The toiler. [volume], April 16, 1920, Image 1

About The toiler. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1919-1922

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NO. 115.
Published
at Cleveland, Ohio.
CLEVELAND, OHIO, FRIDAY, APRIL 16th 1920.
Address all mail to
3207 Clark Ave , Cleveland, O.
$1.50 A YEAR
What Political Prisoners
Think of Amnesty.
Leavenworth, K-nsas Apr. 4 1920
MY DEAR ALLISO fySf
A letter from a pv. '4 A e :s no
longer a thing out of t.. e- $
Any exception to that test role is a
sentimentalist, and in a crisis will join
the Russels, Spargos, Mitchells and
Sinclairs. All this talk vout "Amnes-
The onlv strance thing about tr Ol . ls wasted breath and energy. Wall
from a victim of the cowardly subtt. f. 0 1 13 against it, and the admin i-
fngo of commercial highwaymen, the
Espionage Act, is the fact that such
a law can be seen on the statutes of
a nation, hitherto declared to be
founded on justice, I place my verb
in the preterit, (hitherto), purposely,
for no person with any intelligence and
moral honor, will affirm that any
such thing as justice obtains now.
Judging from tho description given
by Hitchcock on the prison at At
lanta, I am disposed to compliment
myself on my location. Wo have no
"enforced'' attendance at "divine
service," and this to my materialistic
anil rationalistic mind, is an improv
St. iion of things political, is as
completely tho reflected desire of the
b'ooiV' handed jingoes, as is the imago
reflected from a mirror the features
of the man before it. Leonard Wood is
tho full incarnation of the system and
the age, and from the gentleman with
the Wrecked vision to the last white
washed flunkie of capitalism, the whole
cold blooded bunch of tory stool pig
eons secretly indorse his efforts to
win the nomination for president, and
every act and word contribute to the
ruccess of the scheme. If Wood is
not, nominated it will be because tho
munition vendors, tho bond shavers
ement, No one attends any church Md trade grabbers fear that there is
service, or "religious worship" un- more real manhcod in this nation than
less he elects to do so, although we
have all kinds of piffel from ouij.i
board supporters to the "Faith of
Abraham." ,
Another very marked difference be
tween the two prisons is found in the
general treatment of men. Any man
end write whatever ho pleases so long
as he is not obscene, profane,
i:icnne or something else natural
ly inspired by his surroundings. There
are about four hundred men here who
refuse to accept the charge that they
are criminals. In spite of tho pious
silly stuff put out by Pontius Pilate,
the Quaker ex-honorable custodian to
tho contrary we know that wo are
victims of class hate and political com
bination, and that our sins consist of
pleading for the object which our
sacred oracle declared to be the reason
for plunging this nation into the
murder fest of Europe democracy.
Put in spite of tho bloody lessons of
tho criminal profiteers, wo still see
workingmen clinging to tho nasty
snout of tho elephant, tho ugly pre
historic relic of the Stone Age, or fond
ling tho tail of the stupid mule adept-
nt piesent seems to be the case, and
the flunkie will be picked with iho
hope of putting an awakening set of
Henry Dubbs back to sleep. His the
ory rf "shooting or shipping" is the
legitimate philosophy of militarism. A
young, innocent youth snatched from
home and sent three thousand miles
to have his heart blown into jelly and
his brains into froth, a bullet hole in
his breast and his limbs blown off
while his mother is evicted from a
rented shack by some hog jowclol
speculator because the poor creatvrj
cannot pay ten prices for the mm
shackeled hcvel is not the kind of
Amciicauism entitled to tho "look's"
brand, but, according to the open
charges being scattered over the count
ry just now, that is just about what
ve have selected to head tho niac'cinc
1 Dr the next few years.
The tap root of the infamous tree of
which militarism is the most essential
support, is the profit system, and the
Tien who aro playing a gamo of politic
nl deck stacking under pretended host
ility to armament and national mur
der will support the most heartless
eel as tho mascot ot a party oi in- jingo at a general election after the
trigue, mob rule, ignorance and fear, financial uichwavmcn purchase his no-
There is more hope of a maddog ex
hibiting the disposition of love th.iu
mination in the primaries. Borah said
is much in his speech at Detroit re-
there is of a workingman finding his cel)tlv R0omnn tno ancient polveam
rights supported in the clique of the ist whom "rPvcrend" gentlemen quote
elephant; and a rattle snake in "doLjtj, approval understood the thing
days" is n safer plaything for a baby, hp sqiljnt(?li up one eye and
than is the n.ob headed by the mule i(,oke(1 swo(.t ,lt tn0 ebonv cnlorcd girl
for the defense of justice to labor. fr-r Egypt whose ancestors had ex
"Suinuel the prophet," running periencvd some trouble with a general
around tho country talking about "T tfrike nf ,h, one biC miio" V
n-nr.limr m.r friend mid nnntaliina our "ol. Moses, said: "The ox knoweth
enemies", is either a stupid old ignor
amus, or he is the most calloused heart-
his master's crib". These modern po
lltical oxen will bellow all over the
ed hypocrite on earth, (except one, ll'ture ns to which shnll bo the main
and Us long illness, declared by manyjt''" bnt they will return to the crib
to bo a mental break down, forbids .after the bellowing. Every man in
me even hinting at the identity of prison for expressing political opinions
I xeuption). Labor has not a friend variance with those sanctified look-
outside of the ranks of conscious solid- "U lvei who carry a bible in one
erity of material interests with it (Continued on page 2.)
ni""iwimjtP;HH'iiMi!ll ,( lllfly '
p FATBJOTIC CAMPA1CN CONTHI Bit T OHM "-l' f "
THE TOILER
CARTOON DEPT
Communist Labor Party
Battles in Court.
"Sorry, Buddy, can't dr. ranch far you you see, these fellows who worked so faithfully
'boh'nd the lines" naturally expect the customary mkeoff we have to look after them
first."
The Soldier and the Bonus
By the time the picturo in our week
ly art gallery meets the eyes of our
renders, Congress may have passed a
Soldiers Bonus of somo sort. But never
theless it still presents tho moral that
it was intonded to convey.
It will be readily recalled that when
the last loan was issued, the 5th or
Victory they named it the public
was informed that at least one, and
porh.is two more might bo required
to cover expenditures incident to tho
war. No ono outside the workings of
tho invisnblo government at Washing
ton could tell the reason for those,
bnt as all know, they were never
issued.
And tho methods used to float
these loans! Time is clarifying things
Bill Smith.
that were vague and uncertain in the
'confusion, tho clamor and hysterical
shrieking, that was every where during
the war. The brutal tactics used the
black page that a decent person would
infamous persecutions will mako a
scarcely wish to read. The passing timo
is now showing that these bonds wero
forced upon those who could ill afford
them, while the vicious hungry bands
of capitalistic avarice wero to profit
by them! Thievery then, ns now
wore 'he halo of patriotism! Many will
recall the maledictions brought down
upon a high Brazilian official who
wrote from Chiengo to his wifo in
South America, disputing our claims to
democracy, and saying of these loans,
' America has .'10,000 millionaires
alone who could well absorb these
loans with no irreat inconvenience,
but instead they are being forcod upon
tho laboring classes, and for a very
obvious reasons." Do you wonder that
n paid capitalistic press should not
thonroughly damn a man for spilling
the beans like this?
The market price for Liberty Bonds
in tho New York market to-day for
a hundred dollar bond runs frcm
190.50 to 196.50 the !n..,50 being tho
3rd loan of 4Vi and the $rtfi..ri0" being
the 5th of 1 r f . It would insult your
intelligence to explain why theso count
less thousands of bonds are on the
market, as you well know they aro sold
(Continued on page 2.)
Okland, Californu.
March .11, ir2
DBA R COMRADE:
Received the copy of the Toiler you
sent me to day and was certainly glad
io get the news and to know that you
an: still on the job.
We are not so fortunate out her?.
Oakland was immune from the at
tacks of the plutcs during tho war
1 nt they are making up for lost timo
now. They do not like the platfonn
and program of the C. L. P. More
proof that it is a good one, so they
have arranged to bundlo us all off to
jail. Comrade Anita Whitney, of our
S. H. O. was the first to be convicted.
She managed to get out on bail.
Comrado .lohn Wielev was the next to
bo convicted in the worst kind of a
Kangaroo court. Comrade Whitney was
convicted on ono count and got from
cue to 14 yenr'i but comrade Wielcr
was convicted on four counts and got
just a little joilt of from one to
fourteen on each connt which tho
law did not provide should run con
currently o it amounts to only "id
years. And while Comrado Wieler sat
with two little boys in his arms and
another cloc by tho judge handed
livn iho or! years without a blush, it
.3 improbable that he will bo admitted
to bail pending an appeal.
Comrado James Dolsen, Stato Sec
Treas. is now on trial and it is goiug
into its second week, lie is defending
himself and 1 can assure you he will
get away with it if f-ny lawyer can
altho bo has never studied law. They
arc going to earn their money before
they put him over. With a cool, placir1.
smile on his face he keeps thorn
snarling and barking continualy. He
threw the court into a fever when ho
risked a prospective juror if he would
convict him for advocating "lawful
terrorism". "What's that, what's
hat ? " growled the prosecutor and judge
in the same breath, (Tho law provides
punishment for advocating UNLAW
FUL terrorism). Anyway, it took tho
judge 15 minutes to sustain tho ob
jections. Seven more of ns her.1 in Oakland
.ire slated for tho jute mill. My case
will be called tomorrow, the l-st but
sill probably be put over till after
Comrade Dolsen 's case is out of the
way. J. Ragsdalc's case is set for
the 9th of April, Edric B. Smith's for
the 15th. C. A. Tobey's for tho 20;
J. E. Snyder's for May 3rd with the
cases of Alanson Sessions, J. O. Reed,
Clarence Tobey and P. B. Cowdery
waiting a definito date. At least a
dozen fidlow workers arc already at
Snn Quiention so by the timo wo ar
rive we ought to have a goodly
committee of welcome.
Naturally as wo are all supeoned is
all the trials, wo are spending most
of our time in the courts but at that
(Continued on page 4.)
BIG BUSINESS BUYS THE CHURCH
Skygac.
There is something inherently wrong
with any religion to which men must
bo driven ngainst their better judge
ment and something doubly and damn
ably wrong with any religion which
has to depend upon the millions of the
millionaires for tho sprend of its pro
paganda. This is an age of propaganda. Tho
late war witnessed the development of
the art of skillful propaganda to a
degree of perfection never before
thought possible, much less obtained.
The various "drives" (drive suggests
driver n..d a flock or herd to bo
driven) of tho wartime pt.iod taught
the drivers many skillful little tricks
in tho art of handling the mob the
common herd. There were drives for
tho red cross, driveH for the Salva
tion Army, drives for the Y. M. C. A.,
drives for the K. Cs drives for Com
munity service, drives for war budgets
and community chests, drives for tho
various liberty lonns. The lessons gain
ed in this way are now being applied
to tho Interchurch World Movemont,
an organization ostensibly formed to
spread tho gospel of tho meek and
lowly Jesus, but in its advertising cam
paign it has repeatedly "spilled the
beans" and allowed its REAL purposo
to becomo apparent. Tho T. W. M. is
composed of thirty of the leading
sects and creeds and financed by the
big business men of the civilized world.
In an advertising campaign of such
magnitude that more than a half mil
lion dollars has been set nsido for
advertisements in tho Japnneso press
alone, a campaign so far reaching that
even tho littlo local county papers of
more thnn two thousand counties get
a whack nt tho appropriation, they
have allowod tho truth to slip in to
such an extent that the plan and pur
pose of tho Interchurch World Move
ment stands revealed in all tho hideous
nakedness of its prostitution with
mammon.
As a nation we arc a people of groat
faith. We take our religion, our poli
tics nnd our economics on faith. Some
body told us something in church or
Sunday School and we belioved it.
Wo did not accept it AFTER a
thorough investigation ns to its truth
or fnlsity, wo simply grew up in the
faith nnd knew it was so because
somebody snid it was so and that
settled it. In tho samo manner wo grew
up Republicans believing in a high
protective tariff prosperity and tho full
dinner pail, or Democrats believing in
free trade, not because we knew and
could EXPLAIN what it was all about
but because it had been the faith of
our forefathers and was "good enough
I for me".
We got our knowledge of values nnd
I economics from tho same source in the
same manner. Everybody KNEW (1)
that both capitnl and labor was neces
sary in tho production of commodities
nnd that capital gnvo labor opportuni
ties for employment nnd hence the
growth of cnpitnlist industries was tho
thing to be enconrnged, and wo be
lieved it ns a nation. True thcro wero
some more daring or fare-seeing than
tho rest of tho herd, some who wore
not content with running in the same
rut whorin their fathers ran, who tried
to tell us as did Lincoln, "Labor was
prior to nnd antedated capital and was
deserving of tho greater considera
tion"; that the worker in effect paid
the capitalist employer for tho
privelege of being allowed to work, but
these few wero usually hooted down by
the unthinking mob, who nlwnys hoot
nt nny new idea just as certainly as
a dog will bay the moon.
There aro many "friends of labor"
(besides the politicians who are seeking
"Ihe labor vote") who bclicvo that
labor should not mix In politics and
aboo all should not "attack religion"
holding religion to be a private matter
and any discussion of it liable to bo
a means whereby the solidarity of
labor might be destroyed. In my
(.pinion these "friends of labor" have
never ana!) zed tho plan, purpose or
function of religion. Those who hnve
analyzed the plan, purpose and function
nf religion have found it to bo the
most efficient method whereby
master elnss mav keep a slave class in
subjection and contended with i?
si a very.
The church in tho past has always
preached, "obedience to those who are
viuir masters" and upheld whatever
monarch, king or ruler who hnppened .
to bo In power. Today as ever in the
Aft, the church is the bulwark stand
ing between tho "respectablo" robbers
uf labor nnd the wrath of outraged toil.
The advertisements of the Interchurch
World Movement admit this in a man
ner most refreshingly. In the "Liter
try Digest " for March 27th 1020 thero
appears n two page advertisement thnt
is pneked full of damaging admissions
once tho mnttcr is understood.
The advertisement shows a skyline
of n modern city with n gleaming cross
for a background and the ono word,
"Faith" followed by this statement
"Not political Doctors but good old-
fashioned Doctrine thnt 's what tho
world needs most." Continuing it
Mtys; "What is the euro for the
world's present troubles for unrest
and covetousness and fearf
Legislation?
Industrial Compromises!
Politicnl rend justmentst
We've tried them nil nnd they do
not satisfy. Wo aro hungry and thirsty
for Faith."
I hnvo long maintained that the
Church has ever been tho enemy of
progress.
Surely tho foregoing is proof suffi
cient. By implication the Interchurch
World Movement is ndvertising thnt
that it is all a mistake to attempt
to remedy wrongs by legislation or
indnstrial action. In effect it says,
"Yon do not need industrial com
promises. Yon do not. need social re
adjustments, yon do not. need better
wages, better living conditions, better
opportunities for yourself or your wife
or your children. Just do nothing and
bo nothing except a blind "holder of
tho Faith!"
"The world needs a "genuine re
ligious revival" cabled tho London
financial editor of the New York
Evening Post and he added, "This
is tho view of hard-headed business
men. "What hard-headed businoss men
are now proclaiming tho churches of
Jesus Christ hnvo nlways proclaimed"
such is the trend of tho advortiso
ment. Then follows somo testimonials
from recognized leaders of tho Bouse
of Mammon.
Chnrles M. Schwab, of Bothlohora
Steel Trust fame, is quoted as saying,
"It goes without saying that I am a
firm believer in tho fact that in a
strong religious sentiment lies tho
firmest fonndntion for tho preserva
tion of our civilization." Ono needs
only to remember that "onr present
ri ilizntion " is based upon the daily
systematic robbery of all who toil
tl rough tho medium of the legalized
BIO BUSINESS BUYS THE CHURCH,
wages-system. The robbery is legalized
but it is robbery just the samo. 8onio
yenrs ago Mr. Schwab voiced an In
tellectual conviction that NOTHING
could stop the onward march of So
cialism. Now ho is expressing a hope
that a "strong religions sentiment"
may do the triek but I fear his In
tellectual conviction will be verified
while his hopes are to he witherod.
Next in order, Mr. Josephns Daniels,
Secretary of the Navy, ia quoted,
"Tho only reel and permanent solution
(Continued on pago 4)