Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-02-18
HOW frs
B()I.SS|| viz
HE:IR|E|E: FAILED
SEATTLE SCENE
Real Story Of Attempt al
Revolt. in Northwestern
City Told by Reporter
BY JACK JUNGMEYER


capital to the worker in the hum- i
blest home, is today trying to sum
I'D the cost, the import and the
essence of the Seattle Affair,
and the course of democracy In
this country may depend upon
how we'll that sum IS calculated.
For in the five-day so-called
sympathetic strike that bound
Seattle with it's infectious posi-
bilities were fused all the creeds
that propose the overthrow III
the present system and govern
ment in the United States.
This is a statement Of fact,
amply supported.
First, and most important, the
general sympathetic strike, no
matter under what professions or
design essentially has revolu-
tionary content.
Preached Anarchy .,.rt
Within a few hours after the
10000 organized workmen of
Seattle had ceased work, this be-
came apparent. Leaders of the
Bolshevist school succeeded in in
flaming a considerable proportion
of the strikers with the proposal
that, after all private enterprise
had been perforce shut down, the
workers themselves take over and
operate all essential industries
permanently.
The general strike as eXempli-
fed in Seattle is in no, wise like
any simple craft strike.
The genearl strike, it was
shown, not alone hits at employers
and business and institutions, but
if effective must suspend all the
essentials of life, health and safetgm
in the community where applied.
Radicals in Seattle openly adj
mitted this, and all it implied, ana
it was only a matter of tactics in
winning over the more conserva-
tive element that water, light and
power, fire protection, sewage and
garbage, telephones, and the
whole life stream of city of 400
600 was not ordered entirely cut
off by the strikers for an fnden-
mite period.
BoIsheVik Element
A city simply cannot live with
all activity stopped, the strikers
no better than the rest of the conf
munity.
Every well,' challenged the
leaders, 'let the strikers resume
the essentials under their man.
agement." =
There is the handwriting on the
wall for the government, and here
is the handwriting for the Demo-
cratic labor organizations of
America.
The so-called sympathetic
strike" launched on the plea that
it was to force action from the
emergency fleet corporation in be-
half of the already striking ship
yard workers of Puget Sound was
not in any sense spontaneous.
1t was engineered by a radical,
interested minority, who UNDER
stood the psychology of mass in
lection and plausible slogans.
A "class ISSUE" they called it.
By adroitly playing their own
game, the metal trades, number
ing some 10000, succeeded in
getting perhaps 10000 other I'M
ionists to help them win their own
contest.
The lowest paid were called out
to help the highest paid-cham-
bermaids to help artisans.
The Bolshevik elements openly
sought to direct the mass toward
revolution.
Victimized by Radicals
Sympathy" had been gained
by bludgeon methods.
Today the great majority of the
sobered to recognition
that they gained nothing through
the general strike they did not al
ready have, admit they were mis-
ed and victimlzed by a sophisti-
Gated cOterie of radicals.
Seattle never had disputed "the
solidarity of labor" that the lead
IFS made a catchword.
Seattle employers were making
10 effort or plans to disrupt un-
CniSm.
Even the shipyard workers.
wage demand was in dispute be-
Ween the workers and Charles
'iez, of the government fleet cor
'c"a;iOo, not the local ship plant
~0"e
This was grim, daring. anti
american and ti-FedCration-of-
labor adventure, cloaked in an
Their semblance by juggling with
words; a wedge which, had it net
'een broken off by the co-opera-
ion of city ard federal govern
nent, would have driven straight
t the heart of American institu-
ions and the present system.
1t was not a strike of violence.
No strikebreakers were there.
1t was new kind of ,-rrorism.
he terrorism of a tanlion alive
nth nameless fears, unlike that
f earthquake, mob clash or disas-
cr--o g." .d-neW experience for
Il American city.