The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1919-09-12
THE OFFICIAL BULLETIN OF THE
WIN. STATE FEDERATION OF LABOR
CONTINUED from Page One.)

| trOlled the country vote TOT years
yet to come had they been satisfied
to exact a reasonable amount Of
! plumber; but the mistake was made
of becoming over-oonfident: and
when the word went forth from the
! plunder-bund to exact all the
trade would bear" the system
became so oppressive that Mr.
Grange Farmer began to hunt re-
lief. He awoke to the fact that he
was capable Of conducting his own
business, and the rapid growth of
| Grange Cooperative Warehouses
put an awful scare into the
bunch" SO the word went forth
to kill off these stores at any cost.
| The boycott method was used, but
the farmers stuck" and kept grow
| ing so rapidly that some other
method had to be employed; so the
railroads were pulled in, and
! through an old, obsolete, musty
! law that was resurrected from the
dark ages, these stores have been
notified that they cannot do a mer-
chandising business on leased
railroad right-of-way.
Having discovered their ability
to manage their own business af-
fairs, these sons of toll began to in
vestigate the causes" that permit
ted this high-handed system of con-
troll and robbery. Their investiga-
| tions led them into the ranks of
organized labor and into the rail
way brotherhoods; and It was dis
covered that these producers had
everything in common but had been
kept apart all these years through
careful manipulation of their sup
posed prejudices and jealousies
Joint investigations have led them
right up to the trough" and after
one drink Of rotten politics" these
producers have discovered that all
that is necessary for their good
health. and prosperity is to scrub
out" the trough thoroughly. A
new broom has been purchased that
was manufactured by union men
and women, and the brand thereon
reads Triple Alliance; and woe
be unto the dirty, fat porker that
attempts to get his snout into that
trough" while this scrubbing pro-
cess is on.
Never before has the membership
in these three groups awakened to
realization of their strength, and
the parasitic plunderers" have but
sneered and laughed at their puny
efforts at reform; but at last the
producer has settled upon the only
method by which he can be sue
cessful-the ballot box. The cleo
tion of men and women to public
office who will be loyal to the best
interests of all the people means
the death knell to special privilege.
hence the order has been issued
through their captain, The EN-
ployers Association" to kill them
off at any cost. The campaign of
villification is on in dead earnest
Their lackey, Mr. Jay Thoms, has
! instructions to reach" the Grang-
ers through the columns of their
weekly paper, The Washington
State Weekly" and the first lieu
tenants-George F. Russell, ex-
postmaster of Seattle, and Victor H
| BeCkman, secretary of the saw
! dust ring are holding meetings
over the State and pleading with
the small town merchants to "join
hands with them and throttle this
Triple Alliance According to re-
ports received at headquarters they
are meeting with poor success; and
to retrieve, have jumped into the
ranks of Labor seeking tools" with
which to batter down our rein
| forcement; and to their shame be
it said, they find one occasionally
whose soul is on the auction block.
We note with regret they have
landed the defeated candidate for
Secretary of the State Federation of
Labor at the last convention, and
Charley is out with his hammer.
But think not too harshly of him,
Brothers and Sisters, for "he
knoweth not what he doeth."
In conclusion, permit me to urge
you, men and women producers. to
stand by your guns; strengthen
your backbone for the fray; and
you will win justice for yourselves
and abolish this damnable profit
eering system forever. Join the
Washington State Triple Alliance.
Fraternally,
c. r. COTTRELL,
Exec Sec'y-Treas A22-22 Rail-