The Northwest worker. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1915-1917, 1917-01-11
THE VOLCANO
IN EVERETT

Under the heading, "Ewctt Is On
Earth Again mdustrially, the Morn
ing Tribune Of last FRIDAY states that
"Everett's waterfront, these days,
reveals a condition whic is highly
complimentary to the officials of
Snohomish county and the city of
Everett. Notwithstanding the pres
ence Of picket line, both morning
and evening, n visit tcthat industrial
area shows an army 4 we'll paid and
seemingly contented iorkmen coming
and going at will Without interior
ence of picketcrs or hny one else"
1t goes ON further to state that
'the success of our officials, in hand
ling it (the strike trouble) shows the
soundness of the present policy wv
If eight months of conflict betweeh
citizens and officials, wher.n nun,
dreds have been beaten anu seNei"'
killed and wounded pad the whole city
kept in n consta~t state OF reoelilon'
is handling the situation successfully,
then there is certainly something
WI ung with the brain of the man who
conceived the editorial
If strike involving a few hundred
men can keep city in an uproar for
eight months then there must be
something wrong with the intelli-
gence of the authorities whose sworn
duty it is to uphold the peace of the
community. OF course we Socialists
realize that the authorities cannot
possibly think along the same lines
as the wage worker, hence the con-
flict. Their every action is like pour
ing water on burning oil, it spreads
the flames. They handle trouble
with brute force. Having always
had the power to exercise that force
they know of no other method of
delicate situations.
The Socialist, having analysed the
method Of wealth production, thor
ouehly under standing the tendency
If the times and irrepressable con-
flict IF interests. knows that common
sense must take the place of brute
force and that no matter how igncr-
ant the average worker is to his own
class inteVe SIS, that same worker is
awakening to the brutali-
ties. poverty and misery that is being
healed upon him by an exploiting
class.
The day Of the savage with his war
paint and knOtted stick is past. The
is the highest expression to-
day Of the evolution Of man. Below
the Socialist are those human beings
whose knowledge is still in the bar
barrie stage and it is these that make
up our list Of city, county, state and
national officials.
The "army of well paid and seem.
ingly contented workmen" is the
army that will be rebelling against
inside of few months.
Apart from the professional strike
breakers, is an army Of men who are
to take the jobs Of their
fellow workers in order to live. Very
few men 'scab" because they like to-
1t is merely struggle for existence
ana men today scramble for jobs
just as people in burning building
scramble for safety.
The job is the place of safety"
That is, it saves the worker and his
family from starving to death, and
no matter how well paid and seem
ingIy contented" those men may
seem, it is but a short time ere they
are demanding a little more of the
tremendous amount of wealth they
create.
We are therefore living over a VOL
canO. which at any moment may burst
forth into flame. Such editorials as
that Of the Tribune are written for
the express purpose Of making the
wage slave contented with his lot and
aprreciative Of the efforts Of his
master" and those in authority over
him. But the volcano is still there.
All the editorial drivel in the world
cannot make the interests of capital
and labor identical. 1t has ever been
the lot of the slave to rebel and of the
master to hold his slave in subsection.
Until such time as the master and
slave system is abolished, there will
be conflicts.