Montana news., 1906-07-19
OUR STAND ON THE UNION CUES.
TION.

TlON.
A few weeks ago in an issue of the
Montana News there appeared the labels
of five different unions at the head of
the front page, all the label cuts we had
on hand.
The issue was what we called the Bill
ings Citizens Alliance edition.
We have received considerable critic
ism from certain members Of the I. w.
W. because the labels OF craft unions
were in the paper end the emblem of the
IW. w. was not.
Some of the advocates Of the Red
Label cigars seem 10 think that we were
knocking that brand of cigars, because
we printed the blue label Of the cigar
makers union. Some of the ]. w. w.
sides with the State Federation at the
the expense of the I. w. w,
The facts of the case are. We had
no l. w. w. cut. We wrote to three
different individuals. prominent members
of the T. w. w. in Butte asking them
for a cut and only one of the tree ans
wered our communication. We could not
get a cut from any !. w. w. union in
Butte or Helena.
We received an ]. w. w. cut but il
was twenty four hours after the paper
was printed. Had it arrived in time
the l. w. w. label would have appeared
with the rest.
The labels were not printed TO ad-
vertise any union. brand of unionism,
as factions in the present controversy in
Montana.
The capitalist class were fighting the
working class in Billings. The citizens
alliance did not enquire which brand Of
unionism existed in Billings. Why
should we!
The working class was attacked, lines
were drawn. and where such condition
exists, there the socialist party should
be found in action. We believe the
News did good service 10 the workers
of Billings at least. We hope IL did.
The citizens alliance Of Billings sent
through their agent in Helena for copies
of the News.
The branch Of the STANDARD Oil in
Helena wanted one hundred copies Of
that issue Of the News and offered us
five cents a copy. They wanted To send
a copy of the News TO capitalists
throughout the country.
We were not able TO supply their de-
mand but they got all that was left.
Right here let II he known that we
are well acquainted with the active work
Of the citizens alliance in Montana.
We know their organizers. we know
where they are most active, we have
their rules and workings and when the
alliance next attempts TO attack the
working class in Montana regardless
whether they are organized in craft,
state federation or ]. w. W. unions, the
Montana News will be found standing
by the heavy artillery.
We have no apology 10 make for the
stand we took in the Billings Aght.
We stand for the working class first,
last and all the time. Right or wrong
the working class.
We have no apologies 10 make for
printing union labels.
Those labels represented the working
class or rather part Of the working
class. We used their omblems TO heir
hurl defiance at the citizens alliance.
And any working man, be he a pure
and simple or an 7. w. w. who will con
denim MS for taking the side Of IN,
working class tbe they organized IL
craft or individual unionsl when they
are attacked by the capitalist class
IL either ignorant Of the class struggle
or is a traitor TO the working class, Q
scab at heart
We have also received communication
asking where the Montana News stands