New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-10-07
How the |. w. w. Seeks to
Run the industrial World
Would First Eliminate Ideas of Right and Wrong hen
Limit Production Eliminate Profit, Oppose and Discredt
Government and Institute Reign of Proletariat

Members Of the !. W. w, their
friends and sympathizers, have re-
scented nearly every attempt of the
mere outsider to explain them. their
philosophy and tactics and every effort
to find a place for their peculiar func-
tioning in our present order of society
There are 10000 members of this or
ganization. according TO the latest iig-
ures given out by William d. Haywood
secretary but it is generally
believed there is a shifting and nebul-
Gus crowd of probably the same num-
her somewhat inoculated with the doc
trine The |. W. W. seldom initiate
a strike, but is quick to flock to trouble
centres where the members play on the
emotions of the more audacious spirits
with sonorous and specious phrase
olocv. In such places they organize
the strikers. or es more often happens
the unskilled workers, who are thrown
out of work by the strike Of some
union of skilled workmen whose posi-
ton In the industry makes continual
tion jmpossible fer the time beng.
II was thus in Lawrence, Mass, where
= union Of loomfxers went on strike
throwing the whole machinery oil pro-
duction idle, and with it all the other
yorkers in the mills. The !. W. W.
arrived and organized the unskilled
workers. The !. W. ". unions thus
formed disintegrated immediately after
Tho strike was settled This is the gen
eral story of the l. W. W. l.
At the time Of the SILK strike li'
Paterson. y. j.. two years later the
I ". " membership was less tnail
"a oO0 This number included the
strikers hastily enrolled during, the
strike which probably accounted LOT
bolf Of the membership then claimeo'
Strike and Sabotage
Whatever confusion exists in the
minds of the public as TO what the l.
N ". really is usually, is due 10 INC
/ " W attitude toward the STRIKE rs
s. means of gaining increases In Wages
and different conditions OF WORK Ill
mills mines or factories.
The strike Is only one OF the weapons
in the arsenal Of the |. w. W. and lts
use is deemed almost negative at ieast
inadequate to the grand mouth-nllihg
aims of the |. W. W.
The orthodox strike aims at more
wages; when that is granted the strike
is over. The |. W. W. wants control
of Industry" whether its members are
on strike or not. The keynote of the
|. W. W. philosophy is sabotage
And sabotage means the limiting OF
production; if production can be Inn
tied. profits are decreased; so argues
the |. W. W.
Will Use Any Tactics
Other methods of the l. W. W. are set
forth by Vincent St. John, who pre-
ceeded big Bill" Haywood as score
t2ry. St. John says:
"As a revolutionary organization the
Industrial Workers of the World aims
20 use any and all tactics that Will get
the results sought with the least eX-
penditure of time and energy. The tao
tics used are determined solely by the
power of the organization TO make good
in their use. The question of right
and wrong does not concern US" He
continues:
NO terms made with an employer
are final. All peace. so long as the
wage system lasts. is but an armed
truce. Al any favorable opportunity
the struggle for more control of in
dustry is renewed.
"As the organization gains control
in the industries. and the knowledge
among the workers of their power,