The daily Nome industrial worker., 1917-09-03
LABOR DAY.

Today is public holiday and dedicated to Labor. It is not al together clear why Labor should have any holiday devoted to it's in- terests as labor. because in point of fact less is thought of the labor ing man except in political speeches than any other class.
 The workers, or section of them with radical ideas. celebrate also May 1. known as international la bor day, but that is devoted to an ideal which is not at all the same as animates the worker who cele- brates this day, which is just an elevation of his calling to a plane which may be respected, but the respect for which is not always in evidence. Tn any event these are times when Labor can well look to itself. Never before has Labor stood upon such dangerous ground, when almost all the privileges which 1t has won by constant struggling are liable to be suddenly taken away and without notice.
 Just now the right to strike is in danger A congressman has em- bodied that idea in a bill and this would practically bring about a condition of involuntary servitude.
 Just now the right to force men to work under conditions that they have repudiated is being brought fc the attenion Of Congress. Sen astor Ashurst read communication rom an Arizona Chamber of Com merce urging that laws be passed to compel the workers to labor ill the copper mines that production could not be retarded by strikes.
 Just now labor organizers have been hung and the murderers are unpunishcd. Just now labor orga- nizations, union men, have been deported from Arizona and not word or hand said or raised to Ob- ject by the authorities of the State.
 Here is a paper contains a facsi- mile of a permit to a worker to labor and report to the sheriff every thirty days after he had re pudiated his union affiliations.
 If ever there was a time when Labor faced menacing state of things it was in the present.
 Labor is charged w.,A nciag pro German if it demands better con ditions and wages adequate to meet the higher costs of living and the entire capitalist press disseminates the news throughout the country.
 Secretary Daniels severed all of fcial connection with the Navy League because that body libelled the naval officials when it sent broadcast throughout the country the lie that the officials had called off the investigation of the explo- sion in Mare Island because of the influence of powerful labor inter- esiss, when the investigation report was then actually on the way to Washington.
 Jnion halls are invaded and broken up. the literature seized and burned and the cry goes out that they are criminal conspirators.
 The cultivation of the idea that all the workers in this country who strive for better conditions are reasonable indicators and traitor ously seditious is so general that blind man could not help observ- ing this pretense.
 Nor have we to overlook the fact that so many radical publications have been denied the mailing privi- leges and that most of these bitter iy fought the conception of an in- siustrial feudalism building itself npon the mediaval feudalism this waY is to forever destroy.
 Labor Day should this day be ob- served with all seriousness. They are serious times. They are times when tha thought of every man might well turn to the maintenance of the rights of free speech, free press and free assembly. They are times when everyone of these are menaced. A man in New York state got ninety days for re- citing a part of the Declaration Of