The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1913-01-03
MORE DOLLAR PATRIOTISM.

Into the mountain valleys of Swift
zerland where the snow-capped peaks
of the Alps CLEAN golden in the set
ting sun there came tyrant, so the
story runs. This tyrant's name was
Gessler After driving the people to
madness by plundering their homes
and Decorating their altras, he de-
cided that he would add humiliation
of whole people to the long train of
abuses that he had heaped upon their
indignant heads.
he reared his hat. Now l dare say
this was a very nice hat, in fact, a
beautiful hat, for it was the hat of a
'nobleman", with snowy plume and
all that sort of thing. Not one of the
turbulent Swiss shepherds could have
any feeling against this beautiful hat.
But Gessler decreed that everyone
should salute that hat
That was the beginning of the end
of Mr.. Gessler. A few more inso-
lent stunts and Mr.. Gessler had
reared for himself monument of in
fanny such as few have reared in the
brief span of years accorded to man
kind and called life time.
The scene changes. The snow cap
ped peaks fade away in great clouds
of black smoke. The shepherds horn
is forgottep, and shrill steam whistles
shrek instead. Old Gessler is not
here, but the work of death goes on.
Every night, the ambulance goes rat
Ting to some mill and the dead wag,
on is as familiar as the street cars.
In the homes of the people there is
desolation. Wages have been cut be.
low the subsistence point. Even com.
mercial clubs and chambers of com.
merce admit that. A strike is called
The great tall smoke stacks no long.
err smoke. Quiet, despairing men
walk the streets. Days pass. The
mills will not give in. The workers
will die first Business is dead. Bills
are falling due. Banks are beginning
to apply pressure to the little bour
geoisie. 1t is up to the little store
keeper to help break the strike OF
the big business bunch will put him
out of business. With much flag talk
and gush, a so-called citizens com
mittee is organized. over the gates
of the mills, through which the dead
wagon and the ambulance travel, the
flag is unfurled by the capitalists
With shot guns and clubs, the little
j store keepers broke the strike. MeT
were carried out in the dead of night
and beaten brutally by the capitalist
thugs. Women were beaten, insulted
and jailed for sympathizing with the
starving children of the workers, but
the capitalist pointed to the flag, just
as Gessler pointed to his hat.
It is a pretty flag. The red in it is
exceptionally pretty. 1t is made OF
wool or silk, that is nice and soft AND
which if woven into shirts might save
some little child from untimely death
Strange as it may seem, the workers
have no feeling against the flag, nc
more than had the shepherds in Swift
zerland feeling against the beautiful
hat of Gessler They are not think
ing about flags nor feathers, nor glory
They are thinking about bread and
butter and clothing and shelter and
the miserable lives they must live
that a few Gesslers may have fine
feathers and sill1en and wooden flags
and automobiles and palaces and
poodle dogs and detectives.
They have seen this flag on a
thousand industrial battle fields
borne by the troops that shot them
down They have seen it wave from
slender painted poles on the lawns
of the rich. They have seen it wave
above jails and insane asylums and
penitentiaries. In fact it has become
as common as plumed hats were i'm the
the days Of Gessler
Comes along a modern Gessler. His
name is Dewey. No, gentle reader.
this Dewey was not at Manila. He
was buying up tax titles or some
thing Of that sort about that time
He is now at the head Of the schools
in the state of Washington He has
Just issued a biennial report. In this