The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1918-02-28
christian Science Monitor)

1t has come to pass that the strike,
in the United States, must be regard
ed as menace, not merely to an in
dividual or a private enterprise, but
to the nation; that the striker must
be looked upon, not merely as dis
contented and unwilling worker in pri-
vate employment, but virtually as Il
disaffected soldier in the nations serv-
ice. The republic is at war; engaged
in a struggle for the retention of the
rights and privileges achieved by free
men through the ages, for the main
tenance of democracy for the pres
ervation Of liberty at home and
abroad, and it is giving freely of it's
manhood and it's treasure to this
sacred cause.
1t is mistake to suppose that the
entire responsibility for the carrying
on of this war rests with the govern
ment, or with the forces which the
government is sending to the front. 1t
is a responsibility that must be
position, his liberal wages or hand
some salary, and takes his place in the
ranks at soldiers wages, thereby
enhancing the opportunity Of the man
stays at home receives several times
the amount Of a soldiers wages, en-
joys the comfort of a peaceful exist
ence, and Is in line for any promo
ton or advantage that may result
from scarcity in the labor market. The
soldier hopes and expects, when he
dons a uniform and accepts say, $50
a month, in lieu of $3.50, or $500, or
will faithfully and Loyalty do his part
a. citizen. The man who stays
at home, instead of faithfully doing
his part, instead of being grateful that
he can stay at home, enjoy the COM
forts of home, and share in the priv
leges and opportunities that are be-
ing secured to him by the men at the
front, proceeds, in many cases, to ex-
hibit discomfort, to promote it among
others, perhaps to make a business of
melting disaffection and encouraging
strikes among his brother workers.
Such a man is false to sacred
trust. He is little, if any, better than
a traitor to his country. If his pur-
pose is to interfere with the produce
tion of anything needed in the con-
duct of the war, he virtually is a
traitor If he is acting on the instig-
alton Of enemy agents or spies, in ig-
norance of their real motives in get
ting them to strike. he may be more
If less criminal, than the
enemy conspirator himself.
1t would, perhaps, be useless to ar
que with the alien who does not see
where lies his duty to the nation that
has Hospitality and generously afford
ed him food, shelter and fair oppor-
tunity to get on in the world. There |
q but one way to deal with the immi- |
grant migrate. He should be denied |
he privileges that accrue to him by |
'eason of the loyal citizens willing
less to serve the country. II he will /
lot work for good wages, he should
,e obliged to toll, as the soldier does,
or army wages. But 1t ought to be
possible to reason with workingmen, |.
Who are citizens by nativity or citi-
ems by adoption, and who have real
ove for the country and its flag. Upon
many of both classes, however, It
Gems necessary to impress the fact
hat the war in which the United
tates is engaged. and to the vigorousI.
rosecution of which 1t has pledged |,
verything precious which it possesses,Tl