Montana labor news., 1934-09-27
Wings Over Washington
BY LEN DE CAUX

cause it? Who get killed and how
does it happen?
Take the textile strike. Twelve per-
sons killed in less than two weeks and
many more injured in many street
battles. Who are they? All but one
or two are strikers or strike sym
pathizers. How are they killed?
Nearly all are shot in the back. Who
does the killing? Company gunner
(deputized and armed to break up
picketing), police or National Guards
men.
How then does it all start? To read
the accounts in newspapers which dare
not offend rich advertisers and owners,
one might imagine that the strikers
suddenly break into a riot" by run
ming backwards into the bullets and
bayonets Of the "preservers Of peace"
= = =
What actually happens? Any con-
scientious reporter who has covered a
number of such labor riots" whether
they involve strikers, demonstrating
unemployed, farmers or any other
under-dogs, will recognize that most
of them follow a certain pattern.
= +
On the one side, in nearly every
case, are the rich and powerful, weak
in numbers but mighty in the armed
resources that money-power places at
their disposal. On the other side are
the poor, without arms, without money
and political power, but mighty in
numbers and in an aroused of
burning resentment.
= = +
How do these two forces come to
clash? The poor seek to mobilize their
chief weapon, the power of numbers
and solidarity, in self-defense against
oppression whether this take the form
of low wages, inadequate relief or
what not. They go on strike, they
picket, they meet in mass demonstra-
tons.
Immediately the rich are panic
stricken. They call upon all the po-
litical power and armed force which
their money can command. AT Honea
Path, S. c., the mill-owners had
strikebreakers armed and deputized.
In Rhode Island and many other states
National Guardsmen were called out
to aid the police, and federal troops
are called as a last resort.
T. 4 +
So large groups of strikers, un-
armed, peaceful in intent, but deter
mined to demonstrate the power of
their numbers in bringing out their
fellows on strike, suddenly find them
selves confronted with formidable
armed forces. Who fires the first shot
or strikes the first blow? Seldom, if
ever, is it the strikers or the unem-
ployed, for the gun-power is all on the
other side.
Usually the police, the troops or the
deputized company gunner make some
provocative move, or some stoolpigeon
makes it for them. Then the slaughter
begins. The workers have only rocks
or such other improvised weapons as
they can pick up to defend themselves
the agents of the rich have rifles, ma
chine guns, gas bombs and every
weapon OF modern warfare. In such
unequal warfare, the bravery shown
by unarmed workers is amazing. In
battle after battle, American workers
have refused to be cowed into submits
sion by almost overwhelming armed
force.
Where lies the crux of the whole
question? Obviously in the control of
armed force. If the strikers or the
unemployed had the guns, if the police,
militia and federal troops were on
their side, there would be no blood
shed. The supposed law of democracy
that the will of the majority should
prevail would take its natural course.
But it is precisely the fear that the
majority would have their way if In
deferred by violence, that drives the
rich panic-stricken to bloody suppress
sion of the aroused masses.
4 4 4
Which side controls the armed
forces? No theoretical arguments are
needed to answer this question. Every
shooting, every killing, every battle Of
every strike or demonstration shows
police, deputies, state militia, federal
troops in action against labor.
4 + +
That is why hardened reporters
gasped with surprise when U. T. W..
leaders in Washington suggested that
the president call out federal troops
on the side of the strikers. It sounded
completely absurd to them. And the
next day the same strike leaders were
having to protest that federal arms
were being used against the strikers
by National Guardsmen, and having to
place the final responsibility directly
on the federal authorities.
Federal responsibility was admitted
in 1929 by the legal division of the u.
S. War Department. After protest
from the American Federation of
Labor against state militia attacks on
Elizabethton, Tenn, strikers, it advised
Secretary Of War Good that federal
arms and equipment should only be
used when state militia were acting as