The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1915-04-16
THE MILL STRIKE
(By Lee Roy Henry

meagle livelihood they were receiv-
ing to starvation wages.
These employees had been sacri-
flcing the comforts of life for enough
to eat and if cut in their wages
was effected, the wolf of starvation
would face their families. The
children would go to bed at night
with empty stomachs, crying for
rood And in case they became sick
here was no money for their treat
nent. The fathers were of different
naJiona. tiles but they realized that
they had one interest in common.
they gathered in protest against the
action of their masters. An organ
ization was perfected and a strike
declared
What chance did the workers
have to win? Why they did not have
mere shadow of a chance but
were they to submit to this cut? In
case they did in couple of weeks
the timber baTons would show their
affections for them by giving another
ut i'll wages. There was the Wash
Mg on state militia, always back of
Sir Capital, the gunner employed
by the industrial masters to massacre
their employees and as many deputy
5heriIs as they could tank up and
send out from the cities. These
however we're not all the obstacles
the strickers had to contend with,
for an organization was perfected
amongst the business men known as
the Law and Order League" Strange
name for the peculiar business they
were about to enter into. In addi-
ton to these armed agencies were
The United States troops, which can
be called at any time to murder men
who dare TO strike. Thus gunner,
mi,itiamen, Law and Order League"
men, deputy sheriffs and the army
Ill stood ready for what to them
would have been a small job.
The mayor Of one of the cities
knew the conditions these workers
were in and did not heed the call Of
Sir Capital to drive them back to
work OF STAY them. A recall petition
vas submitted under conditions that
made it impossible to give the petit
lion a fair check. An election was
held, one of those free for all cleo
tons like they have in Mexico, in
which the mayor was removed. Then
The men on strike were Immediately
boxed up in cars and shipped out like
cattle.
At that they were lucky for in
West Virginia, Calumet, Colorado and
other strike zones the militia and
other gunner do not let the strikers
catch a train, but they Immediately
increase the stock of freshly butch
cred meat. At the same time the
widows and orphans grow numeri-
cally to correspond. In this strike
the allies" however decided to kill
only a few and Jail those they did
not ship. Thus far the plans of the
mill owners and their constituencies
aides-de-camp had been a thorough
success.
Shortly afterward in the Chimes"
a newspaper in a nearby city, ap-
peale ed editorials and news articles
lbOut how patriotic the mill owners
OF the harbor had grown, how they
had hoisted the insignia of the Amer
can nation over their slaughter
houses and how that hereafter they
would only employ American help.
Then in a good true patriotic way our
people went into the harbor and
worked for wages the European work
ers could not and would not work
for.
But the mill owners and Sir Capital
did not realize that this kind of
action is making thousands of people
revolt secretly, in their very souls,
against men who creep in behind
and draw the folds of the flag
around themselves. They are be-
CHING to be looked upon as the man
would be, who hides behind the skirt
of a woman. Their true manhood is
shown by the fact that they do not
fight their employers themselves but
that they ensnare or bride others to
do So
The mill owners are given by Sir
Capital an opportunity to rob other
men of the product of their labor,
but when they turn plumber into
murder, then try to hide their stains
behind the folds of the national
emblem, it is time to do something.
Let Washington or the American
government operate them for the
benefit of the workers and not for
the enrichment of a few industrial
priyates who now own them.
But then our Legislators, congress.
men, senators, preachers OF society
churches and priests Of large
cathedrals say Sir Capital has the
right to rob and murder these men.
Therefore he has!
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