Montana news. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-191?, 1907-04-04
In BOiS<''.'' a'''".a 1.,.p
Prison
How Prisoners Use their Time-An
Interview With Meyer and
HAYWOOD in Jail

struggle had placed him where he was,
and he was fully prepared TO bear
whatever inconvenience might be in
volved in the fight.
Ny own mind was set at rest by
his fearless declaration. Those of us
whose fate is east with that unfor
tunate class that has yet to achieve
freedom and historic opportunity know
that ere that ideal is attained by the
sons of men, many of us must look to
face the iron heel of the oppressor,
with life and liberty in jeopardy. Still,
even with the certain knowledge of
the path wither this struggle Of the
slaves of toll leads, it is not every
mind that is built on such heroic lines,
that it can face the actual experience
of martyrdom with equanimity.
Haywood and his class are pro
duet of the system that the capitalist
rule has imposed upon the world.
Haywood and men like him, and wo-
men too, win hew their way to liberty
ms the swift years roll by. That liberty
means that Work shall bring blessings
and pleasure in its train; it shall bring
culture, art, beauty and wholesome
leisure. IL shall bring home and
health, and merry children, and glad
living for all. No other goal can be
the social goal. And for this we are
willing to face the fight, the dungeon,
the torture, and the giblet if neces-
sary.,
These men, our brothers of organ.
lied labor and the socialist cause, are
facing them now.
They are not the first; they will not
bc the last.
Labor Awake.
Haywood went on to talk of the con
ditions Of organizations among the
working class at present. He spoke
ot the wonderful advance along indus
trial lines in cities like Portland where
even the wharfmen have been organ
lied into the Industrial Workers of
the World. and where the whole city
is practically at the mercy Of the
working class. He spoke Of the con
flict in the ranks of organized labor
at Goldfeld, but gave il as the result
of the mine owners, the employing
class, spreading dissention among the
workers in order to divide them and
keep them from forming n coalition
that would mean disaster TO the ca
pitalist rule.
He seemed particularly pleased that
the Montana News was making such
strenuous stand for constructive or.
ganization in the socialist movement.
alt is what we have got to have"
he said.
Through a hitch somewhere the
News has not been received regularly
at the Jail. and he had not been aware
before that il was owned and published
by the Socialist Party of the state,
the onlyone such in the United States,
and he said that he was more than
ever interested in il because of that.
As ] told him of its ten thousand
readers, of Local Butte taking 5000
copies for distribution 10 get an i'm
mediate and accurate account of the
defense side throughout the trial, Of
its well-equipped plant, motor, press,
type, stock, and linotype about to
be installed, all owned by the social
lists of Montana. he seemed delighted,
and said that was the way to go about
it,,
He asked particularly il the Mill
and Smeltermen IS Union of Butte were
taking bundles of the News; said that
was such fine militant organization,
and was so persistent in spreading
education and economic literature, that
they took advantage of every oppor-
tunity to inform and develop the in.
telligence of the workers.
Developing It's Plans.
When ] told him of the policy the
News had taken as an organ of this
Socialist Party, not to participate in
any Of the dissentions among the
unions. but TO stand for organization
on political and economic lines wher-
ever il was helpful, and continually
point the workers TO their class inter
ests, aud that in union alone there is
strength, he said we were undeninbly
right. Labor in its economic interests
was in formative state in America
at present-an experimental state, as
IL were, and no one could tell exactly
the direction its evolution would take.
But the socialist movement knew its