Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1918-02-01
WHY sIOULD WE BE CON-
SIDERATE WITH l. W. W.

After a most thorough and eXhaus-
tive investigation by Federal officials
the Government sf the United States
tells us the !. w. W. is a most dan
gerous enemy, and one has only to
look about in any community where
the !. w. w. are to see the character
of these ruff1ans. They are the sworn
enemy of government; they class the
farmer as a capitalistic class, and
do him injury and damage on every
occasion. The i. w. w. breaches vio-
ience; they rob and murder and de-
stroy. They are our enemies, allied
against our people in time of war,
and even now are making war on our
people. Thy are guilty of treason,
and forfeit all right to consideration
at Sthe hands Of the people. They de-
serve the penalty for treason--death.
They have been summarily dealt with
in many communities, and our own
farmers, had they caught one Of these
outlaws in an act Of crop or property
destruction on our farms during last
harvest, would have applied lynch
law. That was we'll understood. 1t
isexactly what the Northwest farmer
will do today II an /. w. -. is caught
burning barns, granaries, or other
farm buildings, and if one OF these
criminals is caught burning crops, or
poisoning stock, or doing other dew
iltry our farmers will tend to the
case and save court costs. AS mat
ter of fact the i. w, w. is an outlaw
gang of bushwhackers. making guer-
lila war on the American peopAe, and
are Just as much our enemy, and as
IN, hns Anf10ht a &c prrvccion n
autocracy, and Hun soldiers in Eu-
rope. II we have moral right to
fight Germany; If we have any right
to defend ourselves from the military
ism that threatens to destroy us and
all free governments, then we have a
moral right-it is our duty--to fight
the enemy with our borders. And
the I. w. w. is our enemy, the most
sneaking, cowardly, and unjustitied
enemy that every raised its hand and
struck our people.
What the submarine is on the oc-
can. the !. W., w. is on land. Its tao
tics are the same. 1t lays in wait for
Its victims and striks in the dark-in
the back. 1t burns our factories, dy-
namites our industries. bombs our
transports. ties up our factories. and,
SO far as II can, paralysizes our na-
tion at time when these acts are
reasonable. and amount to open war
against the United States.
We would ask the mothers and
fathers, the sisters and brothers, the
friends and relatives Of the million
and half young men, some Of them
from Clearwater county, who are to
offer life itself IN defense of all that
is dear to the free people of the
world. how that are going to accept
this l. w. w. challenge. if the l. w.
w can slow up war preparation, II 1t
can destoy crops, il it can destroy a
factory, II 1t can interfere with the
manufacture of lumber at Elk River
orSt. Maries or anywhere else in the
United States at this time, it is aid
Ing and abetting the enemy; it is do
ing something that may cause the
death Of American boys-of Clear
water county boys. 1t is sticking
your boy. your son, perhaps, through
the heart from the rear. 1t is firms
on your boy, mothers, fathers, from
ambush right under your eyes; 1t Is
| firing on your son on his home soil.
Here we are, our boys-one million
| and half already under arms. and
| the mothers, with hearts wrung in
anguish, praying and working that
| their sons may not suffer unnecessary
hardship. and while nation strains
to prepare and make these boys ready
for the terrible thing into which they
are to be plunged. while nation. in
spired by high ideals. labors feverish-
ly to get ready, the l. w. ". carries
on campaign of terror that hinders
our work in thousand places and
ways. This |. w w. terrorism may
cost us the life of the boy that
marched out of your home, mothers.
The bomb that is planted by an |. "
w. at Boltimore. may indirectly de
prive your son of the protection OF
a siege gun or rapid firer rifle thai
turns victory and life into defeat and
death. and the blood of your boy
your son, may soak and sanctify the
soil of France in vain. The strike
our nation must have our lumber
by the !. w. w. at Ella River, when