The Northwest worker. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1915-1917, 1917-07-26
PRESS ATTACKS ]. w. w.


the delegates were instructed to re-
turn to their respective locals and
discuss the situation further Imme-
diately upon their return to their
locals they began sending in reports
that the feeling expressed by the
workers was all in favor of a strike
and strike at once. The 8-hour
day was their only demand, and they
were unitedly in favor of it.
Owing to lack of quick communal
cation between camps and the cen
soring of mail exercised by the of
ficials of several camps, the call
could not be made known to all
workers at the same time In some
cases men attempting to reach
camps were halted and searched by
armed men. These armed men were
not officers of the law. In one case
the worker was kidnapped, placed in
an auto and taken over 30 miles.
The perpetrators of this crime open
ly boosted of their feat, and after
wards pointed to a news item which
seemed to endorse it. In spite of
all efforts of the owners to prevent
the spread of the information, the
men engaged in the lumber industry
continued to leave the camps. In
one instance men who were not or
gained, to the number Of about so,
demanded to be arrested with the |.
w. WIS who were arrested, thus
proving that they were heartily in
accord with the strike. At the pres
ent time the lumber industry on the
Coast is at a standstill.
We call attention to the fact that
there has so far not been a single
act committed by any |. w. W.
member that would warrant his ar
rest on a criminal charge. The men
have been orderly at all times, al
though every means has been taken
to sting them into some act of VIC
lence. Though we have been accus-
ed Of all sorts of crimes, there have
been no arrests except on misde-
meanor charges. We have been
forced to stand the most bitter at
tacks by some of the papers-at-
tacks calculated to bring down upon
US the fury Of the unthinking mob
We demanded a public hearing at
the forming Of the State Council for
Defense, and were refused. Surely
if we were guilty of even a small
part Of the crimes charged, there
would have been some convictions
We have at no time advocated mob
+ violence. We have consistently
fought along the lines of Industrial
Unionism, and we refus to be
drawn away from that issue by such
attacks. At a mass meeting held in
Seattle on the 21st inst, the follow
ing resolutions were passed and
wired to President Wilson:
Seattle, Wash, July q, 1917.
Hon. Woodrow Wilson,
Washington, D. C.
Sir:
Whereas, the Industrial Workers
of the World are daily exposed to
attacks by the press, these attacks
consisting of yelled indictments to
murder, and
Whereas, the Seattle Post Intelli-
gener under date of July 21, in an
article headed "Quell the |. w. W.,
advocates that the l. w. W. be dis
organized and scattered, and the
leaders preemptorily put to DEATH"
concluding said article with the
words, Suppress the l. w. W., with
bayonet and rifle, if necessary, and
finally" and
Whereas, these attacks are be-
lieved to be fomented and encour-
aged by the Lumbermen's Associa-
ton Of the State of Washington for
the sole purpose of defeating the
present attempt of the striking tim
Der workers to gain an eight-hour
day, and
Whereas, we feel that the advisa-
bility of an eight-hour day is beyond
question, and
Whereas, the attacks of which the
one cited above is merely a sample,
may lead to a condition similar to
that prevailing at Bisbee, Arizona,
which deplorable condition the In
dustrial Workers of the World earn
estly seek to avoid;
Therefore, be it resolved, that we,
the striking lumber workers in mass
convention assembled, request you
as President of these United States,
and chief executive Of the nation, to
use the good influences of your of
flee and your best efforts to have
these indictments to riot discontin-
ued to the end that mob violence be
eliminated in this our hour Of ma
/ tional extremity.
SEATTLE STRIKE COMMITTEE
For best meals Waffles and coffee