The Washington socialist. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1914-1915, 1915-04-24

admissions. Saturday, February 20.
was the opening day That date on
each pass was stamped void" which
means, no free admittance for the
workers on that date. In effect the
promoting pluto says to the worker:
I'VE bought and paid for your blood
and sweat. We are not interested In
you any further. You are below the
salt without the price you can't
come In
The Modern Exploter.
This IL a powerful searchlight
thrown upon the psychology of mod
ern exploiter. There Is no recognition
of what the worker has contributed
to the world. He erected these beau
tiful structures and filled them with
the things necessary and useful to hui
man society The product of his skill
and brain is gathered from all over
the world that millions may come and
gaze with rapture on the works of art
that twentieth century science has pro
duced.
The dollar-headed capitalist can see
nothing but a money value in the
workers work These sordid merce-
naries reaching out for the half dollar
admission fee can only see the eagle
above whose wings Is stamped ''In God
We Trust" Organized labor has con
eeded to these exposition promoters
many advantages. In some crofts a
lower wage scale was maintained In
side the fence than was paid outside,
and by the agreement no strikes were
to take place during the building per
iod. But these concessions do not in
any way alter the opinion of the ex-
ploiters regarding the workers. They
would not even concede to them as
commodity bought and sold at its mar
ket price When the commodity has
their passes for opening day.
Few would object to the matter or
fifty cents admission. but it is the
principle that lies back Of it. No surer
evidence exists that labor power is a
commodity bought and sold att is mar
ket price. When the commodity has
served its purpose it is cast aside,
there being always an abundant sup
ply on hand. The message that is
reverberating around the world to the
workers is: Discard forever the old
IA 80 tha ell act n
ferior. Show the mastersof the means
and sources of life, that is they who
should be considered inferior. They
are parasites on the worlds workers
and only those who have right to ex-
list are they who perform useful Ia
bor''
The exposition workers could have
resented this insult by refusing to
work the week previous to the opening
and thus left the finishing of the
booths and exhibits to the soft-handed
exploiters of labor. This would have
been the geratest lesson ever taught
the plutes and others who occupy the
high places at the table Of teh human
family. 1t would have made it clear
to them that without these despised
workers there would be no beautiful
structures to please the artistic sense
of mankind.
The solution of labor's problem then
rests with ourselves. Recognizing that
we are the only useful class in society
the old idea of inferiority will fade in
to the mists Of an age past and dead.
Let us organize with one purpose in
view, the purpose that should inspire
every worker the seating of ourselves
by our own aid at the table of the hui
man family, hat table piled high with
the good things of the earth, the
honored seats being for those who do
the worlds useful work.