The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1917-02-09

MdrSn supplemental report TO Jne
Washington State Federation of La
Dor. In that report Mr.. Marsh mar
rated the causes and events leading
up to the disturbed condition in this
city.
Last week he dealt with the activ-
ity of the Commercial Club, the entry
of the Industrial Workers of the
World, the Beverly Park occurance
and the battle of November 5th. In
this weeks issue is printed the con-
clusion of the report.
Shingle Weavers Declare a Truce
A dangerous situation existed in
Everett after the battle of November
5. Public feeling ran high and any
thing might have happened. Half a
thousand citizens were under arms
enraged at the Industrial Workers
of the World and deadly determined
to stamp out their organization in
Everett. 1t is no exaggeration to say
that literally thousands of the work
ing people of Everett were just as
enraged toward the members of the
Commercial Club who participated in
the gun battle. I felt that the time
had come when something simply had
to be done to ease off the tense sit
uation. AS an instance of how high
feeling ran let me tell you that on
the following morning the mayor of
the city appeared on the picket line
with a high power rifle and told the
union pickets that he had every reason
to believe that an attempt might be
made by snipers to pick them off.
He asked them to scatter as much as
possible, make no demonstrations
whatever and declared he would de-
fend them with his own life if nee
essary.
Within an hour after the battle
was in touch with Governor Lister
over the situation. He advised me
that he had sent the state adjutant
general to Everett and would cancel
all his remaining campaign engage
ments and come to Everett and per-
sonally take charge of the situation
if l thought it necessary. One after
another l got in touch with promi-
nent ministers, attorneys and others
whom l thought would act and sug-
gested that a conference be immedia
tely called to discuss the situation.
On Monday morning representative
gathering met. Several of the most
prominent men of affairs, in the city
attended that conference. Interna-
tional President Brown, State Labor
Commissioner Younger and Federal
Mediator Blackman were also in at
tendance. For hours this body of men
reasoned and always they came back
to the opinion that as a first step to-
ward restoring industrial sanity the
Shingle Weavers strike must be ended.
off your strike" said they, "and you
will have served your city nobly." We
asked them if they realized what they
were asking of men who had braved
danger, gone hungry, deprived their
little ones of the necessities of life,
for long weary months in defense of
a wage principle. We urged them to
use all their influence with the mill
men to get them to also make some
concession in the interests of the city's
welfare, to give us some assurance to
take back to the men that the en-
ployers, too, recognized the danger of
the situation and were ready to do
something for the common good. They
promised to do that and we adjourned
until Wednesday morning.
When Wednesday morning came the
same men gathered and reported that
no concessions whatever could be OBJ
tanned from the mill owners while
the strike continued. Unconditional
surrender was the price the weavers
were asked to pay to restore order to
a strife torn community. And we sat
and marveled that men could lay claim
to every virtue, boast loudly of their
patriotism, wrap the flag of their
country about them in their defiant
attitude and declare they were fight
ing for a principle, to-wit: the right
of the free and Independent workman
to work for whom he pleased, when
he pleased and for what he pleased"
We said to these men, "The Weavers
will meet this afternoon; come down
and tell them what you have told us"
They agreed and frankly laid their
cards face up before the men that
afternoon. They told them that if it
were within their power the wage de
mands would be granted; they told
them that if the weavers would declare
L Il. -