New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-21

fence calls on me lumDermen 20 con-
cede the eight-hour day and give up the
fight it is really calling on them to sur
render to the l. W. W. If politics
makes strange bedfellows, war has
beaten it in this instance in promoting
weird fellowships.
Here are the !. W: M;-oppOsing the
draft, encouraging slackers, burning
mills, destroying crops, eager to over
throw the government itself-getting
aid and comfort from the government
through the Council of National De-
fence.
Feel They Have Won Victory
The |. w. w. feel that they have won
the greatest victory in their career.
Wherever two or three or several hun
dred of these revolutionGries are gath
cred tonight there is rejoicing. In eff
feet the government has done what the
|. ". W. wanted it TO do. 1t has practi-
cally commandeered the lumber in
dustry.
The direct effect of this accredited
victory will be immensely to strengthen
the Industrial Workers of the World.
Every propaganda will henceforth
point to the governments invitation to
the lumbermen TO surrender as proof
positive that the only way TO deal with
the "capitslistic class is by the vigOr
Gus measures of intimidation and sabo-
tage-the Industrial Workers of the
World way. This is not to say that if
the lumbermen should follow the ad-
vice to surrender chaos would reign.
Indeed, there is reason to believe that
for a time the Industrial Workers of
the World would be good-long enough
at least 20 let their members accumu-
late little cash and fill the strong box
for another drive, this time for the six
hour day.
To give the devil his due, il must be
said that there has been far less sabo-
tage in this great industrial stoppage
than would have been expected. In
deed, the mildness and restraint of the
literature" put out by the Industrial
Workers of the World in promoting the
strike is remarkable in view of the
ssvagery of their general propaganda.
There is good evidence that one saw
mill has been burned. There have been
many threats of incendiarism. There
have been many instances Of minor
have done grave injury instead. The
plan of campaign seems to have been
based on loud talk and bluff threats,
with just enough sabotage to give
hint of how easily the dire threats
might be carried out.
The leaders Of this particular indus
trial upheaval seem to have learned
wisdom. They appear to have come to
the conclusion that II is possible to
overdo the STRONG arm" methods. Per-
baps this mildness would not have been
$50 effective if there were not a grim
record of incendarism, violence and as
sassination behind it.
Whole camps have been stampeded
into the strike in this fashion. Early
in the morning, when the men were
dressing, a delegation of the |. W. w.
would walk into the clubhouse and
bawl out, like a leather-lunged news
boy selling extras:
"Say. fellows. the big strike is on.
Everybody is going out. You fellows
better get in line right now. We won't
stand any foolishness. A tree might
fall on some one, you know. You can't
tell what may happen. Look out for
YOURSELF Quit to-day"
Out in the lonely woods. where the
shadows are thick and the silence APP
palling, an |. w. w. member may. Ind
ian-like, skulk from tree to tree, fol-
lowing q poor devil of a swamper all
day long with shouted or pantomime
threats of personal injury. The
swamper will stay in camp the next
day.
Sometimes it is impossible to STAN
pede the men. They recall the long
years of starvation in the lumber in
dustry. After years of famine they are
again sitting at the table of plenty
They are earning an average Of $3.50
a day-none less than S3.25-and few
as much as SIS. Many of them have
families and property and heavy re-
/ sponsibilities.
These men give up slowly. But un-
I less they are encouraged by ample pro-
/ tcctive measures, they are picked on
one by one in the first days of the
strike or are forced into idleness by
/ the quitting of men whose work is es-
sential TO theirs. Such men rally
| quickly when their first scare is over,
/ and when the reaction comes are eager
| TO get back TO work,
/ That the strike is largely the result
/ of intimidation is evidenced by the
slight impression il has made in Ore
Con. The Oregon authorities are quite
willing TO concede that men have God
given right TO quit work, but they DO
not concede that anybody has right
10 frighten a man away from his job.
When the intimdators began their
sccare in Portland the tables were
quickly turned and they were receiving
instead of giving the scare. AT least
one impolite policeman was on hand to
intimidate each intimidator. Governor
Wvthecomb has caused the report to be
spread abroad that similar preventive
measures will be taken throughout
Oregon.
The local authorities are bracing up
in Washington, and the lumbermen say
that they are now getting as much
protection as can be expected from a
system that leaves the administration
Of Justice chiefly in local hands. lt
is tolerably certain that there will be
no great violence or any wholesale
destruction Of property, even if the
fight should 60 on 70 q decision, IN
which case the chances favor an carly
victory for the employers II persuad-
ing men who quit unwillingly in most
instances 70 come back to good pay
and better living than 90 Der cent OF