The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-08-17

gether with thousand others-young
girls, old women, the flotsam and jet
sam of an unjust, decaying social or
der, basing its wealth on the suffer
ing, the misery and degradation of
millions of men and women. The
warden of the workhouse opened the
performance. We ought to be proud
of our country, he said, grateful for
the many blessings of liberty, demo-
crazy, and the pursuit of happiness
which the Declaration of Independ-
ence had guaranteed to US.
We looked about us, at the faces
lined with suffering or callous, bitter,
Indifferent; at the dull eyes of the
drug addict, the diseased face of the
prostitute. We saw ourselves. We
thought of the hundreds of workers
on the picket line, arrested, imprison-
ed, brutally beaten by gangsters
while the Industrial Squad look on
calmly or aided in the jobs. We
thought of the millions of workers,
struggling for mere livelihood, OPP
pressed and exploited.
Hopes to Catch En- All.
The warden continued. He didn't
think so badly of the inmates. The
only difference between them and
those outside was that the others had
not yet been discovered. And as for
him, he had become warden twenty
enc years ago so that he might es-
cape being found out. Loud laughter
and applause GREETED these remarks.
A truth at last, perhaps!
The show went on-singing, dane
ing, recitations, all by the inmates.
When it was over, out we filed again
into the yard, to witness the fire
works. 1t was beautiful might've
drank it in.
Later, when we returned to our
room, we thought of the warden's re-
mark, as he watched US going into the
yard, that well annex you, too, to
America some day." SO now, surely,
we understand the meaning of Amer
icanism.
For the T. U. E. L.
We were not permitted outdoors
again. We were deprived, also, of our
singing. But we found other things
to do. One evening we related anec-
dotes, experiences. On Thursday,
when we got our commissary, we ar
ranged party, with apples, oranges,
crackers, and punch made out of a
thin watery jell-o left over from our
lunch. We certainly did feast that
day. Fruit and soda crackers had
surely never tasted so good before.
Another evening, we had long
discussion on the Trade Union Educa-
tional League. We talked about de-
velopments in the American labor
movement, the trend towards trade
union capitalism, company unionism,
class collaboration. We explained the
program of the league We related
the history of the left wing struggle
in the needle trades. Comrades who
were not members of the league gave
their names and addresses, expressing
desire to join. 1t was the most in
teresting evening of all. We forgot
that we were in the workhouse.
Educate MatrOns.
We carried our propaganda beyond
our own group, even to the ranks of
the matrons, telling them about our
struggle whenever we got chance.
Though some of them had been harsh
and hostile at first, by the time we
left even the worst had become friend
ly. In spite of themselves. few be-
gan to sympathize with the furriers'
struggle-perhaps because the MEM
cry of their own fight for the S-hour
I day was still fresh in their minds.
They were impressed by our solidar-
| ity, which we made them feel was
merely reflexion of the spirit in the
ranks of the needle trades workers.
what do you call those who don't
stick?" said matron to us. "Slack-
ers!" we cried out, and she nodded
assent. Another brought us news
about the strike--we could not get
newspapers. Apparently, we were a
new type of prisoner, to them. Strik-
ers weren't so had, after all. We
didn't bite, or scratch, or creep on all
tours.
The Counting.
But one difficulty we did present
to them. 1t made us have many a
hearty laugh. There were So of us
the first day. Then the number drop
ped to 40, and finally to SO, as the
3-day, and 5-day pickets departed.
Now numbers take on a tremendous
Significance in the workhouse. The