The Irish standard., 1914-03-28

reads as follows: Instead of tie con.
sentative motto, "A fair days wages
for fair days work. we must in.
scribe on our banner the revolutionary
watchword, Abolition of the wage sys.
tenn"
Aturo Giovanetti, one of the l. w.
w. leaders, expressed the purposes Of
the l. w. w. when he said:
Armed lnsurrection.
"The future of Socialism lies only in
the general strike, not merely quiet
political strike, but one that once start.
ed should go fatally to it's end, /. g..
armed insurrection and the forcible
overthrow Of all existing social condI.
TONS"
Eugene Debs has allied himself with
this revolutionary labor organization,
Repeatedly he has denounced the
American Federation of Labor and has
held up the l. w. w. as the only bona
fide labor organization. In 1906 Debs.
as reported by the Weekly People"
made the following statement in st,
Louis:
IF you want a place in history in
letters that will not blot out, get of
the old rotten hulk, the A. F. of L.. and
help to man the modern battleship. tho
I. w. w."
In an address by Debs, published un.
der the caption "Craft Unionism," we
read the following:
AT the very threshold of this dis.
cussion I aver that trade unionism no
longer meets the demands of the work.
ing class. aver that the trade union
has not only fulfilled it's mission and
outlived it's usefulness, but that it is
now positively reactionary, and is
maintained, not in the interests of the
workers who support it, but in the in
terests of the capitalist class, who ex.
plot the workers who support it,
Page 3.
Debs and the I. w. w.
This is Debs, the man who claims to
be the champion of the working class.
He does not shrink from Justification.
The declaration that the trades unions
serve capitalist interests is a base
falsehood. In the same address Debs
also said:
"There is but one hope, and that is
in the economic and political solidarity
of the working class; one revolution.
airy union Socialist )and one revolu.
tionary party (Socialist). 1t is for this
reason that the Industrial Workers of
the World, an economic organization.
has been launched and now makes it's
appeal to you as wage.slaves aspiring
to be free"
In another address delivered Deem
Der 10, 1905, and printed under the title
Industrial Unionism," Debs says:
"The revolutionary movement of the
working class will date from the year
1905, from the organization of the In
dustrial Workers of the World. The
old form of unionism Grade union)
has long since fulfilled it's mission, and
outlived it's usefulness, and the hour
has struck for a change"
Debs is preaching violent revolution.
He believes in organizing the proleta-
riat for this purpose. At some future
date he expects to be leader in the
third American revolution" His plan
is as follows:
IA special revolutionary convention
of the proletariat at Chicago, or some
other central point, would be in order.
and, If extreme measures are required.
a general strike could be ordered and
industry paralyzed as preliminary to
a general uprising"
Similar statements attacking the
American Federation of Labor have
been made by other Socialist leaders.
The issue is clearly drawn. The prin-
ciples Of trades unionism are irrecon-
cilable with those of Socialism. For
Socialists to gain ascendency in the A.
F. of L. would mean the disintegration
of trades unionism. 1t is incumbent on
every trades unionist to do his share
toward averting this disaster.
The l. W. w. a Socialist ORGANIZATION.
What has already been said conclu-
sively proves that the /. w. w. is a
Socialist organization. It is true that
some Socialist leaders do not wish to
be responsible for the actions of the
l. w. w. The Socialist party in the
United States is split into two factions,
the one advocating political action, the
other direct action or violence. The l.
w. w. belongs to the latter radical
wing.