Evening star., 1925-11-15
LOCAL "JOINER" DECIDES
NOT TO JOIN BOLSHEVIKI
Finds Washington Branch Given to
Long Speeches Without Sick or
Funeral Benefits.

she managed to get over the idea that
all imperialistic government must go,
especially England. and these imperi
aliStic governments are not only afraid
Of the Soviet government in Russia,
but they re jealous as all out doors
of Russia because Russia is setting
them such a good example. She didn't
mention this country. but by the gen
eral tone of her remarks, as you might
say, l wouldn't be surprised if she
didn't feel sort of worried about this
government too.
Then a kid got up and bawled out
France for fair, and what he said
about that country was a plenty. 1
was in the A. Z. F. and after the arm
isttce us guys used to say some un-
kind things about the prices them
frogs was charging for vim blanc, but
we never went that far, and this was
only kid talking.
Then still another kid got up and
said a piece about the people of Ger
many getting ground under the heel
of this guy Won Hindenburg, but she
seemed to hold out some hope for
Germany as she said the Soviet would
soon get things to running to suit
the folks in Germany.
Then another youngster got up and
said a piece about China, the idea
being that China was getting eaten up
by the other imperialistic nations, and
from the way she suffered when she
was saying that piece she didn't know
any more about what she was talking
about than l did when l was kid and
teacher used TO make me say a piece
about The Wreck of the Hesperus.'
We'll, I thought all the kids had
been used up by this time, but, by
George, a whole flock of them got up
on that stage the next time and held
what they cali a pageant. The two
main kids was dressed in red shirts,
and the audience got excited and
began to clap. One of the main kids
had scythe and the other a hammer.
and they stood facing each other and
crossed the scythe and the hammer,
while the other kids kneeled down
around them. Then a little female
comrade said a long piece about
Russia. but her gas line was choked
and she couldn't be said to be hittin'
In dumb. but I'll be darned II I could
figure out just what she was talking
about.
This was followed by a comrade
girl who got up and said a piece about
letting the kiddies Join the junior
order Of the workers party, where they
would be taught to think. We develop
ourselves and learn to think. although
others have no thought OF the future
said this comrade, so every worker
between IA and 25 should Join SO
young children Will not be misled
as they are in other organizations
she said, and I'll have TO look into
this as / got a young boy who has
been hanging around the Y. NJ. c. A
a lot lately.
Had Seen Better Singing.
Then there was more entertain
ment when young man and a young
lady got up on the stage and sang
Personally I didn't think much of It,
because the man was the kind of a
fellow I want to throw a plate at even
when not singing, and although I amt
what you call a critic Of good music
| seen better singing in my time,
especially over the radio.
ut was gettin' to be goshawful late
by this time and the speakin' hadn't
even begun yet, the part before being
mere child S play, you might say, but
conrade chairman now introduced a
fellow who he said had been active In
labor circles for nigh on 20 years,
and while I guess he may have been
active in circles alright. I never seen
him up at the A. T. Of L. or down
to the Central Labor Union either.
He started out like this:
Mourn not the dead"
I began to squirnl because he had
a awful solemn. deep voice.
Then he shot over another one.
Mourn not those prisoners now
lying behind steel bars, or sitting in
walled cells, victims Of capitalism.
We'll, l began to think we got to
msurn somebody, SO let's have it.
Rather ho
all and are too weak, too cowardly,
too craven. to do anything about it.
Il felt conspicuous, because hadn't
done anything about it and didn't in
tend to. but then / forgot about it
and listened to this guy rave on. One
Thing he said that made me think.
He said this was a small gathering
here tonight, considering all the work
ers there are in Washington. but there
were small gatherings in Russia 25
years ago, too. His idea was, reckon.
that we are in the same fix they was
in Russia 25 years ago, so the gather
ings will grow, as it We're. He signed
off with something like yours for a
cleaner and better society and
agreed, on looking about. that there
was something TO that, but he wasn't
done. because he asked for a contri.
button to keep some newspaper in
cHICdBO on us Ieet. IhiS IeWSDaOer
now IS tottering, he said, and had its
eyes on Washington tonight, waiting
for some cash. All the other papers
were merely organs for the dissemina-
ton of misinformation, he said so he
asked brightly how many SO bills
there was in the audience. No $40
billS being among those present, he
asked how many S. bills there was,
and there was two of them. Then he
came down to 81 bills and asked about
them, and there was few more,
Then they passed the hat and got a
flock of nickels and dimes and quar-
ters. amounting in all, I should say,
to maybe s20.53, Judging from the
looks OF the interior Of the hat as it
passed by me-
Talked on Russia,
The last speaker on the program
was the big gun, and he was intro.
duced as a fellow who had thus far
got away every time the riot call
sounded, ending up In Mexico, where
he was happy for while until ap.
preached one day by policeman who
put him on board train and took him
to the border, from which he gradu.
ally made his way back to New York,
where he was now engaged in the good
work.
He talked along about Russia,
where he had visited and said as how
the SmokeStacks were now belchfns
smoke and the wheels of industry