The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1922-10-06

country" is more a social outcast
| than the strikebreaker. Dollars and
cents never compensate union man
turned "scab' for the lifelong os-
tracism of his fellowmen as told in
this story.-The Editor.
Let the "old-timer" tell you his
story in his own words.
"Pd give the world if l owned
it if l hadn't weakened that time
in my early life during the strike
Of '94 when | deserted my shop
mates, weakened their side and went
back to work under cover.
81 know what it is to be called
'scab.' One never can become
hardened to it. 1t follows him
wherever he may travel, to the fur
thermost parts of the earth. / have
worked with professional strike
breakers. the hardest and most cal
loused of mortals. No word offends
them like that of 'scab.' Indeed, the
strikebreaker has brought himself to
believe that he is a gentleman along
union, violated his oath of member
turned to work during a strike.
liz SNdb ScluOlll lGClS HIS lO1lC-
Illness until the strike is over, when
the company has no further concern
about his welfare and when they
have defeated the union. The strike
breaker seldom remains long on any
job. He is gradually frozen out by
more competent men.
The Remorse That. Comes
"Some of the strikers usually get
back on the Job and they usually
bring with them all the bitter mem
cries of that battle. That's when
the men who betrayed them begin
to feel it. 1t is not so much what
is said to them as the looks they
get. the GOODNESS that is displayed
and the ostracism from which they
suffer. Even the boss, so good and
friendly during his trouble, becomes
indifferent and unconcerned. On top
of it all is the consciousness one feels
that he has not been on the square
with his fellows.
81 can imagine the anguish of a
murderer after his crime, for
know the remOrse of a traitor to
labor. In my case the suffering eX-
tended to my family. My children
seemed different and eventually held
aloof from me. My youngest, one
day, climbed up on my knee and
asked me in childish seriousness:
Daddy, what's a "scab ?"' That
question pierced my heart like an
arrow. | could not answer him. /
couldn't even look him in the face.
evaded direct reply by asking him
why he asked me such a question.
The Kids At School
THE kids at school won't play
with me-, he said with a pathetic
tone in his voice. They say to me,
go on, get away from US, your father
is "scab."' l tell you that struck
home and made me regret l listened
to the honey words of the company
agent who got me to weaken and
crawl back to my job like a worm.
"The next blow / felt was when
| came home one evening and found
my wife in tears. She had been
black balled' by a fraternal order
to which she had made application
for membership. A kind neighbor
had told her that they had nothing
against her, but there were mem
bers present who objected to hav-
ing the wife of a scab' in the order.
She was a good wife and a good
mother. and in addition to taking
care of her household duties she
found ample time to devote to
church and social matters.
while her old friends and neigh
bors had always been kind to her,
she was sensitive to a manifest cold
ness they exhibited in her presence.
1t was not like that in other days
when | was one of the boys, and it
hurt her. She finally gave up every
thing on the outside and seldom
mixed with other people. We had
few callers and no real friends.
She was not used to that and it af-
fected her.
Il noticed her cheeks fading and
deep lines appearing on her face.
We resolved to go away, to go
somewhere where we were not known
and possibly we would be able in a
new community to work our way
into new friends.
| resigned and went West, got a
job in a coast town and sent for my
family. 1t looked promising for us.
We attended church regularly. NV
wife made friends quickly and we
were soon enjoying the social COM
VI a HllShIy Inc iOI u
people. The color came back to her
cheeks and life again grew to be
worth while.
"Then one day an old shopmate
from back East appeared on the job.
The moment | set my eyes on him
the Jig was up No sign of recog-
milton passed between us. That af-
ternoon many of the new friends |
had made in the shop seemed less
cordial than they had been. Later
in the day distempered helper
whom | had asked to assist me on a
piece of work l was doing turned me
down and said he wouldn't help a
"scab."'
"The curtain again came down on
my life. | didn't tell my wife any
thing about it, but she learned it the
following Sunday coming home from
| church. | tried to get back in the
| union and hoped by doing so | could
| make amends for the one mistake !
had made. l was informed by the
secretary that | would have to
straighten up with my old local
| union, as there was fine entered
| against me there and it was more
than | could pay.
| Followed Him From Home
eve soon departed for another
city further south on the coast.
sought new employment, but lucl
| plaVed apainst me and wharava,,