Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1913-01-16

who has been the ablest theorist of
Revolutionary unionism, declares:
sabotage is a method OF past ages,
and it does not at all tend to lead
the workers toward their ,emancipa-
ton. There is. in the mind of the
masses, a great number of greyious
survivances, which it is the mission of
Socialism to dissipate." Some anar-
chdsts are also growing sick of such
barbarous and degrading tactics.
Sabotage" says Jean Grave, 'is the
crafty procedure of the feeble or the
slave, who, not daring to rebel, gives
kick to the dog of his master. In
order to ahVe the right to argue with
ones employer, one must not place
ones self in condition of inferiority,
where he may treat you as a thief and
liar"
La Greve Perlee" is a method of
warfare similar to sabotage. This is
a strike of men who remain at work,
and who, with apparent zeal to carry
out all instructions, conspire together
to do everything wrong. Goods are
labeled to the wrong address. The en-
gineer, who is instructed to see that
every nut and bolt is tight, loses end
less time at every station in the most
minute inspection. j.. Dispatches are
sent to the wrong places, with the.
results that trains stand without or
ders, and the whole system breaks
down. The latter method is less vici-
GUS than sabotage, but the two in
practice usually end the same way
in series of criminal acts.
There is something pathetic in the
fact that at this late day the workers
should have to spend any time discuss
ing sabotage, and that the great and
magnificent movement of the working
class, which is in many ways the most
inspiring thing the world has known,
should have anywhere today to fight
to free itself from policy that offers
cloak for the work of 'fblack han1
agents, dynamiters, safe blowers, hold
up men, burglars, thieves, and pick
pockets" Must we admit that the
working class is yet SO weak that it's
methods must be criminal or SO child
like that it can only kick the dog Of
it's master? The tactics Of sabotage
were pFacticed thousands of years be-
fore the working class knew the pow
er of organization. They were prac-
ticed in England in the '30's and '40's
of last century. 1t was the spirit of
sabotage that led to the bomb at the
present the method of sabotage has
only led the working class to riot
without purpose, to violence without
aim, into helpless misery which it,
has seemed would never end.
Fortunately, there is no need to fear
that sabotage will ever get a hold on
the workers of America. AS soon as
the American workers understand the
meaning of sabotage. they will have
little use for it. Criminal methods
may attract to the unions buns and
hoodlums, but they only repel the
working class. And the simple fact is
that the American movement is too
far advanced, politically and indus
trially, to listen long to the propaganda
lists of sabotage. Wherever it is
preached and practiced labor organiza-
ton is weak. 1t is a sign of infancy
and mobs. 1t can never dwell in harm
ony with the Intelligent and construc-
tive organization of labor. As John
R. Mcmahon has said:
"A gorilla might be taught to throw,
a brick. It is easy to teach
man to throw a brick or cripple
machine. It is hard to teach him So
cialism. What use is the man who
has been taught to throw a brick?
Give him full stomach and he will
fight on the other side. What is direct
action, sabotage. after all? 1t seems
to be our old friend, anarchism, in a
new. though slightly bedraggled, garb
The mission of Socialism is to teach
the workers the fatility Of sabotage.