The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1922-06-30
A HUNGRY DOG

by Joseph GrelR IN Lne GOluen Age
The leaders in our great industries
are now on record as having invented
some new terse proverbs to describe
the labor situation. One of these is,
"a hungry dog knows how to dig"
The other is, "A line of unemployed
at the gate of the factory is the best
incentive to production" 1t seems
not to have occurred to them that
hungry dog is not safe dog to have
around. and that an unemployed man
is sometimes desperate man.
Labor leaders. viewing the dog pic
ture from another angle, in one of
their publications, the New Day,
have given vent to the following:
Did you ever see a dog without
fleas? If you did, you saw happy.
cheerful dog; dog that lies in the
shade of the old apple tree, dreaming
of pork chops, Jack rabbits and dog
fights. Now, if we give this con-
tented dog a handful of fleas. his dog
nature will change Immediately. In
stead of dreaming about juicy pork
chops, or how he would lick that
brindle pup across the pike, or what
he would do to the hind legs of that
rabbit running through the under
brush, he sits up and notices things.
Pointing cold, melancholy nose
toward heaven. he stretches his neck
and starts that peculiar up-and down
stroke characteristic to all flea
bitten dogs. He has found a job
now he has found useful employ
lnemt: he has something to scratch
for. Now, suppose the flea should
sit up on the nose of that dog and
say: 'Lo and behold me. the bene-
factor. have given work to this
poor pup. Without me this doggie
would have no Job. Without me he
would have no incentive to scratch
Wouldn't it be funny if the flea
would make such an argument? And
suppose the dog would vote for the
flea on the strength of it, wouldn't
that be still funnier? Yet this is ex-
actly what the working people have
done for many. many years"
The same writer satirically pays
his compliments to another sort of
flea to whom the aforesaid dog is
regularly once a month. for the priv
ilege of having kennel in which to
live. He says:
iawed. slab-sided, hungry-looking in
dividual. usually called a renter; and
he says: What would people do with
out landlords Don't the landlord
furnish the land for the renters
Nowadays a poor devil what amt got
any land can always go to the land
lord and get some Anybody with
grain of sense knows that the land
lord furnishes the land. If the land
lord had never been born. there
wouldn't he any land: and if the
landlord dkas and goes to heaven. he
takes the land down with him; and
where that nice farm used to be
there is big square hole in the
ground, through (which you can see
the sun rise
The dog himself does not think he
is such a useless dog. He says in the
words OF BuG6 l.. McKiIlips;
builded ynny ships. and sailed
them,
mines.
builded the railroads you ride on,
crushed the ripe grapes for your
wines.
l worked late at night on your gar
ments.
gathered the grain for your
bread,
/ builded the mansion you live in,
l printed the books you have read.
l linked two great oceans together,
| spanned all your rivers with
steel,
! builded your towering skyscrapers.
| builded your automobile.
Wherever there's progress you'll find
Without me the world could not
live,
And yet you would seek to destroy
me
With the meager pittance you give.
Too long you have ground me in
slavery.
Too long l have cringed at your
throne.
Today ! have thrown off my fetters
And stand forth to claim what |
own.
Iniunctions and iails do not awe me,
fear not your grim prison wall
! fear neither you nor your tyrants,
No more will cringe at your call
You masters of field and of work
shop.
am mighty and you are but few;