The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-08-16

rutp ris"n with the determination To nc-
gin life :ln"w and To max. good III Sn''S
81 The handicap of the prison RECORD DC
hind him. Frequently tn" ""-priSoh%r
encounters well nigh ;nSurm"uniable dil-
. faculties in his effort To earn IN hoiicSt
living. We hear about the trades that
mru learn in prison. The TACT Is that
III" artlci" mad" IN PRISON are a,tn"Se
rXcluSlvrly mad" in prisons; So mat
imam wishing Ia work At tn" trade taught
him by lh,, state would have ~ break
Into prison 10 lind Il job such as ne
had been trained TO do. The rx-priSoncr
| finds Il Cordial welcome" in IN" ranks or
The l. W. W Under unscrupulouS lead
!rr< he becomes worse than before
The great strike among the lumocr
workers in Michigan ana minnesota IN
1915 and in tho Northwest IN III SER
Iirusly hamprred tho government both In
tits sh;pbuilding and III its airpIanc pro-
/ grams.
Witnesses testified in tho Chicago
trial Of !. W. ". members now on. That
ithry wrecked farm machinery 10 shCh
an extent that sometimes thrtShlng ma
chimes would break down five times IN
IIav. This was don" ny dropping nl"c"S
tot iron into IA" mechanism. II IS clam.
Ird that tn" !. W W. have destroyed
lannraIIy SINhn0 moo worth or property
in The past few years. In places fircs
ikindlrd destroyed elevators. grain in the
stack and buildings. In 1911 u proposed
ihriv" against the beet sugar industry
failed.
| The wheat fields Of Washington, the
Il wuhhlS1 todofCf"lds i l@34a6 pa fii
hon fields Of California and tho beet
fields uf Colorado have all suffered
from the dcpradationS of the I. W. W.
This is Il part Of their general warfare
ION cptl. the systemic wrrckInE thea
Ion capital IN" systematic wrcrking OF the
.nrcSrnt order Sabotage is difficult to
prove and impossible 10 prevent. hut
when the I. W. W. began 10 oppose the
government in tho prosecution of tho
war. they at once entered on dangerous
ground. Probably they arc no moro pro-
German than they arc anti-Amcricans.
I'rhcy are simply against the govern
,mcnt. They expelled members who en-
listed in The army. They openly boast
!cd that il they were drafted they would
IShnnt their officers and surrender to the
iticrmanS.
Tho rrcrnt Espionage Act passed by
congress makes it possible Ia deal with
!such reasonable takers. Tho drastic
measures taken by tho courts during the
war may stamp out tho |. w. w, for il
the lenders arc sent to prison for a term
lof years The rank and file will repudiatc
their membership i'll the organization.
Probably minority Of tho 1oI mon
still on trial in the federal court in Chi
icago will hc discha rE"d for want nf Suf-
ifiCi"nt evidence To convict. Tho leaders
arc rot likely to escape severe punish
Imcnt.
A worry close watch will he kept over
all attempts at SahotaC" in the indus
tries during tho war That will deprive
tho I. w. w. Of ono OF their chief wca-
!pons. They will on longer be allowed
ito d"nouncr the government from SOAP
ihoyrs on street corners and this will "f-
| fcctually cut off recruits. Therefore
tho ]. W. W. is doomed if tho war con-
! tinlIcs for several ycars IN any case It
is but malignant sore on the surface
lof our social system