Strike bulletin. (Clinton, Ill.) 1913-1915, 1913-12-16


s,sh' "'se o'l,ers were 10 consider AT the Seattle
convention was killed We quote herewith a letter
meni This letter sets forth The decision Of the
executive board on the proposition of taking a
general strike vote. The letter from Wharton
Box D. Clinton. H.
Dear Sir md Bro
This Is to scknow ledge rec.ip, Of your favor
dated Nov 27th, answer to which has been de.
lay.d owing to the fact that the building Trade,
Department convention which followed the A. \
and could not leave Seattle until Sunday tn. goth
arriving In st Louis on the 9TH
Replying to your request for information r.la
tive I" action taken by the executive council n
conne, tion with tn. general strk. prol Or ition
which was submitted To = vote Of the lodges OF al
organizations involved In the strike viii thai
prior 10 leaving for Seattle. Bro Scott compiled
. list containing all lodges filling out the blanks
which YOU sent out. According to III. return. W.
received at our office. a total OF 2ss lodges voted
to the proposition: ~ % this 25s were sent In b,
lodges Involved In strike, leaving total Of Il.
connected with the strike. I have never been per
sonaly Informed as to the number OF blanks you
sent out but II is very evident that the numo'
Of lodges voting on the proposition represented
very small percentage OF the total number oi
lodges In all of the organizations involved In tbs
strike III. action Of tn. executive council. how
eossSnsus- OF opinion that ros.ibl. good would
result from tn. submitting Of a proposition for .
general STRIKE Ia the members of the organization,
involved. taking into consideration tn. fact tha
such vote had been submitted In accordance viii
the action "f tn. convention bsld In Kansas cit,
h April 1919, and hat Ne had failed In secure th'
necessary majority for strike at that tim. ant
believe y"u vii agr,. that the sentiment of IN
men more ~ ident then than the pres.
time. Whit. II is true tina, very great percentas,
of Tho lodges voting on this proposition were pos
sibly favorable to the taking Of the strfk,
vote II must h. recognized that they represent bu
yer, small percentage Of tn. membership of th.li
r. ~ .e,i,. Organization. .mnloy.a on railroad
UaFE h.fta th.t IL a
10 our disadvantage to have taken "A vote under
such conditions II the any mAnnei
% he considered as criterion Ia eo by /, would
lie useless to take "A Not. Of this Kind unless ~
we're reasonably sur- Of being abl. to an,
expression Of opinion from a majority Of the mem.
hers In our respective organizations. and wher
less than Is per cent of the lodges inv olved re
spond n a take "A vote. | believe IL I,
evidence enough to warrant us in believing thai
strike vote could not he taken that would he o
any yaiue 10 the men ON strtk. or II. mosemen
In general. and this was the position that th'
executive council assumed
with best wishes. I
Frsternaliy yours
A. %. WHARTON. Pres. II. X. T.. Dept
wh.rton's letter explains the decision of the In
eoin9 swbats general strike proposition "a ih
membership. In other words have failed q
warrant them In submitting . general strike vot
10 the membershtp.
II might be well to state. however. that every
thing possible was done BY some Of the interna
tionaI officers to keep US from getting their con
silt uents interested In . general strike. Ever!
available switch was set TO sidetrsck th
general strike agitation. The very same busz saw
that were placed In operation against the genera
strike Of 1914 we're placed In motion again At th
time. and considering all this. the showing mad
Was better than expected.
We are taking this opportunity Of thanking tn,
few iodges which pOssesscd enough Initiative. In
dependence and courage to express their opinions
regardless Of any and all unconstitutional author
ity assumed by the plenipotentisries In our auto
cratic government OF labor.
And to those who yet are governed by tn,
instincts that control the lower spheres-thos,
who do not possess the qualities Of decision o
pendence Of action. but like the savage tribe
submit to the dictates Of a Chteftatn when the!
will not balance on the crudest scales Of common
sense-to all who make up this class want I,
that ~e do not desire TO ridicu,e you. and ar,
to censure you. for u 10 pity and sympathy tina
you need more than anything else. You are Jus
what the system has made you. q mental slav
| incapable Of reaching your own decision. You d.
not know where you are bound for. and when yo,
meet the problems OF tomorrow you have to sens
for some one with crown to take your measure
ments. because you are thus handica pped you arr
inca pable of making Twentyeih Century speed an,
because of these apparent conditions YOU are .
action on the entire train of proGres, But yo,
are not BLAME Il 10 OLD PROVIDENCE tina
modities
The agitation for q general strike must con
tinus. and the failures of a day. must be used
founda tion for success In tomorrow. We must nov
go into II more aGgrersively than before and xe
down to organized basis. and let onwart
and forward with the REVOLUTION OF \ GEN
ERAL STRIKE.