davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-06-22

THE MORSE COTTAGE

Down On wfloughhy spit near the
wass yy and the electric line. is located
the well known Morse cottage. Mrs.
l. M, Smith, proprietor. This has al
ways been a popular cottage. 1t Is
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-09

Brown and J. Alden Weir and G. Cimi-
otti, jr.
1.-THE building is ffty-four years old"
the woman says in response to our
question when she observes your inter-
est. Mr. Brown, the man who paints the
boys, has been here fifty-two years. No,
he doesn't come every day now. He only
comes occasionally"
You leave the obliging attendant on
your way up TO Mr.. Commits studio. AS
you grope along the half lighted passage
Of the old building you dwell upon the
names OF those who have helped to make
II noted. Perhaps, because of the dim
ness of the light, the warm glow of the
jewelled glass windows In the Church OF
the Ascension. only few doors away,
creeps in. They form one Of Mr.. La
Farge's monuments, and were designed
beneath this roof Through the window
opening out upon the air and light shaft
you catch a glimpse of a number OF
plaster casts--relefs of Hudson and
wrestlers and runners, gladiators and
characters on the wall of the airshaft
of New York building. Yes, here is a
decorated airshaft, and suggestion Tor
builders of apartment houses.
Mounting the stairs and continuing
along the passage on the second moor
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-09

~ N the north side of 10th street. be-
tween Fifth and Sixth avenues.
~ there is building of red brick
which certainly would not attract serious
attention because of its architecture. The
only noticeable things about II are its
wide windows and its front extensive in
proportion to it's height. Enter the mar
row door over which is carved the word
Studios" A narrow hall leads toward
the centre and branches in either direc-
ton TO the right and the left. At the
right there is a door opening upon a
cheerful room with a fireplace in which
a coal fire tempers the atmosphere. Two
gas Jets rise from the marble mantle over
the CRATE, shining evidences of the age
of the building, for no builder nowadays
ever pierces a marble mantel for a gas
Jet A woman, whose face is Of Scandi-
navian type, steps out from the room.
which, apparently. is the office of the
building. No one can enter without dis
covery by this watchdog Of the treasures.
She inquiries II you wish to see any one.
and. in this case. you inquire for Mr.
Conant.
ION the second floor, to the right" she
replies. Perhaps you hesitate for mo-
ment, for you catch glimpse on the
curious, old-fashioned directory board of
the names of John La Fargo and ]. G.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-09
you come to door opening to the left

you come to a door opening TO the left
and knock.
Come in"
The room is high and half hidden ga
shadows, despite the fact that II is lighted
by large skyllght. Large portraits m
gilt frames OF Lincoln, General Robert
Anderson, Bishop Potter Deacon 5. V.
White and Henry Ward Beecher form a
screen that hides half the room from
view. A gray-bearded figure in frociS
coat rises slowly from a leather couch
under the skylight and walks toward
you. This is a. j. Conant. the painter OF
the first oil picture made Of Abraham
Lincoln.
The picture is sometimes described as
the Lincoln with a smile" for II IL the
only portrait OF the famous American
which shows him smiling. IL is now IN
the collection Of historical portraits In
the Phlipse Manor House I'm Yonkers.
and IL the only one there the painter of
which is now living. many Of the other
works being by Copley, Stuart and Peale.
Mr. Conant is in his ninety-second year,
having been born in Chelsea, VT, on
September q, 1927. While he no longer
does much painting he places small
canvas on his easel now and then One
would not suspect him Of being a mona
genarian, for although his hair is white
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-09

OF course this idea was very easily ex-
tended From the slowing up Of the hu-
man worker to the slowing up OF the
iron worker. the machine, was an easy
transition A little dust in the bearings
especially emery dust, would do much.
Soap in boilers would retard the develop
ment of steam. Judiciously planned "ac-
cidents' might easily create confusion
for which no one could be blamed. few
mistakes" in handling cargoes might
easily cost the employers far more than
a small increase of wages would. Such,
then, was Ca Canny." 1t was a policy
born of reckless despair.
There has been developed a technology
Of Paris failing to obtain the better
wages they demanded by striking. went
back to work and resorted TO sabotage.
At night or in the very early morning
hours they would throw potassium against
the painted shop fronts, hideously stain
ing them. so that the proprietors, would
be under the necessity Of having them
repainted II is said that OF something
over 200 barber shops in Paris more
than 1900 were so treated between 1902
and 1906. The employers were glad IN
most cases to make terms with their
employees after two or three such costly
experiences. Hence 1t was regarded as
very successful method and an i'm
portant form of sabotage. So in the
literature on the subject badigeonage Dit
orally. "stone coloring') occupies a very
important place.
OF course. there is nothing new in such
spiteful DETACHMENT Of property. Petty
quarrels between individuals, political
fights and strikes have often enough led
10 window smashing. splashing newly
painted buildings with paint or tar or
mud. and similar outrages. What might
be regarded as original, or at least un-
usual, was the systematic use of the
method by the workers as a means OF
extorting from their employers the in
crease Of wages they demanded.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-09
SABOTAGE

At the national convention of the So
etalist party held at Indianapolis in May,
1912. a clause was inserted In the party
constitution. after a stormy debate. pro-
aibiting members of the party. under
pain Of expulsion. from advocating sa-
ootage." Subsequently, the decision OF
the convention was upheld by an over
whelming majority Of the party members
voting in a national referendum vote.
The word Sabotage was first used. i
believe. in 1897. in report to the Con-
gress of the Confederation Generate du
Travail. which met that year at Toulouse
Among the reports considered by the
congress was one dealing with the use of
the boycott and the policy which had
been adopted by the British unions OF
workers engaged in the trades connected
with the ocean transport services, popu-
iarly known as Ca Canny." This report
was written by Emile Pouget and Paul
Deiesalle, both well known anarchists.
They wanted to find a French equivalent
for the Scotch colloquialism ga Canny,'
as the purpose of their report to the con-
gress was to elaborate the British policy
known by that name and recommend 1t
TO the French unions. They coined the
word sabotage"
The old Scotch colloquialism was chosen
as a picturesque expression of the idea of
striking by stealth while keeping on the
payroll The phrase means ''go slow"or "be
careful not to do too much" 1t Is the
equivalent Of the English slang use OF the
xus,rd "soIdier" When a working1nan takes
every advantage to slacken his efforts
and to waste his time he Is said by the
English to be soldering" This, then,
was the central idea Of our Ca Canny''
oolfoy.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-09

proletariat and units II for the great
struggle. 1t weakens the sense OF class
solidarity already developed. II places
the crucial and critical events OF the
struggle once more In the hands Of in
dividuals, not of the mass. When We
practised Ca Canny In England the en-
ployers were at first staggered. They did
not know how to deal with such a
method OF attack. but they soon dis
covered way. First came the AGENTS
provacateurs the individuals who came
into the unions and urged always vio-
lence and more violence. Then came the
spies.
Under the circumstances. II was impos-
sible for the members to trust one an
other. The consciousness that spies and
informers were In the organization led
to secretiveness and distrust. Within a
short time the union was utterly de-
moralized by internecine strife.
HOIST WITH ITS OWN PETARD.
Moreover. Ca Canny or sabotage APP
peared within the union. Members OF the
union began to practise Ca Canny TO
obtain their own way within the organi-
cation. This was result of our prop
uganda which had not been foreseen,
obvious as II appears in retrospect. Too
late, We discovered one OF the oldest laws
of the psychology of popular movements.
the law that the policy adopted in the
struggle against the common foe In
evitably appears in the internal con-
ficts Of the movement. Teach men and
women in the labor movement to prac-
tise sabotage In the fight against their
employers and II will not be long before
they will practise sabotage within their
own organizations to obtain fractional or
personal ends.
SO far I have spoken Of those visible
evils resulting from sabotage which have
come within the sphere Of my own obser-
walton. There remains yet another danger
to be faced. q danger which would seem
to be Of especial Importance to the syn
dicalist who looks to the labor union to
become the unit Of the new social and in
dustrial organization. Can you build a
sound and stable structure Of rotten ma
terials? In other words. can you first de-
moralize the workers, train them to work
and to practise deceit. year
after year. possibly for generations. with
out destroying their capacity for sound
In the new social order? BY
sabotage the technical efficiency Of the
producers Is impaired. together with their
reliance upon collective or mass action in
the struggle. Resort to the individual act
Is given a new sanction at the expense Of
collective action. Surely. this Is weaken
Ing tho human material Of which the Co
operative Commonwealth Is 70 bs built!
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-09
ON SPARCO EXPOSES FOLLY OF SABOTAGE AND THEORIES OF w.

The most thoughtful Of the syndicalisu
nave seen this most clearly Men like
Sorel and Berth have vigorously opposed
sabotage as a reactionary method. de-
structive of the most hopeful elementsn
the working class.
WEAPON OF SlUM PROLETARlAT.
Sabotage Is not a weapon Of the class
conscious proletariat. Rather Is II tns
weapon Of the slum proletariat, 'tna'
passively rotting mass thrown of by the
lowest layers of old society" 10 quo'e
Marx, whose conditions Of life especiahy
fit II "for the part Of bribed tool OF re-
dictionary intrigue" This was clearly
shown by Kautsky in a letter published III
The New York Call"
Here IN America the syndicalism OF tho
Industrial Workers OF the World makes
It, greatest progress among that section
OF our proletariat which has not yet 80
qiired the franchise. and which nam
from those European countries In whicn
the labor movement is weak Their con-
ception Of revolutionary action Is prlmi'
tive and undeveloped. They are FRENCH
Italian, Spanish or Swiss. seeing things
from the viewpoint of their respective ma
tionalities Let them acquire citizenship,
a larger knowledge OF our institutions anu
the control which through them the pro-
letariat may exercise over the economic
organization of society. and they VIII ..
largely lost to the Industrial Workers o'
the World, or will effectually modify J"
policies.
Even IL the syndicalist movement couie
completely achieve its goal, its triumph
would not be at all the realization OF the
socialist ideal Ownership and control OF
the industries by the workers actually Gu.
gagged In them Is very different idea'
from the specialization Of industry, I'D
ownership and control by society demo-
cratically organized.
AS see 1t. then, there is just as much
danger to the socialist movement In
compromise with anarchism in its syn
dicalist guise as In a compromise VIII"
capitalistic political parties.
Yet 1t would be folly Of the worst type
to suppose that mere exclusion OF IN.
syndicalists from the party ranks WIZ
solve the problem. That Is necessary
step. but 1t is only a step. 1t Is moio
important still to exclude the causes "
the despair Of political action when
breeds syndicalism. That which leso'
more than anything else to the develop
ment Of syndicalist tendencies In the 20,
litical movement Is that form Of poiitcs'
opportunism which. In its eagerness fo'
reforms or for electoral power
loses the Evolutionary vision. and w'ta
Il the evolutionary temper and aim
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-09

, and somewhat thin, his bearing and his
speech are those OF n man In the seven
ties There is fire In what he has 10 say
and n mingled humor and wit that adds
TO the enjoyment OF his recltals OF Incl
dents in his relations with the men he
has painted. and particularly with LIN
coin. There Is an exactness in his Ian
Cuage which delights the lover OF Eng
lish. for 1t has roundness Of form and be-
tokens the student OF the dictionary. He
is accustomed 10 using the right word.
HIS stories are likely 10 be monologues
these days. however. for he is growing
deaf and detcsts the use OF his speaking
tube.
He enjoys nothing more than 10 sit
back in his chair talking about Lincoln.
or regalng his friends in the Authors
Club with tales Of his fayorlte character.
or 90 walk about among his pictures tis-
cussing the best way 10 secure good ex-
preston upon the face OF the subject.
When he was about 10 undertake the por-
trait OF men Of moment. such men as Lin
coin. or President McCosh OF Princeton.
or Bishop Potter he would run over I'm
his mind The topics Of conversation which
would he likely to interest his sitter I'm
the nope OF thus brnsing )ut a char1c-
teristic expression. He would read every
thing he could lay hold of upon these SUBJ
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-09

~ adapted Cor the use OF shop clerks,
walters and others who come into direct
contact with customers Of the business
man against whom it Is directed. For ex-
ample, a drug clerk receives a prescrip-
ton to be filled: taking advantage OF the
absence OF his employer or superintend-
ent, he whispers to the customer that the
prescription calls for one or two simple
drugs which can be purchased for one
twentieth Of the amount which Will be
charged for the filling OF tho prescrip-
ton In the usual way. The customer
takes the hint and the proprietor OF the
business is hit In the pocket" The clerk
In the grocery store exposes the worth
lessness Of his employers merchandise
and causes the customer to go elsewhere
The waiter secretly whispers to the GUS
toner that the conditions in the kitchen
are bad. that the cook has skin disease
and go on, causing the customer to leave
and so hurting the business Of the
establishment The method Is susceptible
of an infinite variety of applications. 1t
can also be easily abused, for lie may
be told as readily as the truth, II neces-
sary. II may not be true that the cook
has a skin disease. but what matters II
If the customer be sckened?
1.-THE OPEN MOUTH"
The open mouth" principle, that is.
the revelation of disagreeable facts about
a business, may be practised on larger
scale. collectively. by the publication Of
the facts. Libel laws may be evaded by
resorting to handbils distributed over a
wide area. Those who remember the dis
agreeable revelations concerning con-
ditions In the Chicago packing houses will
be able to understand how the workers
themselves might have exposed the use
Of bad and diseased meat, and so caused
people to abstain from the sausage. potted
meat and meat extracts. Or they might
have threatened the public and scared
them by the publication Of their intention
TO spoil the food products unless their
demands were granted Such n notice
would undoubtedly frighten a great many
people into abstinence from meat, as
the revelations Of conditions In Chicago
proved. The butcher workmen OF Vienna
are said to have successfully adopted this
method. The public got its notice. and
after that whole rat legs and other easily
identifable portions of the bodies of ro-
dents in the breakfast sausage led to n
big falling Off OF the demand for that par
ticllar article.
Candy makers could easily warn" the
public and then proceed to let chunks OF
terra alba, the white clay largely used
In the manufacture of some OF the cheap
er grades of candy. get into the candy In
Jumps which could not be overlooked.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-09
Continued from first page.

the proletariat the necessity of general
strike, which must inevitably resolve it
self into a great instruction and conflict
with the armed forces of capitalism (and
It would therefore be foolish to repudiate
the idea as utterly impossible), no Social
ist can regard the idea with anything but
horror. II II ever becomes necessary IT
will be a great tragedy. Meanwhile, the
mission of the Socialist movement its
raison d'etre. is TO avert that tragedy.
Socialism must aim at securing legal
majority. at making the process OF social
ization legal and pacific. That is why we
are a political party, why we seek TO
control the legislative. executive and ju-
ridical powers of the state.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-09

ing to place on his canvas the expression
he had evoked.
This was illustrated in his method OF
securing for his Smiling Lincoln" the ex-
preston he desired Mr.. Conant was liv-
ing in St. Louis before the war and was
asked in 1860 about two months before
the Presidential election, to visit Spring
field, H., and paint a picture OF the can
didate of the Republican party. Provided
with letters of introduction he went to
the capital Of Illinois, the home Of Lin
coin, and made prompt appointment for
a sitting. The place was to be Lincolns
office, large room in the old State
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-09
LOGICAL DEVELOPMENT.

OF course, also. the method opened the
way for all sorts of Matchmaking acts
by individuals. IL is obvious enough that
interruptions persons could easily make
use Of campaign Of that sort to further
their own interests. 1t was form of
sabotage which We had never advocated
In our Ca Canny'' propaganda in Eng
land, though 1t was logical development
of the idea Of hitting the enemy in the
pocket.
Another form OF sabotage developed in
France was called la bouche ouverte," or
''the open mouth" The form Is special
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-09
CONANT TEL OF PAINTING THE LINCOLN WITH SMIE E.
iNonagenaran Artist Who Over Fifty Years Ago Made
the First Oil Portrait Ever Painted Of the Great
Wartime Executive Relates How He Man
aged to Capture Smile Upon
the Face Of His Subject

curved slightly on one side, straight On
the other.
The lower lip. also, was rnsym-
metrical, being fuller on the right than
the left side. 1t looked, as he expressed
1t, "as II swollen from a blow or the sting
Of an insect" Lincoln's long, heavy black
hair had an obstinacy about it that was
overcome only where 1t dropped over his
forehead. when 1t became beautiful and
symmetrical. He had then no beard, his
face being entirely devoid Of hair. His
expression, when not in conversation, was
sad and thoughtful" Mr.. Conant had
seen Lincoln standing among his friends
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-09
nzr cz1 s7aZz KS h~aSh e KS 7txye eS SSsss>sI
IL 9 picture or 74ozop Potter

estlng problem. II was irregular and an
gular. The line OF the nose was peculiar.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-09

strike. the confusion caused was enor-
nous. There were at one time thousands
OF carloads OF lost freight In the rail-
way s.dings-most Of them containing
pershable products. such as milk, fish,
fruit and vegetables.
Still another form of sabotage prac-
tised by shop clerks and walters con-
sists OF charging the customer too little
for the goods purchased. Highpriced
articles are wrapped up instead of the
cheaper ones really purchased. Drug
clerks charge ridiculously small prices
for the most costly prescriptions. Wait
ers in making up the dinner checks for
get" To include expensive items. and so
on. Generally. OF course. the customer
does not complain. II he does the mis-
take" is set right
In Philadelphia when some tailors went
on strike they are said to have left
behind them specially made 'yardsticks"
a couple of inches short with all the
spaces likewise altered. The cutter who
cut garments according to his instruc-
lions using these false measures was. OF
course, running materials. and one can
imagine the most ludicrous results. In
Italy. the railroad workers, with fine
Italian cunning. suddenly became very
good" and 'law-abiding." Every rule
was most scrupuously obeyed, for the
first time In history. The result was the
complete decentralization of the system
There were so many rules. many of them
long obsolete. but never repealed. that
any attempt to carry them all out was
bound TO demoraliZe the system.
"PRINCIPLE OF ACTION"
1t will be seen. then. that sabotage
is a principle OF action rather than a
method-a principle OF action capable OF
an almost infinite variety Of applications.
1t may involve violence or II may be
peaceful. 1t may involve destruction Of
property or IL may not. 1t may be based
on illegal acts or it may not. 1t may
consist OF telling lies or of telling the
simple truth
My own view is that sabotage is not
an effective weapon OF working class
warfare. and that its use can only post
pone the day when the workingmen
will be sufficiently strong to emancipate
themselves completely" and that view
base upon the facts OF history. l am
not opposed to sabotage because OF any
love Of law and order" or because OF
any regard for the rights OF property"
1t Is not that / would be careful not
to harm the masters OF bread and life
and to preserve their property. but be-
cause l would not destroy the morale Of
my class as lighting force.
And that is precisely what sabotage
does. 1t destroys the moral force OF the
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-09
PASSIVE INEFFIcIENcY.

Again, there is the greve perlee. the
pearled strike. or strike OF passive resist
ance. In which the workers simply stay
at work but do their best to create con-
fusion and loss by making mistakes"
and In general becoming as inefficient as
possible.
In tie case OF the grove perlee, prac-
tised in France by the railroad workers
In 1910. after the defeat Of their great
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-09

jects and prime himself for a discussion.
Once he got a man going, ne would let
him talk while he piled his brushes. work