The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-08-20
SPOKANE LEADER
OF |. w. w. JAILED
Continued From Page One.)

l A.
law. We are not unpatrMtic. OuI
principal demand is for the eight houl
day, which has been adopted as stand
ard by the United States government
on all government work.
There is nothing unlawful demand.
! ing clean and sanitary conditions in
| camps. The things we demand and
! have gone on strike for are the things
| which would be beneficial, not only tt
ourselves but to the whole society
! and would tend to put the nation on a
more secure foundation.
I'VE have been accused of being un-
patriotic and working against the
United States government in the in
terests of the German government. 1t
has also been stated that the lumber
workers strike has been financed by
German money. This is absolutely un-
true. The money which supports the
lumber workers strike has been con-
tributed by the working class from all
over this country and some from
working men of other countries, but
we have not yet got any from the
kaiser.
we have been greatly misrepre-
sented by the press. and stories which
are absolutely untrue and ridiculous
have been circulated broadcast
through the country. We do not stand
for the destruction Of property We
have no wish to burn up the forests or
to burn up the crops. All we ask is
decent conditions to live under and to
work under. We court investigation.
We have absolutely nothing to cover
up or conceal. We demand that this
strike and this organization be fully
investigated by the United States au-
thorities and the results published
sour men engaged in fighting forest
fires have not gone on strike. The
strike calls which have been issued do
not apply to fire fighters. We believe
that the great mass of the people of
the country are in favor of the things
which are advocated by the l. w ",
We know that the only reason why
we are subjected to persecution is be-
cause If the conditions we demand
are granted it would decrease the
profits made by the capitalist class.
so far as we know there have been
no acts of violence committed by our
members during the strike of the lum-
Der workers. There has been no de-
struction of property. At all times
our members are cautioned against
using violence and are told to beware
OF any one who advocates violence
We have been called unpatriotic by
the press in order to arouse prejudice
against us. but IL the matter were
fully understood, it would be recog-
'nzed that we are really the only pa
triotic people in the country.
Our aims and objects are to i'm
prove the working and living con-
ditions of the great mass of people
the working class-and we believe that
the safety and strength of any coun-
try depends upon the welfare of the
working class: that q country in which
the working class is insufficiently fed
and deprived of many of the neces-
stiles of life-which has been proved
to be the case in this country by the
industrial relations commissioners not
upon a solid foundation.
I'VE realize this: That men and
not money make a country great. All
our aims and objects are such as
would promote the welfare of the men
and women of the working class. upo,
which the security of any country de-
pends.'