The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1917-12-28
WAGE-EARNERS
OF WASHINGTON
AWAKE TO YOUR
POLITICAL WORK
CONTINUED from Pace L


autocratic slavery may be the por-
ton of mankind, let us not lose
sight of the fact that eternal vigil
lance is the, price of liberty here at
home as well as on that bloody
ground so well named No Mans Land.
While American manhood and wo-
manhood gives its life that the
glorious heroism of the French may
not be sacrificed in vain, forget not
that at your elbow perhaps there
exists, disappearing in the guise
Of an American employer, profit
teer who bowls loudly against the
labor union the while he robs your
government and his for aeroplane
spruce stock, or who corners the ne
cessaries of life while he invokes
the aid of the courts to keep down
the wage rate which the labor union
is trying so hard to raise in order
to partially at least meet the cost
of living in war times. While he
hides behind your flag, he robs his
government and you. Tear off his
mask. The highest patriotism is
that which fights the tyrant where
ever he be found which hates the
enemy of the country, whether that
enemy be a pro-German in our midst
or an exploiter of fellow men at our
elbow. Keep your eyes wide open
and your thoughts clear. By the
side of the proGerman place the
profiteer of the rich variety like
they have in Everett or of the poor
variety that has first begged money
from union labor and then used that
money to disrupt union labor, or
whether the anti-unionist be a ghoul
who would enrich himself out of the
necessities of a war-ridden nation.
But how about the personnel of
our elective courts? How long are
we going to leave to those who
have an ak to grind the selection of
those who shall sit in the seat of
Solomon and balance the scales of
justice between contestants? Re-
member the story of the Irishman
who, prisoner at the bar, asked his
honor. "Sure, now, judge, and
isn't this court of justice?" and
was answered by that dignitary, "By
no means, my good man this is a
court of law"
Is there any good reason why we
should not have some say in select
ing those who are to be chosen to
preside over the judicial branch of
the Government of which we are a
part? BY what manner of reason
ing are we not entitled, considering
our numbers, to have representation
on the bench by the election of
judges who will be guided rather by
the Instincts of common humanity
as expressed in written law than by
the cold commercialism of business
and its per cent of greedy acquisi-
ton? Obey the law, even bad law
but, in heavens name, stop leaving
to your greedy fellow citizens such
a complete control of lawmaking and
law enforcing instrumentalities.
What of the winter and the com
ing campaign? Are we going to
sit down and whine and let George
do it, and after the exploiters have
filled the legislature and made laws
which compel us, because of their
very viciousness, to refer them to
that larger legislature, the people
again complain that we are misrep-
resented? If we ever expect to be
represented in lawmaking bodies, is
it not high time we hustled around
and found some citizens whom we
can and will elect and who will be
and remain truly representative of
the interests of those who toll and
those who produce from the soil (?
n2