The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1923-09-14

school aad the industrial college, and
] might say, the industrial church. II
is in the industrial union You come in
to complete fellowship with each other
you develop the social spirit that is
J so necessary to this great change.
You come to realize in the industrial
union that you are in control of in
dustry; that you do not need the Rock
efellorS and Morgans and Vande1b bits
and the rest Of them. You are run
ming the industries; you are in control
of them. And this you learn in the
industrial union, that in its very ma
ture is revolutionary It not only pro-
poses to reduce your work day and in
crease your wage and better your
wage conditi ons; it proposes to put an
end 60 the private ownership of your
industry and make you your employ
ers; put you in charge of the mills and
factories and mines and all of the in
dustries; and then you viii have in
dustrial self-government. You will
have a voice in the control of the in
dustry in which you are employed; and
why shouldn't you have? You will
then receive the full equivalent of
what you produce You will be well
paid, you may be sure; and what you
receive for your services will enable
you to build the kind Of . house you
want and be proud in the ownership
Of it; and provide yourselves and your
wives and your children with decent
clothes and wholesome food in abund-
ance. And then you will reduce the
work day in proportion to the progress
Of invention: then the machine viii be
the only slave-the machine that has
no body to starve, no back to scar and
no soul TO crush. Listen to the mute
message of that machine: "Come to
me, We weary workers; come to me,
and at your touch, your social touch,
/ will produce in abundance for you
all. | will reduce the work day.
will make it possible for you to have
some leisure each day, so that you
may cultivate the graces Of life, know
something of the good literature,
study art. and give yourself to the
contemplation of the myriad marvels
of the universe. Then your feet will
be upon the rock, your soul free, your
head among the stars; you will know
what it is 20 be a human being-some-
thing of the divinity that is possible
to every human being on earth.
The capitalist isn't to be envied. Do
l hate Rockefeller for having a bill
lion dollars? Would trade places
with Mr.. Rockefeller, the greatest,
most successful capitalist of the mod
ern wOrld2 Rockefeller has billion
dollars, and not one real friend. He
does not enjoy the handclasp of
friends. When he appears upon the
streets of New York, he conceals his
Identity. He is no longer rooted in
the common soil. He has become ex-
elusive. He must have protection. AT
his palatial home in Tarrytown he is
q life prisoner, less fortunate than I
was, for there is no pardoning power
for him. l was there for principle,
and he is there for money. But he
can't help it. I'd relieve him Of his
burdens; I'd emandpate him if | had
the power, as gladly as l would any
other human being who was unfor-
tunate enough to be born in the cap
italist system, and he played the game
and has succeeded-and missed every
thing that makes life worth living.
Rockefeller is pretty nearly due for
translation. In just a little while
death will find his way to the palace
where Rockefeller abides, and enter
there without the formality of press
ing the button or sending in his card.
He will find his way to the couch of
the Millionaire. All of his millions
will be about him; what will thew
avail him in the last hour? Absolute
~ nothing. And then death, perhaps,
IN compassion will point his skeleton
finger ct his quivering heart and say
Stop" And In the smallest fraction
OF a second the Millionaire will be re-
duced Co the earth, with Just as li9tlo
ceremony as if he We're a beggar on
the highway. Shrouds have no peck
cts. We came without the dollars.
and we leave in exactly the same wav.
l am opposed to war; | object to
bloodshed. | would not take the life
OF human being to save my own. 1
regard human life as infinitely sacred.
| am opposed, therefore, to the svs-
tenn that ruthlessly sacrifices human
lie in the most barbarous manner
possible. But | want to tell you that
II l did believe in war, if it were my
convection that bloOdShed were neces-
ssary, l should be sufficiently honest to
insist upon shedding my share of that
blood. | would not remain in the rear,
wave flags and yell for blood, and push
the young men Of the country to be
slaughtered and sacrificed for nv pro
ut and glory. l would not do that.
When those boys marched to the
'front.' l remember so we'll that the
daughters of the rich met them at the
station with baskets full of dainties
OF all kinds, put their arms about them
Kissed them, patted them on the back
ana called them heroes. | said, "F'or
Just a little while" In ordinary times
those ladies would not have made foot
mats OF those soldiers, but they were
gong Co the front to save the capital
ISL system; and so they were heroes,
fTaVnl1nO focf