Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-08-04
AS THE L. w. w. APPEARS TO
PROFESSOR
Professor Leschoicr of the uni

Professor Lescho!cr Of the Univer-
sity of Wisconsin undertakes,
through the pages of the August
Harper's. to discuss from acquaint-
ance with conditions, why there is
such bitter hostility toward an or
ganization. the I. w. w, which con-
siders its teachings "a gospel of hope
to the poor.
The test by which this hostility has
arisen is generally thought to be that
ancient one: by their fruits ETC.,
but Prof. Leschoier seems to have
thought popular judgment untrust-
worthy so made an investigation on
his own account.
He writes of being in the wheat
lands in 1920, in North Dakota when
the wheat was being harvested.
There were then $50 workmen in the
little town, where he was. The farm
crs were offering 81 per'day. but this
was refused with scorn. In mosv
cases he found that the l. w. WIS
fixed the wage.
Under those conditions the bar
gaining spirit enters into the matter
there being no regular scale of wages
and the farmers in many instances
dare not break the scale fixed by the
l. W. w. though saying they cannot
afford to pay it. The labor leaders
argue with them. Prof. Lcschoier
says: "Skilfully they force the farmer
to admit that he is the mere catspaw
OF big business professor does
not argue this point-"which fixes
the price of his wheat on the one
hand and the manufactured goods he
buys on the other; then drive home
the suggestion that his only hope,
like labors, is to organize against big
business y.
While a few dangerous men, he
says, can be found among the 1. w.
VS. he found the great majority
simply ordinary workingmen more to
be pitied than to be feared. These
seem to have little comprehension of
the theories of the organization, their
principal characteristic being unwill-
inSness to work steadily and they
look to bring about the collapse of
capitalism through retarding instead
of increasing production.
This in a degree, confirms the gen.
cral impression that they are labor
ers who do not wish for steady work,
would not remain at it if they found
it. have the wanderlust and vague
notion that those who do work stead
lily. whose roots so deep into the soil
of their community life, who rear
as members of communities, are very
foolish specimens of humanity. The
professor does not say this and might
consider it too harsh, though he adj
mits their phraseology teens with
class conflict and the Rcvolution",
the day, we presume, of millenial
when one without skill, in
dustry or common sense may find
soft jobs set in pleasing scenes at
a wage which will enable them to
break the monotony by riding from
job to job in pullman cars.
The professor doesn't put it that
way. He prefers to have them ap-
pear as victims of circumstances
rather than of their own shiftlcss-
ness. He describes them as demon
allied "by our existing social institu-
tions" though he concludes they "are
themselves demoralizins factor in
society, "a social tragedy rather
than a social menace.
He does not find their character
such that a successful revolution
could be established upon it. and he
goes so far as to say he believes the
has been of some value
to society" in awakening the home
less. migratory laborers of the
to desire for higher
economic and social level than the
hobo, but he does not
say that it changes the fellow from a
hobo to a dependable citizen.
He thinks the attempt should not
be made to suppress the organization
but rather to cure it by "plcntitude
of steady work.. He neglects, what
seems of great importance, to tell us
how horse led to water may be in
duced to drink or how hobo furn-
ished with a steady job may be COM
PEELED to stick to it. 1t almost seems
the professor would criticize police
man for telling the crowd to move on.
assuming that society in some way is
under obligation to offer inducements
so inviting that the crowd would
move on of it's own accord.
1t will be lovely when the doing of
the right thing appeals most attract
lively to human fancy, but before that
time may arrive it is possible the
fancy will need little tinkcring. The
hardly rnnIy IN Hoa1 ront1,,