craft of any, along the line
of their economic interests. This
dawned on me plainly, when / was
running for secretary of state on the
Socialist ticket in Montana last fall
and made the rounds of the state.
The night operator, working op-
posite me is in stranded condition;
being 81 years of age, with family
of eight: four of his own and four of
his daughters to care for, the eldest
under twelve years of age. He is
a Socialist, intelligent and realizes
the idiocy of this work, but from a
moral standpoint went out" He
cannot get a job on any railroad in
the United States, on account of old
age, and failure to pass physical ex-
animation.
] He has worked in the railroad
service for over thirty five years.
Again ask of you, and other So
cialists who are apparently opposing
the industrial movement: Is there
no Balm in Gilead" for we, of the
labor movement, who are honest in
labor's cause, and must we eternally
and consciously take the worst of
Iitp
l wish you we're on the ground
here, and see what antics are carried
on in the name of 'unionism," en-
gendered by the Gompers style.
Fellow employees, actually gloating,
in childish glee, over our appar-
ent discontinue.
Now we have struck to stop traf-
fic on these two roads, and who are
"scabbing" against usI The engi-
neers, fremen, conductors, brake
men, watchmen, sectionmen, car
penters, bridgemen, shopmen, and
every mothers son of them, who are
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