Denver labor bulletin., 1916-01-08
Congress Urged to Enact Law
To Prohibit Thugs and Gun Men

these men irresponsible thugs" and has
admitted that their leader cannot answer
| for their movements.
Organized Trouble Makers.
| The business of the professional strike
breaker and the professional armed
guard is to start trouble. The more vio-
lence, the more critical the situation can
be made, the larger the number of
guards are required, the more hopeless
the employer becomes to resist cxorbi-
| tant fees. If only the first strike
breakers and guards to arrive the
scene can goad the strikers to fury and
precipitate bloodshed, situation has
been successfully created wherein the
frightened employer will order more
guards at any figure the agency ares
to name.
Thus not only the striking workmen
and the community suffer, but the EN-
ployer is victmiZed and made NO play
into the hands of the agencies. And
the professional strike breaker, safe in
the New York office. laughs as he reads
the newspaper editorials protesting that
something must be done about Ludlow.
about Roosevelt, about Bayonne.
Congress Has Facts.
Congress has the facts before IL in
the reports of the Commission on Indus
trial Relations. Read the contracts made
between the Hartman lines OF railroads
and the strike breaking agencies Read
the admissions of Waddell and his law
yers and lieutenants to agents of the
commission who investigated the Bay
onne strike. Read the record of intimi-
dation, murder and anarchy precipitated
4 4 I.
in Colorado.
The strike breaker is not a wor <ing
man. He is a gangster and thug. He
is not expected to perform honest labor.
He is sent to a strike district to over
awe and intimidate the strikers, to pre-
cipitate disorder and violence, to damn
the strikers in the eyes Of the public by
eontriving to fasten on them the respon-
sibility for disorder for which the stage
had been carefully set before the final
goad was applied.
Disorder and violence are to him the
breath of life, because his bread and
butter depend on the existence OF dis
order and violence. The very fact that
he consents to serve ias a professional
strike breaker brands him as Il man who
has sunk so low as to be Indifferent to
public opinion and the regard of his fell
lowmen, who is SO desperate that he is
willing to risk an ignoble and shameful
death in violence of his own making.
Cause for Resentment.
You cannot analize the intense hos
tility which the home making, home
loving workman on strike feels against
the strike breaker without finding its
roots in the noblest and most sacred
feelings and instincts of the race Just
in proportion as mans life is rooted
deep in the community life, just in pro-
portion as he loves his town, city. and
state and has made himself useful unit
in the body of citizens, in just. that de-
gree will he resent being replaced by
the thug, the vagabond, lor the alien.
Modern industry seldom permits work.
man free choice of his employment. Many
whole communities are dependent on one
industry, operated by one company. The
striker whose place is taken by a strike
breaker must leave his home break all
ties, and go forth in search of employ
ment among strangers. Thousands Of
men have been transformed by this pro-
cess from good citizens into vagabonds
and homeless wanderers.
Necessary Economic Weapon.
1t may be urged that the worker who
goes on strike must take his chances