Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1925-09-04
FREE AND
INDEPENDENT?
Are you a free man ?

Are you a free man?
Sure.
What makes you think you are
free man?
Well, doesn't the Declaration of In
dependence say, "All men are born
free, etc"
SO it does But if the same declar-
alton said all men are born Greek
scholars, would that make you
Greek scholar?
Yes-no-well, of course not.
And by the way, what do you un-
derstand by being free man?
Well, it means that being a free
man, Pm my own boss. can do
with myself and my time whatever |
feel like doing
This means that you are slave.
Oh, gowan, don't make me laugh.
What is there about being slave
that should make you laugh?
Why, the very idea that |, free
born American, should be regarded
as a slave.
And why not? You yourself de
fined freedom as being your own
boss-that is, to be master over your
own time and body.
SO | did.
Then by the same token, the fellow
who is not his own boss and not the
master Of his own body and time is
slave.
1t seems so.
Well, are you your own boss?
4es,-that is, | am my own boss
when it comes to choosing my boss.
So you do have boss
Yes.
And your boss tells you when to get
up, when to go to work, and when
to quit?
No, not exactly. | bought myself
an alarm clock which tells me when
to get up.
Do | understand that you are the
slave of a siX-bit alarm clock?
Of course not, | wind and set the
alarm clock myself.
Why?
Because | have to be at my job at
seven or get bounced.
Does that mean that you have to
deliver your body at the factory gate
by seven?
How could l be there without my
body?
That's it. How could you?
Yes, that's it. How could /?
And if you don't deliver your body
at seven, you say you're liable to get
bounced.
At any rate, | couldn't be late very
often without getting bounced
And if bounced, what then?
Then | would be at liberty-to hunt |
another boss.
Suppose you can't find another
boss?
On, well, | never was very long
without boss
That is, your periods of liberty are
fortunately brief ones ? /
Yes, I've been very lucky in that /
! respect.
But suppose your good luck hap !!
pens to run out some day and you
can't find another boss?
In that case, | might starve.
Are you sure someone would not
prevent your starving to death by re-
sorting to forceful feeding as in the
case of Irish hunger strikers?
Oh, moths isn't Ireland Every
man has got right to starve in d
free country like this.
That's so, but what about the right
to eat?
Well, as far as | can recollect, the
Declaration Of Independence don't
say anything about eats.
Nor does it guarantee you a job?
Moo.
Nor money to buy food when out
Of job?
NO-O-o.
Nor a piece of ground where you
may raise food?
NO-O-o-o.
This means then, that unless you
are member Of a labor union, YOU
are forced by starvation or the fear
OF starvation to accept work, if YOU |
are lucky enough to find work at the I
terms laid down by someone who has
no other interest in you than to make
you work the longest possible hours
for the lowest possible wages, and
who will cast you aside the minute
your labor is no longer profitable to
him?
Oh, don't know, there are bosses
who keep men on the payrolls after
they have ceased earning their paw.
| know, and there were slave own
ers who fed their slaves long after
they ceased earning their keep. And
l even know farmers who provide
pastures for their Worn-out horses.
Oh, let up, if you hand me this chin
music to make me join a labor union,
you're barking up the wrong tree.
I'm free born Independent Ameri-
can citizen, and | won't allow any
walking delegate rob me of the lib
erty set down in the Declaration of
lndependence.-Harry Dees in the
international Steam Engineer.
It's Hard to Beat