Imperial Valley press., 1913-07-22

FurusctII has given them Of his great
stores of patience.
And the American congress and the
American people, who dcspise strikes
and violence and wonder why labor
cannot be content with peaceful means,
have rewarded Furuselh by giving him
nothing.
The sailor, under cNistin" laws ana
treaties, cannot he regarded as q free
lahnrcr. He must sign with a vessel
for a term. If he strikes against Op-
preeSiVc treatment he is mutineer and
can be severely punished. His wages
are Withheld until the end Of his ser
vice. and the laws are such that he
can he virtually sold into further ser
Nitudc by his creditors. If he deserts
IN port. even though he may he a
British or German subject. Tie officers
, Of bcncticicmt American liberty hunt
him down a. a criminal and return hiIn
to slavery. lIe is entirely out Of thn
Thirteenth Amendment of The consli-
tuition.
These laws We're adopted over a
century agO when there was serfdom
in Europe. In that day they actually
inproVef the economic condition Of
the seafarer. for the law provided that
any serf signed as sailor must he Civ
en- his freedom. But in succeeding
years the shipownrrS have shifted
what responsibility rested upon them
under the old law, leaving only the
shacklcs and chains which enslave the
most Wretched occupation on earth.
Modern strikes of sailors were I'M
aVaiin" and Andrew Furuseth, when
he took up the battle for freedom is
years ago, clearly saw the reason. It
was useless to strike when the sIav-
cry was authorized by law. The only
hope lay in changing the law. AnI
% Andrew Furuseth came on 10 Wash
mgton.
For eighteen years this Norwegian
sailor has been patiently at work. Down
in his heart he must have wrongs "to
stir 4 fever in the blood of age" but
he covers them with 4 slow strange
smile that is indcscribahly sad. Furu-
seth has no humor. All these years
senator's. whose breadth of mind and
vision are dwarfed by the mentality Of
this remarkable man. have been re-
sarding him as a "lowbrowcd" sailor
who could safely be neglected while
The minion~ Of the millionaire vessel
owners Of he earth had their way.
FurusGlh almost won in the last cul-
=resS. A hill which ended involuntary
serVitude at sea passed the house. But
the senate amendments eyisceraled IL.
and. though some Of these evil amend
menIs were killed before the bill pass
ed, President Taft successfully sup
pressed the law on the last day of his
term by ''pocket vctOing" it. And now
Furusoth is again at the doors Of the
Democratic administration asking hum
bly, for the legislation.
But the white sailors Of the earth
arc not 50 patient. They stayed behind
Furueeth for many years. But last
year the agents Of a strange. new cut
went among them counsclinr haired
and violence and destruction-th In.
dustriaI Workers of the World-tha
II. W. W.
In one short year the /. W. w. has
recruited most of Furuseth's organi-
zation on the Atlantic coast, and now
the revolutionary organization has set
up headquarters on the San Francisco
water front. Furuseth's organization is
running from under his feet like sand
IN a strong current If water But stiI
ne remains in Washington seeking re-
lief by peaceful means.
Furuseth realizes That a general
strike, such as the l. w. w. proposes.
will not only fail but will result il
driving white sailors off the seas. sub
stitnting the yellow. brown and black
races with their inferior standards or
living. No strike can change the law.
and the laws are responsible for con-
ditions. If sailors were free to desert
their ships in American ports. it would
mean higher wages and better condi-
Hons for the trade all over the earth
for the sailors themselves could then
compel vessel owners to recruit their
crews entirely in America. spreading
me American standard Of living over
! tie seven seas.
But The sailors, who have been wait
ing for this reform for a generation.
have lost patience at last. And vet
tmany comfortable American citizens
wonder why the I. w. w. continues 70
grow.