The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1917-02-24
'CRUdl[ PERIOD FOR
!: :|tA | D MOVEMENT
American Workers Threatened
With System of Domestic Ty-
ranny By Capitalists.
BY DANTE BARTON.

NE" 1ORh, rep. 1z.-lL ever
eternal vigilance was the price of !
liberty" that warnig is true for the
American workingmen now. With the (
attention of all .rsors distracted by |
the threat Of war the American work.
ers face a greater and more. immi- |
nent danger than that of war with
| any foreign power. There is. not one
chance in ten million that any invad-
ing soldier will set foot on American
soil, but there is every chance that
| system of domestic tyranny will be
; fastened upon American industrialists
| while preparations are making to re-
sist a possible foe 5000 or 5000 miles
away.
| CONSUMPTION, compulsion and con-
stabularies threaten to be the three
fatcs hereafter for workers whose des-
TIMES were promised to be liberty,
equality and fraternity.
Powerful interests that seek every
pretext for fastening their power more
firmly ON workers have already set in
motion in federal and state jurisdic-
lions the instruments for making the
States a docile, servile and helpless
class.
They would stamp every worker as
'lawless'' and criminal" if he unites
with other workers in the use of the
strike, the only weapon available to
the worker for industrial justice.
They are pushing in Albany, N. Y, a
bill for a state constabulary, an or
ganization having possible relation
to war, but designed to club and shoot
American workingmen, precisely as
has been used to club and shoot Amer
, lean workingmen in Pennsylvania.
In the Missouri legislature there is
5 pending bill that badly and boldly
, turns over the. police power Of the
state to railroad corporations and COM
pels the governor of the state to
, license any number of Especial Of
ficers' to b, armed and paid by rail-
road corporations for the protection
and afety Of all property and interest
of such common carriers" AS many
, of these "deputies'' must be licensed
and placed at the disposal of the rail-
,. roads as their general managers apply
for. These are only two examples.
A bitterly preju diced prosecution Of
labor leaders is proceeding in San
: Francisco. In the state of Washington
the trial of "a other labor leaders has
been set for March in a prosecution
founded on the n1onstrous propositions
that the friends and associates Of the
: several other workers who were killed
in Everett by disorderly mob of
Commercial club men, sheriffs, depu-
ties and lumber mill guards. deserve,
death because their friends were
killed.
There was not even a threat of war,
except as men like Mr.. Roosevelt and
Elihu Root threatened it, when the
state of New York, Is months ago. &C
copied a gift of an armored train of
cars and an. ormored aeroplane and 40
armOred motor cars from such friends
of Mr., Ro6s6veH' aid Mr. Root as
Ebert II. Gary and Henry c. Frick Of
the steel trust.
The Albany legislation for "Cos-
+ sacks was introduced by a son of
2 New York Central railway director. In
4 direct line with this it will be observed
that the same railroad interests which
fight the eight-hour day are the same
> interests that seek to place the
shaclzles of a lawless law upon the
: men who move the trains and upon all
the workers in the nations industries.
The patriotism and honor of the
v American labor movement have been
! proved in ten thousand ways. Through
I the president Of the American Fedora
E ton of Labor it is now seeking to join
f hands with the labor movement of
all lands in the tremendously patriotic.
8 service of ending the war among the
r already belligerent nations and of pre-
; venting Americas precipitation into
that calamity.
The patience and strength Of Presi-
dent Wilson in keeping the country
out of war; made their strongest ap-
t peal to the workers Of America. The
personal freedom and self-respect of
? American workingmen and women, of
all national andestries, are one great
, element of real preparedness for any
' development of the national life. They
, are the one neduring fertilization of
American patriotism.