Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1918-04-01
Wholesale Treason
AS Shown in Court
Exposure Of I.W.W,

Exposure Of I.W.W.
(By W. H. Warren. in Oregon Voter)
When twenty.six icale persons Of
mature age stoot. before Judge Ross
I sn in the municipal court at Tort
land the other day and frankly ad-
mitted membership and activity in
the Industrial Workers of the World,
1t seemed the strangest thing in Gre
alton to me that such a thing were
possible-that with our country en-
gagged in the greatest struggle of his
tory and with not only its life, but
the life of our allies at stake, So
called men would dare to open their
mouths and confess their connection
with this reasonable, kaiser-led Or
ganization. And yet, with their own
admissions before the court, 80 days
in jail was the most severe punish
ment meted out to any one of them!
How very impotent, 1t seemed to
some of us watching from the side
lines, is our great government in
handling this snaky, traitorous
crowd, the mere mention of which
instantly means treason!
For years this organization has
had it agents spouting from our
streets, uttering sedition of the vii
est kind, and for as many years we
have tolerated it. Not until the dec
latation Of war with Germany did
the soap-box, denunciation of the
government cease and then they
changed from open to secret meet
lngs. To me the spectacle of this
crowd getting away with this un-
patriotic, government-hampering tao
tics, virtally without punishment, en-
gagged as this country is in a life
and death struggle, is one of the
marvels of the age.
Were these men in Germany,
said Chas. W. Robson, a special
agent of the department of Justice
appearing in court as sort of spe-
cial prosecutor, were these men in
Germany and did they there attempt
such tricks as they are executing
here, there would be no trial, neith-
er would there be an inquest-the
firing squad would decide their cases
in the gray dawn"
! Nothing contained in this arcticle
is intended as criticism, but it is
sought merely to show the remark
able situation that exists at this
time. They say it would be uncon-
stitutionSl to intern a man simply
because he belongs to the l. w. W.,
but it seems to me that there should
be some means of putting such Great
ures under control, at least for the
duration of the war.
Would any patriotic, decent citi-
zen of the republic expect to lay plots
to hamper the government by "slow-
ing up on the job" in the spruce
camps or in the manufacturing es-
Establishments and go unpunished?
Yet that is just what the Indus
trial Workers of the World are do
ing in war time. 1t may we'll be
asked how many men, engaged in
the various manufacturing pursuits
necessary as adjuncts to the success
full execution of the war realize how
stealthily, how persistently and
how determinedly this organization
pushes forward its propaganda. It is
the purpose here to set out clearly
how this hellish work is being done.
The twenty-six male persons men
toned were seized in a raid on the
headquarters Of the l. w. w. in Port
land, a place conducted openly as
such, both before and after the raid.
This was made by deputy United
States marshals and police officers,
directed by Special Agents Robson.
But the arrests of the so-called men
were not the most important feat
ure Of the raid. Correspondence was
taken which fairly makes one shud-
der to read. This leaves absolutely
no doubt in the mind of any sane
person that it is and has been the
sole purpose Of the l. w. w. to do
everything possible to stifle war ac-
tivity throughout the Northwest and
to do it in ahe most insidious, trait
orous and snakelike manner.
|
Recognized secretaries, located in
Spokane and in Portland, for ex-
ample, carried on a correspondence
concerning strikes, walk-outs and
features incident thereto, calculated
to have elimination in the tying up
of the spruce production program by
May /, and it was a matter of great