The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1918-12-13
LAST FRTDAY'SLLLL. FIASCOAT
PORTLAND WAS QUITE AMUSING
Warden Colonel General Dsque Engineered the Affair and
Made A BunglesOme Job OF 1t.

and announced a change in some Of
the policies he had already out
lined. Every attempt was made to
hinder the few timberworkers who
did attend.
FINALLY the thought dawned on
the bosses that they were carrying
things to too great an extreme and
that probably some sembance of
democracy should be established.
The chairman, after consulting with
the General, announced from the
platform that a caucus would be had
and that the employers would eau
Gus in a seperate room. He in
stlucted the representatives Of the
employers to go into one of the
adjoining rooms while the men them
selves would stay in the assembly
hall. Of course, the General with
his captains and lieutenants, stayed
in the assembly hall with the men
to supervise their deliberations. As
the men gathered around in little
groups representating each of the
separate districts, by an evidently
prearranged plan a uniformed Of
ficer sat in each group. In that
little group that really represented
the workers and which had signi-
fled its opposition to any continued
military organization, there was in
addition to the uniformed officer a
stenographer taking notes of what
was said by the different men in
that causcus.
Autocracy Ruled
There was one man-Mr Short
said he believes he was a Mr.. Jones
from Centralia-who did fine work
to present the workers side of the
case. The convention adjourned at
noon with the motion before the
house, and the chair had announced
that the entire afternoon would be
given to discussion. Instead of this,
the vote was taken Immediately after
adjournment, and then the chair
man said that the delegates voting
against continuing the Legion should
take their place with the spectators.
when the convention reconvened
in the afternoon the general re-
quested from the platform that the
employees, a number of whom were
sitting in the gallery, should come
down stairs and take their place
among the men in their proper dis
trict Evidently the General had
detected the tendency on the part
Of men to speak for themselves in
line with President Wilson's policy
Of self-determination, which, of
course, was out of harmony with
the program of the lumber barons
and the General
"We have the greatest respect
and hope to continue that respect
for the uniform of the United States.
In a large measure, we have had
respect up until yesterdays exposi-
ton, for Gen. Disque But from
now on we will prefer both to speak
Of and think of the General as ex-
Jail Warden Disque, because his ac-
tions as autocratic dictaror of the
4 Is at yesterdays convention were
more closely befitting a position of
Jail warden than that of a general
in the United States army. Here
tofore the 4 LIS have stood for the
Loyal Legion of Lumbermen and
Loggers, but now we accept the 4
Is as representing the Last Lap
in the Lumbermen's Lunacy' pro
gram. Like John D. Rockefelle1's
bosses unions and many other estab-
lished to gull, dissolve and rob the
workers, it is doomed to ignominy
and deserving death"
Labor Denounced
The action of the convention in
endorsing the closed shop for the
Loyal Legion was taken after only
Is minutes debate, Mr.. Short said;
but considerable part of the time
in the afternoon was taken up in
denouncing the American Federation
of Labor
"Autocracy has been dethroned
throughout Europe" said Mr.. Short,
"but we who knew ,,-ara q I;++lo
skeptical about it being dethroned
in the lumber industry We feel
grateful to the lumber barons and
General Disque for signing its death
warrant at Portland yesterday"
Tho Harald nlaasa cnn,.