The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1914-08-07

and says to the other millions: Why
don't you do likewise? I did it." He
is the worst apostate the world has
ever known, the greatest liar of all
history, with soul so small that right
and mercy never enter and the pure
suns rays of justice dever tighten its
noisOme abode.
once in a great, great while the
man does the other thing. He sees
that his success was more or less of a
fluke, a mixture Of luck, of hard
ship, of overwork. of struggle, of
pain of sorrow, of heartrending war
of love-destroying travail. He be-
comes so-called leading citizen, but
he knows that life is ruled by the law
of averages, and as he looks over the
lists of the men and women who
started with him, he finds that ALL
or nearly all, have failed.
Some of the boys have stolen.
They were hungry. Some of the girls
have sold their bodies. They were
soul and body and mind starved. The
great majority have become sodden
hopeless, spiritless deIc'icts on the
sea Of life, only waiting for the pass-
ing. If he has learned to think he
wonders why. If he will think he
knows why.
Gould anything be more natural
but that this man, the survivor among
thousands, should strive to find a
way out for the next generation born
under the sitting conditions of his
birth? He may be erratic; probably
is. His way out may be mark ed
when it is reached, No Thorough
fare but as long as his blood is
warm, as long as his soul is un-
stnirched, he keeps trying. trying,
trying. who knows what he may aC-
complish? Mayhap his little antlike
struggle may help in the end.
Il sprang from the ranks of the
common working people; a people so
cheap that In the report of fire or
wreck, one great mans loss occu-
pics more space than the loss of a
thousand such. A people SO un-
important that the insurance loss gets
the headlines while their loss :
couple Of sticks lived the life of
he working people. ] know their
hopes and their fears, their sorrows
and their joys. | know their lives
and heir struggles; tn 3ir iron-bound
restrictions. l know of the soul-kill-
ing power and fearsome waste Of
hopeleseness. | know what hunger
snd cola will do 10 men. ! know the
effect of Involuntary ignorance. l
know. believe me. ] know.
III l could forget ! would be like
The rest of thon. getting mine and let
the rest go to bell; no, not go to he'll
They are in hell l could not forget
and would not II I could. Therefore
am what | am. ] do not hate men.
simply conditions I am striving to
make conditions for all men and
women better. Because | have re
fused to become an apostate a traitor
to my kind, worshipper at the
shrine of the rHling tribe, I am some
what OF an outcast and a good deal
of a crank.
81 want this country. this world, to
be governed for the benefit of all the
people. Not just a few, l want the
people to govern themselves, They
do not govern now.
II may or may not be a candidate
for senator. II any man should arise
who can carry the flag of progress
with q steadier hand. with a firmer
purpose. with a greater ability, | shall
support that man for senator. /
hardly know why ] have written you
this letter l simply wanted one man
to know the reason Why ole Han
SOM" Yours,
"OLE HANSON"