The Voice of the people. [volume], May 21, 1914, Image 3

About The Voice of the people. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1913-19??

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EQUAL WAGES TO ALL
SPECIAL PRIVILEGES TO NONF
I'erroii. in the artiele republished on the fourth
page. hits a sore spot eating within the ,Labo.r ()r
gani.at ions that is seldomn toueheld on --the ri'l/t of
A LL worke rs Ito qual inMy for s rr''t s ie rfl'rmed,
trho the r Ithe bye i m, a or 'onet it. As he correctly saNivs.
"If yo'u 'lll't inllelrst. m lld that vyo are ,eov'erestimi st
ing you1"r own* impljortl'lance." A tiso ayou are. There is
toda(y Io earthly re'asion why eite. worker should re
civye ,.0'.tHt a lay a'and another *$1.50. anti for a longr..'
dti,. for l1a11 htns colllter·ed the' power itt prteslii., ii:
iltiulan,'e for AII, thile NEEI). of' life; se that the
olily relsl I i or eXU.se, foIr inelitlality of inmioint'
rests nmw ini th lu inrrow sllisihntess of mind lthe
w.orkers a btsorbed ill thlle last fromill lthe Itiei'g'tis.
i hose oinly yardst ick for mieasuring uip ieni alil wit
milen is the Almiighty I)Dollar. "Ilavr I more I)tllars
i.er dIa.v. or in lvy pot'ketl. or it bataik. lthan you '
'T''hen. .v all the gods, I an youir l,.better'." 'l'hat is
the Itollrgeois ildea.l, the stuN total o'f 'list illngliNshlllt
to him the Al mighty Dol)lar.
Yet let Labohr. siuch an ide.al is itt ilily ablsird bilut.
;Is 'Person points tilt, suicidal. for lIabor is Ihi,
('re'ntor aldii the I'reator cnllllot dlistingulish itself Ivt'
iiiserliness; and l to den' to tyour brother or sister ini
Itil the." FI'111, ENJOYMENT 1of lifet IS .MIMERRIY
;Ind you di noiit dlistinguish yours'.If by so doiig. lut
rather you hdegradle yii.rs.lf.
Where is the' gainill oo Ik aroimndl ,ito andil se' it
iif you can. ILook at lthe so-eaMlede highly skill-eI and
highly paid ,crafts, what have' th,'y ga;illt'it hev aiaiille
,anti ae'ttingu the Itossi's in this poliy ' I Isay NO)TIl
IN;. Wors.. thev have done monre than ue.arly all
itiher forces conlliineI to lower the level of livinit
for thet Amueri-tan workers, their own incluidedI. 'T'his
iniV" sooianI wrong. Ihu thake sumcth nso-ailed highlt .
paid workers as the I,o.eimniltivi, Eng ine.rs. thelit rick
layers. .t'e.. anlld wh'ere, is their Fgatil Ae.rordilng to
It. F. Yoakimn. anil you tcan I'e sure Yo'akui lti it at
,tol-tiot,'ei. thlie wage's paid the Enli giineers. ('iointlh'toers.
IIIt.. on the railroads has aloiit eleuili edi in the last 1i
.'ears. hoIt aiii this Yoinkmlll did nIt imtll' io) the'
lost of living has far il more than ll Ioubled,, inl that pe
rioel; seo that thtere has hIeein tn A('TI'A.l adlvalne., in
lihe. wag of lose workers. hoit,' .n tthe icontrary'. Iheir
A ('TI' A, \A I .s nlie I eetn I.l, inot Oil 'IV the ris iing
e'st of liv'ing. but b\i the FA(''I' that they' ar. tInla
moving , pee.r 'l'lew far Inltore' freight aiitl ieaseln'rs than i
the}v diid 15 'years ago.
NEt oiily ini this true b \ut li ohlidn ig thrlni\ive's
alotf Ifromi their ,lower paid f'llIow-wiirker's, thI.i ha\,
halstelleded tlhe dolwnweard I ir.'11 t oi' waeevge's leiel eto
their CLASS, and so doecoli,'l thousands of thelitir 'iW
chiliren to live's a fre savage' woillh not ptae eIalh
'Ite.'ptlt. I"lrthe.r. the' fu lrtlher ,ff ye t,. geIt ''ifromi
ISF..'I'I, LAIt()lh the' higher youir incoietu tends to
lgo: for uiii.r I'apitalismi the more ustl'iss vouir s.'r'
vite is teo soiiety. tlhei more parisittieal ;ulr ellWl rk Ie,'
I ' li's. thl ll' Ir' of ' ge'tle'I iaii " y ou are. aii1l gei.I
flle n 1111. m st hbe r'ewa'rlel' fot, l tr ihi' iii ur i's tihey ili
tliit oin heir f,,llo niet,
Fi or inst.ilie . It, fi e lltu \ho siVeep t he st re'.t. ninallt l
tain the' sie.tvr auld watelr s'ste'e anl elear i'ut etilr
citiies of arlbage buit for their labors i,n c'it '.oitie
live ii year. \t'e t lhtv are aln, iiit the Iowevst paid and
\\orst treate.dI of all workers. while the l dotors. whIts'
0,ily wor'k is tinkering \witIih eft',.s. ar. a th,tsail
inlis Ibetter paidI ald t eviie lithe we o rkelrs look upol
thelt as exceeding wisi n' l. Againi. the' enir i.tr
\\11 i , dltes nothing butil riim a l.oIoioiitive\', dlw a track
hite.ht tt a train that lith' sheptnii'i have' tutadi' reanl\
leer him iii ull eve'r a t rat'k thlhit the' trauekiiien haiiv
st,'n was t)htre and Iclia s in teem lititn. thinks hFt is
seene' ol,,l'e peeta1tes than the' sholu .iwi. tlt'rks wIl
tra,.km,.ni ane is. by a sort t'f divite right. e.rititl'eI
to, meet' pay than tliese' eellher Ien auth wevenllt \'illitehit
i\ioese' pr vio tah lor \ ir Eigineie'r ,.ii n' t .i . hite
,1'C It tlhe Ma,,t teiiiits against his te\ l .cliss tf t"it'
shttejeotenl. ,fttie'ne'in alid tra,.kue'.n \\ ,tihl mie' iii (IN I'
I 'N " I ,N .hey ,,o l i ji'r'etty sieri leere the l' atliiie'li tee
rl'e,.o'gnhiz their i'iglht to E(I'A~t'.\ITY. anellih'vy are'
.e' tlts it' the'.\ ten, 't. A. il as it is etntlhe' iailrteaets. ,se
it is in all either itiettistrie.s the' IEAI, workers ai'i'
,i.'gt'rah.l' tee a atre' exist'nte wage and ahlet' is sleit
:eninist itself. atrailst its lci"ss ilter'l'sts. against irs
,hitelre'ui. te the e'dtl thit a ,_rue'seli,' Plte.'raev may
've', like' heliliati hogs ii trotighs ,t gohl.
AntI his is what they ,.ail "eivilizaatitn" ''werk
igoit'.i etetuyitug anet eal.i ot her anlib to thir weetl .11
tetil ,.hiilre',in the' full e'iiylnj'mit tf' lifte. A itet this
is tle'n hi a werkdl where', butit ftr ehe t I trolit Svsteli
mien ,'etti proetn'l niore' than ioatkinil e'eil ,.eli
.i i itt'. ,I t us waken freen this ,svage'r'. l.'t tis elI'
,lare' the EQI'AI.ITY OF ALL IA.\ltAR. TitE
IGlt;llT OF ALL WORKERS TO EQt'A\l PAY I"' R
SI1\RVI('ES RENI)EREI). AntI thus te.tic:n
ih..\ZIN'; 'ril \. WAY" TI) FIIEEI)O.M.
FRIENDS OF JOE HILL, NOTICE.
S,ett & .Mt.l)ouial. attorn,'ys t,'fe'niiw_ I ',.elltw
\'uorker ililt, are' axiloieeis to hear froltt all tf II~ll's
t'riehtls, with statt'int'lits of his t'hara'te'r. Ileigth Itel
imt' they have known hiill. u.1)e'e'ially eli tle iPatit'c
('east. Take heed of this n4otit'e, fellow-wortke'rs. and
,lee Veelr best to itnable his attorlleys strre'iigthetn his
'h.fen.se. Adere'ss, Ncott & Me'l)oltrI..1n it ,ge' BHtiilinil.
SIt lake ('it". I'tah.
Ed. lHoiet. , rre /lr/ lI
THE GREAT MENTAL WEAKNESS.
Education is the strongest weapon in the hands
of the master class as well as in the hands of the
slave c'lass. Organization on both sides is impou
sible. without first having acquired education. The
ipower tile. master class at the present time holds over
Ithe* slave class has its foundation in education, that
as class consciousness on their side, which means that
they realize that whenever the slave claws improves
upon its .onditions (shorter hours, more wages) they
thel mmste.rs are getting hurt. Therefore they will
do e.vterything in their power to hold the workers
Sttaiting fromt the knowledge that education is that
which gives them, the masters, power, they realize
that this very same education mItust be withheld at
ainy exp'nse from the slave class, and they not only
withhold frl'om a working .lass a real working class'
ed.lation, blut give that class at the same time a slave
.edlucatlion,. ail e.lucati.on suited to their, the masters'.
pitrpo.s's. We know that they claim for themselves
the. worker 's braint when he is a niere child, realizing
that, when. once certain ideas have been dropped into
tllhat bril, during the early years of its development,
ideas which ke-ep dripping into that brain regularly
;t1ral steadily all the time, that brain, at a maturs
stage. will no longer be the worker's brain, but will
intsteadil the mitaster's brain, tlhat it will not think
a;lJolIg working class' lines of ctildiuct, but along master
larss' lines of .ondluct, in far.t, will I.e a mere autoti
alton. having lost all power of independent thought.
It is very hard, if not ilnsla ;ible, to retlodel that
bruin again, as it is hard to get a full-grown oak tree
sitraighit again after once the gardener has bent that
tre.e wlheni y.oung in a certain direction, or as it is
hardl to mnake tihe surface of a stonle level again, after
e ater drops. by dripping don ta on the surface of
that stone !'.or ages and ages (drip, drip, drip, all
IIhe liime have once wornt that stone's surface out
into. a hollow.
It is thie etnvironment to which all matter, whether
irganti. or inorgani'. is subject; mc'e change the en
V\irolinment and you'll have cihanged the Imanifesta
Siion. of the moatter sub.ject to it.
St"lch i.s the position of the working class today.
From early clhildhlo(H1 uip to noanhosal they are (uin
c.onttsciously in most ctased) subject to at destructirc
,,ir io,,,, ,int. Their masters control the schools,
c.hitci.ches. ne.wspiapr editors, etc., and even thoir
vi.r. fathers and mothers. because these in turn have
b...let subject to the satene tnvironmttent.
Iesildes .environment there is the law of heredity
to Is' c.nltsidered. It is knowni that children, the sante
as all living I-inugs. inherit the main characteristics
Il'enltailly s wll as plhysic'ally, as the parent animals
lpsse's, frolt thliese Ilarenti animals. I say the main
har;inreterist i. s. sl lltcase the law of variation claims
(our attention,. too, in virtue .of which law the indi
vi.lials in tariy famiily nlever resemble each other.
neither the Ilar.ent pair from which they have sprung
. (.eve.ry partitular. n.ential and physical. For in
stalc.e. (,nite rothetr may have a bigger nocw or bigger
fee',.t oir bigger,il' haitls or may I" taller or smaller than
;anoIthter r'!' ,tther of thilt same. falnily. Tlhe other brother
1hotl,'eveo'r. m11ay have i bietter developed brainl and
therefot're Iore inttelligeince. alind independence of
Ithought t hanil the first brothter, and s.o ou infinitely.
Now it is this very law of variationl which has en
;abled t lit, lihmlll raie to c'linlll to that step iIn the
lahiIer itf evoluition tin whiich it finds itself standing
todayl , and fro %hli t ic"h it l(ooks dlowni on the lower
fIrilis 0of life, froili whlich it hLas colle itself. Nothing
i ii atitlre, is fixd'l. t.ver.t~lrg c.halilges continually.
S, ti' 's thlile citvir"tliniitlt. SItpjsee' sp''i'hs were ilt
ilitalll,' thatlil is. tihere was io variation at all) amid
It.- ,'t iromimtent started to 'age. It tahis ease all
00f the sl,.cit.s beinlg e.xa'tly alike,. there would hbe io
variot iotts sti it.'I tI. lite new environmment. not a sin
hl \variatioult lhier, wothi I be- to adapt itself to that
li0w Slp,,.ial I lvir0ni l iiettll. ~ lii'h enIvirointlient would
liot all ew t h.' sls'ei''s. itt its original state, to go on.
It is lth.e's' vet'y valriatiolns (those that et'n adalpt
tle l I\ ',s It tliir ilivir. niiietit ) that stitvive, wleret
as tht.' 'itov. ''01.1.l' variat iions (those that can't adajit
lheieselves to th ieir enviroiineiit) perish. Further
Ill'mr.. ill \'1r111(' t tihe il.w of heredlity, these newly
- .',(lird c.Ihar.e'terist ic's in the specie's atre handedl
(h\owi to th Iitxt g'lie'rations ulintil at last (taking it
Ihtit ith', Ii iraonmit'imt in cl''tirtallil\y changing) a new
Sin.'ic's ;aftt'r lprebalbly thouisanudis of years. will have
I.He'tn (,st thlishet .
Ilow far d1o these' nlitaral laas effect thie workilng
WV0rkiilg 411iss chil0lrenl are first of all Ieing taught
I,\ tll tiil t'h athiers a onilmothers, and afte'rwards in thet
sllichols. 'hilltrlchies. on their jobs. in the arnmy. etc..
hei sl;iv't hltiloslph that is. they are taught that
0.v'rytlilg a.s it e'xists tolday has always been. and
slhal ;Ilaways ee'. he.r'agts' (;,d made it that way. made
ric,.h aw it i'tor. malde killngsn. liaw and all kinds of an
th',rit . ,ti,.. diviile. ;nel therefore punishes thos'
S ti e't''rl firet' hi, don' iit want to accept thies.
tlliiis;lait I revo.\'lt againlst theli. Now this is the fuli
litIIelitIal dloc"'tlilie 'in .whichh all the other and later
.,;in'lirlirs re h:i, .1. It is the teachilng of dependence.
otf lhe'lplsllte'sne. (of fear. which make the working
Il'atll's c.hillr,'n. afterwards hIonor patriotismn. love for
'clllntr. tllt.lni. king,. presideuit, flag. masters, war
:ind nlmake thellin shrink fruom strikes, active revolt.
sablotag',, free spee'ch fights, organization, self-educa
tion, agitation, which are the very means by which
their class can come to liberty.
As I have said, it is the environment, conistiang of
a wrong education, which.does a lot to destroy the
working class, but the environment is only second
ary, it is of importance (great importance) in so far
as it makes the workers more fully, more completely
imbibe these fatal notions. But the first fact that
has got to be considered in connection with the wrong
ideas of the working class is the activenenas of the
law of heredity. The child, when still forming itself
in the mother's womb, is inheriting (before any edu
cation takes place) the. characteristics both -mental
and physical of its parents. And that means that its
mind right there and then is already forming a faint,
vague notion of fear, of dependence, subject as it is
to the law of heredity.
The parents of that working child have through
the long ages, by the law of heredity again, acquired
a special mental trait, a special instinct, called the
religious instinct, the INSTINCT OF FEAR.
Now as regards the law of the " Survival of the
Fittest" and the law of variation, which latter law
is necessary if the law of "the survival of the fittest"
is to have any value at all.
Those workers wvhose mental state is too much de
generated, who can't think any other way but
the way they have always been taught to think, by a
capitalistic environment, are the workers who, as
human beings, taken as a whole (including their gen
erations) will be annihilated according to the law of
the survival of the fittest; that is they can't adapt
themselves to their environment. They don't resist
while they are slowly being annihilated. They can't
understand the system andl blame themselves as the
cause of their misery, not realizing that the real
cause is monopoly, possession of the earth by a small
class.
Only thore variations in the species of the working
c.lass, 'that are able to rend the veil of ignorance, to
tear themselves loose from the spell that has been on
their class so long, will survive. They adapt them
selves to their surroundings in such a way that they
vary in intelligence, in perception-power, from the
rest of their species, and understanding the system.
will by the very education, included in understanding
the system. have the greatest power in their hands,
the power of organization.
These men in the working class who understand the
system run in the millions up to the present time,
and the most radical part of them constitutes the
1. W. W.
So, workers of the world. I'NITE, and become our
fellow-workers by joining the I. W. W., the ONE BIG
I'NION based on scientific principles, having its
roots deep down now already in the economic field.
)Don't only merely join the unson but he independent.
think and act for yourself, and moreover, fight with
uis now that the tinme is here to fight. We have got
to imake our union spread, spread all the time until
at last it will cover all the industries all the world
over, when our organized might shall sweep the capi
talist class, as a class, off the earth. Rememler this.
thait everything on this earth has been and is now
and will always we gained by .11IGIT. It's might
that rules the universe and it's might that survives
in the struggle for existence. reemember, MI(!IIT
IS il(III''.
Yours for the revolution. T. ('. (lar'l.
A "Refornmer" is a ipolitician who is dishonest
,ilabout his knavery.
DON'T.
1B!/ ('om'inglon Hall.
I)on't listen to the fairies., son. Ion't tr' to leave the
clolds
•To wainder off in Eden with the children of the godls;
l)on't worry when the hllnters hlush the nest-notes
of the dov'e.
Nor fret w|hen glol is otTfferedl for the broken lute of
love.
I)oni't listen to the fairi's. son. dlon't lhave the Ianil
of Trade
To see.k the laughilng waters andl the woodland's
nvystic shatde;
I)n,, 't grieve because they leave y',a and don't answer
when they call
Their tongues are tipt with honeyv-they are Iotllus
eaters all.
1)on't listen to the fairies. so.n, don't watch the star
that gleams
To guide you lip the mountain to, the thrneroomn of
your dreams;
I)on't turn aside to catch the light that showers from
life's wings.
Lest youll forget the ledger is the holiest of things.
I)on't listen to the fairies, son, ldonll't is a fool and quiit
The sacred lloumse of D)ollars just at Musie's feet to sit :
),on 't heed them wheli they whisper "''in your higher
longings trust."
For all except the crash,x is as ashes and as dust.
Landlordl plus ('apitalist plus (;Gunman equals a
" Government of the people. by the peopli. and for
the people."
BOSTON M. T. W. NOTES.
Local No. 2, M. T. W., is forging C dily ahead,
although we have one of your "Oiddy" 1a1l8 bmee
in addition to a benefit asociatio operated by the
Eastern Steampshi Corporation. The Oiddy tSt
here has four men chasing over the trost, while the
Eastern Steamship Corporation. Thei Giddy outit
operates the most damnable blacklist against say sad
all men who even speak about the I. W. W., let alne
joining it.
The local is clear of all debt and has a small aur
plus on hand which Is going to be used for ganism.
tion work. The fight is an uphill one but neverthe
less we join on an average of 40 new members every
month. The local has shown a steady gain for the
past five months, and if we could progress during
the industrial depression of this winter we certainly
ought to make the fur fly during the summer, when
the industry will be busier.
All work during the winter was confined to the
firemen, who had been members before and to putting
the local on a self-sustaining basis. The local is not
only self-sustaining now but there is a small surplus
each week which will insure a continued campaign
of agitation and organization. I want to see every
local carry on its own organization. work and not lean
on others for support, as is the ease with most locals
in the M. T. W. at present.
I expect to be able to leave this port in August
with the I. W. W. in complete control of the water
front and the fishing industry. I will then go to Phil
adelphia and try to repeat the dose there before the
winter sets in. With Philadelphia to the south and
Boston to the north to draw upon for support we
should be able to tackle New York in earnest, which
will be about as big a job as the I. W. W. has handled
to the present time.
Well this is about all for the present. Best wishes
to all and tell the boys in Local No. 7 to shake a leg
as they are making a damn poor showing.
Yours for industrial freedom, Warwick.
I. W. W. PHAMPLET IN SWEDISH.
The Seanlinavian Branch of Local No. 322 has
printed a phamplet called "Loneslavens Organiza
tion" written by 8. U. Johanson.
It is written for workingmen in the camps.
Price 10 cents. To Locals 5 cents a copy.
Send orders with eash to (ust HiHil, P. O. Box
511. Vancouver. B. C., Canada.
FREE FORD AND SUHR.
All locals are requested to instruct their speakers
to dwell at every talk upon the defense of Ford and
Suhr for at least five minutes. Old Roman Cato
blrought about the destruction of Carthage by closing
every speech of whatever nature with the words.
"Carthage must be destroyed." Our cry should be
" Ford and Suhr must be freed."
Also have the speakers especially in California urge
the strike, which will be called next August.
Don D. Scott, Secretary.
IN THE RACE.
In the Race we are born, in the Race we live, in the
Race we tie. All that injures the Race hurts us.
This is the supreme law of human morals: To hold
the welfare of the Race above all else. As Prudhon
\ell and truly sayk, "no man can die a happy death"
until the Race is frtee, for until then lIE is not free.
So all property rights are sulmervient to the interests
of the Race, all States, Empires, Kingdoms and Re
Ipublics, all Gods. all institutions, all must serve the
Race or perish. And to this end, the interest of the
Ratce, the Capitalist System must be destroyed, peace
ably if it will. forcibly if it must. In this isto die
the "happy death," fighting like a MAN for 'the
freedom hf the RACE. 'oc, The Barbarian.
SSTOCKTON NOTICES.
A. L. Ilall has been elh .ted Secretary L. U. No. 73
Address in Ix 845. Stockton. Cal. We have two
campl delegates perfecting job organization in shops.
u;osl soaphoxer wanted. NSo vaudeville artist need
apply. Mail here for: Albert R. Sails, John Ball,
Allbert Venillex. A. Ehlert, Alex Allan, Peg Horo
land. Arthur ;runmons, C. M. Hlendricks, T. C. Lane.
A. L. Hall, Hecretary No. 73.
CHANGE OF ADDRESS NO. 79.
local No. 79, I. W. W.. ('algary. Canada, has
moved to 548 Ninth avenue. West. ALL members
welcome.
LOST CARD.
(Card No. 81,858. John lane, Loeal No. 79, lost
w.tween Bridgeport. )Ohi,. and Iloloway, Ohio. Any
ole finding same plleas,, return to John Terrill. HSee
rMtary No. 79.
The word politics is said to be derived from pol.
a talking bird. and tie. a blood-sucking parasite:
hence, a politician is one who locoes you to sleep with
luscious lanuinage while he is sucking the sap from
your arteries.