The labor advocate., December 08, 1912, Image 1

About The labor advocate. (Providence, R.I.) 1912-1915

Image provided by: Rhode Island Digital Newspaper Project

                
PUBLISHRED IN THE
INTEREST OF THE
WORKING CLASS
VOL. 1, NO. 15.
WOONSOGKET 10
CELEBRATE BTH
* ANNIVERSARY
Woonsocket Local will celebrate
the eighth anniversary of the grant
ing of its charter on Sundafi. Dec.
Bth, at 2 p. m, Comrade Reid of
Providence will give a short address,
and Comrade Theinert of Albion is
also expected to take part in the pro
ceedings., All comrades and friends
are invited to attend.
Branch No. 1 has voted two dol
larg a month in support of the Lahor
Advocate,
« The City Committee will meet at
Headquarters, Lyceum Hall, 16 Main
street, on Monday evening at 8
o'clock, to transact important busi
-INESSs.
The lLocal has appointed a com
mittee consisting of Comrades
Charlesworth, Meister and Grim
shaw tg arrange for the organizing
of a forum or debating socigty, the
first discussion to take place Sunday,
Dec. 15th at 2:30 o'clock. The sub
ject to be discussed will be an
nounced next week.
A French branch has been organ
ized, and the charter is expected to
arrive this week. The new branch
will start with 20 members,
NATIONAL NOTES.
State Secretary Raymond of Mis
sissippi reports six locals with a total
of forty-nine members organized in
that State during the month of Oc
tober, .
State Secretary Thomas of Wis
consin reports nine locals and
branches organized in that State dur
ing the month of October.
State Secretary Ward of Missouri
reports that six locals were organ
ized in that State during the month
of October.
State Secretary Williams of Cali
fornia jgreports that fifteen locals or
ganized in that State during the
month of October. :
State Secretary Kriger of Montang
réperts five locals with a total of
38 members in that State during the
month of October.
The new national constitution of
the Socialist party provides that a
member whg desires to transfer his
membership from the party in one
State to the party in another State
may di, so upon the presentation of
his card showing him to be in good
standing at the time of asking for
such transfer and also a transfer card
duly signed by the secretary of the
local from which he transfers.
The national office has accordingly
provided transfer cards for use in
such cases. They are of the samg
size as the applications for member
ship, but of a different color, so as
to be readily distinguished. The
price 1s 20 cents per 100; same price
in any quantity, less or more. Ad
dress National Office, Socialist
Party, 111 North Market street, Chi-
Cago,
State Secretary Dietz of Louisiana
reports six locals with a total of
thirty-six members organized in that
Stgte during the month of October.
Hope H. Berry, 1507 Furnace
street, Joplin, Mo, has been ap
pointed by the State Executive Com
mittee as women's State correspond
ent for the State of Migsouri.
State Secretary Oneal of Indiana
reports five locals and branches with
a total of 140 members chartered
during the month of October. One
of these was a Hungarian branch at
South Bend with 100 members. |
State Secretary Rostrom of Wash
ington reports thirteen new locals or
ganized in that State during the
month pf October, '
“Just Like It.”
An incident that occurred at the
recount of the Ninth District in Re
turning Board room at the State
House has been somewhat misrepre
sented. That those who are inter
ested in the truth of the matter may
know, we will repeat the dialog.
Voice, “Hello Jim.”
Reid (who, looking down at bal
lots on table) “Hello.” lLooking up
to see who spoke Reid adds, “Oh, it
is you, you skunk. If I had known it
was you | would not have answered
you. | do not care to talk to skunks
of your kidney, 1 am telling you this
so you will understand at first hand
what I think of you.”
Hogan—"l guess we understand
cach other.” Slinks into the telephone
hooth and then from the room.
[f you are interested in knowing
why Reid does not care to be on
speaking terms with human skunks
read next issue.
REID ROOPTERS' WHIST.
Tickets are selling rapidly for the
whist which is to be given by the
Reid Rooters in Guild Hall, Olney
ville, on Wednesday evening, Dec. 11.
The ladies are in charge of the af
fair, so it is needless to state that
there is a good time in prospect.
Gompers favors a thoroughbred la
bor organization and a mongrel po
litical party. '
WANTED.
A good home assured for an old lady
who wants to assist the mother of
children. Also some pay to the right
one. Apply Labor Advocate, P. O,
Box 579, Providence, .
- . . Printed and Published
AER LRI,
S PRVIEENCE
. s By Union Labor i
ANOTHER GENTLE
REBUKE FOR THE
R. 1. COMPANY
, Introducing resolutions calling for
the committee on railroads to
confer with the Rhode Island Co.
and insist upon an improvement in
car service in this city before the
Common Council last night, Council
"man William F. Sears characterized
the service of the company here
“worse than the Government allows
in the transportation of cattle.”
In commenting on the attitude of
the Rhode Island Company. Mr,
Searg said: “The Rhode Island Com
pany, by violations of laws and ordi
‘nances, every day sacrifices its fran
chise. 1 have the word of a promi
nent attorney that the evidence of
their broken faith would stand be
fore any Supreme Court,
The resolut‘ons he introduced call
the service of the company "emirejy
inadequate during rush hours, and
even at times during the day when
conditions are normal,” and say, fur
ther, that the conditions are a “sub
ject of general \complaint.”
The evils of which Mr, Sears com
plains are not peculiar to Providence,
but may be found in every city where
the transportation facilities are in
the hands of private capital. As
long as this business is carried on
solely for profit, just so long will
these conditions exist. If Mr., Sears
really wishes to better the transpor
tation facilities of the city, he can
do no better than to study up the
question of substituting public own
ership of the means of transportation
for private ownership.
TRADES UNIONISM
AND SOCIALISM.
The Socialist movement in the Unit
ed States has also of late made substan
tial progress among the organized work
’ er§ of the country. Within the last few
years many American trade-unions
have demonstrated a lively interest in
the subject of Socialism, and have on
numerous occasions declared themselves
unreservedly as favoring the Socialist
program, or at least its most substantial
points aand planks. In 1907, sixteen
national organizations of working men,
representing a total membership of 330.-
0800, had thus endorsed the Socialist
program, and in 1909 the United Mine
Workers of Ameri- one of-the strong
est organizaty ahin the American
Federation < .oor, at its national
convention, deuviared itseli in favor of
the cardinal aim of Socialism: the so
cialization of all material instruments
of production.
Within the last few years the organ
ized workers of the United States have
heen assailed with unusual severity by
the organized capitalists, the govern
ment. the state and national legislatures,
and particularly by the courts. These
concerted attacks have served to dem
onstrate to many workers that the
present methods and form of organizy
tion of the American trade-unions are
lacking in efficiency. The trade-unions
are heginning to revise their methods of
warfare. They have, within the last
few years made considerable advance
in the direction of greater organic and
interdependent industrial organization
and they have entered the field of poli
tics as a class. True, their steps in
both directons have been uncertain,
groping and even faulty, hut they are
nevertheless steps in the right direction.
A few more intense industrial strug
gles, a few more adverse court decisions,
a. few more political disappointments.
and the organized workers of the Unit
ed States will he forced into a solid in
dustrial and political class organization,
working in close hamony and co-op
eration with the Socalist movement.—
Morris Hilquit in .\lctr:qmlitzm Maga
zine,. 4 - |
PRESS COMMITTEE MEETING.
The regular weekly meeting of
the press committee was held Nov,
20. Mr. Hunt in the chair. Treasurer
Fried reported that the receipts for
the week had very materially in
creased. The circulation manager re
ported a gain in circulation, and the
advertising manager's report was
also a decidedly encouraging one.
The committee which was appointed
to devise plans for forming a per
manent organization reported prog
ress, and was instructed to make a
definite report at the next meeting.
The sentiment of the meeting was
.decidedly encouraging, and the mem
bers of the party as a whole seem to
have awakened to the necessity of
aggressive work for the Labor Ad
vocate,
wW. D. HAYWOOD
MAKES QUEER REMARK
“I would rather be trried by a
Democratic judge than a Socialist.”
This was the remark William D.
Haywood, a member of the National
Executive Committee of the Socialist
party and organizer of the I. W, W,
made Tuesday night before an as
semmblage of about 300 persons at
the Lenox Casino, 116th street and
lLenox avenue. The meeting was
held for the bemfit of the Little Falls
textile strikers. Anton Johannsen
and J. J. Ettor, also spoke. William
Sanger presided. Johannsen is one of
the forty-odd men indicted in .In
dianapolis for conspiracy and alleged
dynamiting. Tle is also the organizer
of the California Builing Trades
Council, “I believe,” said Johannsen,
“that labor is justified_in using any
method to accomplish its end—even
voting.” In speaking of the labor
movement in New York and the hard
work he had to get money to carry
on the fight for the indicted men, he
said: “The labor movement is so rot
ten and so much mixed up in politics
that the only aid I can get is in the
(Continued on Page 4.)
PROVIDENCE, R. 1., D
FRST SOCIAL
GATHERING I
CRAND SUCCESS
The members of Branch 2 last
Saturday evening held the first of a
series of social gatherings, the pro
ceeds of which are to go to the
Labor Advocate fund. A fair-sized
crowd was present, and there is no
doubt that a thoroughly enjoyable
time was had by all who were in at
tendance. The entertainment of the
évening consisted of phonograph se
lections, readings by several of the
comrades, and a game of Skill in
which Comrade Fried, Miss Doherty
and Mrs, Reid were close contestants,
Comrade Fried’s knowledge of phy
siology and anatomy finafiy winning
for him the prize, an excellent steel
engraving of the father of our coun
try. . Lunch was served by the lady
members, to whom the credit for the
success of the affair must be given,
All party members and friends‘
should attend these gatherings, which
will be held on alternate Saturday
evenings, the next one coming on
Dec. 13. They will be assured of a.
good time, and will also hive the sat
isfaction of aiding a most important
branch of our work, the financing of
the Labor Advocate.
WASHINGTON SOCIALISTS
DEFEATED BY FUSION.
Seattle, Wash., Dec. 4.—Returns
received to-day show “the extent of
the Socialists’ control of the city
governments in Washington,
In Edmonds, which has a Socialist
administration, the coalition ticket,
composed of Democrats, Republi
cans and Progressives, elected the
Mayor, City Treasurer, City Clerk
and five Councilmen. The Socialists
retained only the City Attorney.and
two positions in the Council, one of
the latter going to a woman,
At Burlington the Socialists elect
ed their entire ticket, with the excep
tion of City Treasurer.
In Bellingham two Socialist Coun
cilmen were elected, a gain of one in
a body of seven:members, .
In Bremerton, the navy yard town,
the Socialists were overwhelmingly
defeated, the old parties combining
on “fusion” candidates. Many of the
Socialist candidates were navy yard
employvees, and their participation in
municipal politcs has been the sub
ject of departmental correspondepnce.
THE WOMAN
" AND HER HOME
Countless mothers of men have no
place it to besborn in, to bear others
in, or to die in, says Helen Keler in
the Metropolitan Magazine. Packed
in tenements forgot &f light, unheed
ed and slighted, starved of eye and
ear and heart, they wear out their
dull existence in monotonous toil—
all for a crust of bhread! They strive
and labor, sweat and produce: they
subject their bodies and souls to
every risk lest their children die for
want of food. Their clever hands
which have so long been set to the
spindle and the distaff, their patience,
their industry, their cheapness have
but served to herd them in masses
under the control of a growing in
dustrial despotism,
Why is all this? Partly because
woman does not own aud direct her
own share of the national household,
True government is nothing but the
management of this household for the
good of the family., Under what kind
of government do we live* To this
question, her question, woman must
find an answer by following her sis
ters to their places of sojourn, It is
for her to know if their home is home
indceed, if their shelter is strong and
healthful, if every room—in lodging,
shop dnd factory—Bs open to light
and air. It is for her to see that
every dweller therein has fredom to
drink in the winds of heaven and re
fresh his mind with music, art, and
books: it ig for her to see that every
mother is enabled to bring up her
children under favorable circum
stances. 1
The New Faith,
The greatest change is coming that
has ever come in the history of the
world. Order is evolving out of the
chaos that followed the breaking u
of the old system in which eac[:
household lived after its own manner,
By using the physical force of the
universe men have replaced the slow
hand-processes with the swift power
of machines. If the woman demands
it, a fair share of the machine prod
ucts will go to her siste#® and theiy
families as when the loom stood at
hand in their dwellings. They will
no more give all their best years to
keep bright and fair the homes of
others while their own are neglected.
They will no more consume all their
time, strength and mental capacity
in bringing up the rosy, laughing
children of others while their own
sweet chldren grow up pitifu) and
stunted. There is motherhood enough
in the world to go round if it is not
abused and wasted.
Yes, the greatest change is coming
that has ever come in the history of
the world. The idea that a higher
power decrees definite stations for
different human beings—that some
are born to be kings and others to be
Continued on Page 4.
EMBER 8, 1912,
FATHER CURRAN
IN FAVOR OF -
SOCIALISM
Catholic Priest Declares for Public
~ Ownership of Utilities,
- Wilbé&barre, Pa—Fr. John J.
aflan, pastor of the Holy Sawviour
wrch here, has declared in favor
vernment ownership of public
ilities despite the fact that Cardinal
ns and other noted prelates op
& it as* Socialistic doctrine. Fr.
rran gave out a statement on this
subject yesterday in which he said:
MWe do not agree with so many
of our worthy fellow-citizens who
se to think that Government wn
ership would prove a nationa] calam
ity.! They argue that it would over
load the Government, place too much
power in the hands of the adminis
tration and eliminate competition,
whieh they feel is necessary to the
suedess of all lines of business. While
we ghear people saying that Govern
m ownership would hand over
too much power to the Federal ad
ministration we are listening to them
w have neither their ears to the
q_h d nor their face to the wind,
he citizens of this country are just
awakening to the awful nightmare of
part@san politics and to the inflated
humbug of traditional voting.
iey are going to go further,
are going to rule the country as
-think best for themselves and
vation, and if they want Govern
ownership they are going to
it. The last struggle of the
rnment by the few and for the
s now being made and it looks
iis time as though the cause
I be lost.” |
—— \
NEW YORK— |
they
they
the 1
men
have
(rov e
few
at £
woul
THE GREAT CITY
By ALFRED O. PHILIPP,
New York is a wonderful city;
fearfully wonderful. I am viewing
New ' Yorß not merely as a visitor,
but a Socialist; and my observa-
tiong are made through the eyes of a
Sociafist. Everything here goes to
the egtreme. On one hand, we have
extrethe riches; on the other, abject
poverty. The rich live in beautiful
palacg on Fifth avenue; the poor
exist miserable hovels on the East
e
wealt
Sidel.l'l‘he pet poodle dogs of the
«t
and
live in
¢ atfended by hire® servants;
the~bibies of the poor must suffer
in thg congested tenements of the
slum
Bug 'this is capitalism; people here
lin Neéw York are blinded by capital-
Lism, ¢ wheels of capltalism whirlg
| them around and around, and they are
' dizzy with the speed; their brains
!arc befuddled and they cannot see
Cstraight. All is unreal and artificial.
'T have walked up Broadway and
' seen some of the Broadway beauties
| €2), and 1 assure you that they can
‘gi\x- an Angelo peints on painting.
But this 1s tH® New York idea of
beauty, and_l presume that if one of
them dared to appear on Broadway
without her face all daubed with
paint and powder, the police would
arrest her for indecent exposure.
I am proudly informed that New
York is the greatest, and richest of
all American cities; and with such a
display of wealth and luxury on gne
hand, the uninformed stranger would
naturally infer that there is no want
or poverty here. But walk with me
along the streets of this great city,
and yvou will see, within the very
shadows of the great buildings of
which we so proudly boast, scenes of
poverty and destitution that should
cause even the most sophisticated to
shudder., We see men and women,
aged, crippled and deformed, Meg
ging for pennies and selling little
trinkets. In bad weather they are
even more in evidence than in pleas
ant, because they realize that then
threy are more Yikely to arouse the!
symipathy of passing pedestrians; and
so they brave the rain, snow ‘and
cold, exposing themselves to disease.
Why? Simple because capitalism
has denied them the care and pro
vision which they should have, agd
which is rightly theirs. Socialism
would abolish this poverty, and yet
“wood” people oppose it. ‘
I walked into Union Square and
’\’;n\' the benches hlled with idle mcn.{
idle and hungry because they had
produced too much. But the small
fraction of the total of their product
which they received as wages did not
enable them to repurchase what they
had produced, so they remained idle
and hungry. Some of them had
their faces buried in the pages of the
daily newspapers. They were eager
ly scanning the “Male Help Wanted"”
column, all hoping that some other
workingman had lost his job, so they
could get it. Can you wish your
hrother well, aand still prosper under
this system?
And the great New York daily
newspapers, What are they? Mere
ly chronicles of crime, scandals,
murders, divorces, brutal prize-fights
and all the other evils of capitalism.
There is nothing great, noble and in
spiring in their columns, but they are
typical of thig system,
Going down into the Bowery, T
saw the Bowery Mission, the Rescue
flalls, ete. Such specimens of hu
manity. After waiting in line for
several hours, they are taken into the
hall, where for several more hours
‘hey have some religion put into their
sounls, through the medinm of some
long-winded speaker. Finally they
are given some muddy coffee, and
something they call food. 1 say to
myself: “These are the fruits of cap-|
italism. This is wHat the citizens of |
(Continued on Page 4.) |
mansions,
spacious
GREYSTONE MILL
CLOSED UP TIGHT
BY BIG STRIKE
Employes of Joseph Benn & Sons Confident &F Uliimate
Victory.—Mill Workers Practically Unanimous in
Their Demands for Wage Increase.
DENOUNCE FALSE NEWSPAPER REPORTS.
Announcement That Spinners Had Returned to Work
Branded as Absolutely False.—Score Providence Trib
une for Inaccurate Statements.
- The magnificent fight which the striking employes of
Joseph Benn & Sons of Graystone are waging is gaining the
atttention of workers all over the county. At the present
time the strikers have complete control of the situation, the
entire plant being tied up by the determination of the opera
tives to remain out until their demands for a 10 per cent in
crease are granted. Not one of the origina! strikers has de
serted, and in response to the energetic work of the strike
leaders, practically the entire force of 1500 employes have
joined in the demand for an increased wage.
When one considers the fact that
the Greystone employes were abso
lutely unorganized prior to the com
mencement of the strike, the prog
ress’ which the strikers have made
can be more readily appreciated,
The editor of the Labor Advocate
visited Greystone on Wednesday eve
ning and interviewed a number of
the strikers, and in every case the an
swer was the same—that the mill
would not be started until a flat in
crease of 10 per cent, in all depart
ments s granted.
Some of the strikers were indig:
nant at the manner in which they
had been nli,~r4~|n'vm-||w| by certain
newspapers. They particularly con
demn the Providence Tribune, which
they claim has been extremely unfair
in presenting the strikers’ side of the
controversy. While the representa
tivés “of thé Libor Advocate were
climbing the hill to the strikers’
headquarters, they were accosted by
one of the mill workers, who in
quired if they were reporters, The
Advocate men replied that they
might be classed under that heading.
“You're not from the Tgibune, are
you?" was the next question. This
charge was immediately ¥hd indig
nantly denied. It is gaid that thc
Tribuné man got a rather warm re
ception when he appeared in the vil
lage Wednesday morning,
“How ahout the statement which
appeared in the papers on Monday
evening to the effect that the strike
had virtually been settled, that the
spinners had gone back to work, and
the weavers would soon follow?” one
of the strikers was asked
“Absolutely false,” was the. reply.
“A few of the spinners went back to
work under promise of a big increase
in pay, but thy soon found they had
been deccived, and they came out
again, and will stay out now until
their demands are granted.”
The committee of the
Berger Says Panic Will
Follow Failure of Democrats
(By United Press.)
. Washington, Dec. g4—Deprecating
lthv fact that tht Socialist party will
fnot be represented in the next Con-
gress, Representative Vietor L. Ber
ber, of Wisconsin, defeated candidate
'fur re-clection, issued a statement
today reviewing Socialist gains in the
past election and predicting a gain of
2,000,000 votes in the next Presiden
tial election,
“The Socialists cannot claim any
district until they have an absolute
majority of all the votes there,” said
Berger.
\ simiple plurality will not
do us becanse the old parties forget
their differences and join hands as
soon as they find the working class
Wants to give expression to its mter
ests in the political field.
“The presence of fifty Socialists in
Congress would have a wonderfully
heneficial effect upon the old parties.
It would put ginger into them and
compel them to accomplish legisla
tion of which they do not even
dream today.” L
The defeat of the Republican can
didates and the fact that Woodrow
Wilson polled 1,000,000 less votes as
Democratic candidate for President
than did Bryan four years ago, Ber
ger declared, shows that the voters of
the United States not only repudiat
ed the Republican party,.but showed
lack of confidence in the Democratic
party,
“The Democratic party cannog help
being reactionary, because it is con
trolled by a coalition of the South and
Tammany,” Berger continned, “If
ONE CENT—SO CENTS PER YEAR
weavers met the management Tues
day afternoon, when the members
were told that their demands for an
increase would not be met. Later
it was voted unanimously to call a
general strike.
Wednesday morning another mass
meeting was held in the Granite
ville fire station, and a new commit
tee of 30 members to organize and
plan for the general strike was ap
pointed, with Mulvannah as chair
man, Because, they said, misleading
statements had been circulated by
some of the newspapers a press
committee was appointed by the
strikers, and its members alone will
he allowed to give out statements.
A vote of thanks was tendered to
the Graniteville fire department for
allowing the use of its station as a
MCLLDE ~ PLACE titrih s iiitasiiiisotinatn
The “committee visited the man
agers and directors at their office in
the mill Thursday morning and dis
cussed the situation with them after
renewing the demand of the work
©for a 10 per cent, increase in
their wages
Preceding and following the visit
of the committee to the mill mass
meetinge of the strikers were held in
the Graniteville fire station just over
the river, in the town of Johnston,
and within sight of the big Grey
stone plant, Almost every man,
woman and child employed by the
English corporation until the mill
wis shut down yesterday morning
attended these meetings.
The outlook was reported to be
very favorable, and much enthu
stasm prevailed.
It 1s said that the interview at the
mill was a fruitless one, It did not
last over 15 minutes, the representa
tives of the strikers contenting
themselves with a renewal of their
demand upon the management for a
10 per cent. increase in wages,”
strikine
the Democrats fail to cut down the
high cost of living and carry out
their platform promises for abolition
of the trusts a political revolution
and an industrial panic is due within
the next two or four years. That will
mean ‘Democratic hard times' and
soup kitchens. This time the panic
will also strike the South; break up
the solid South and give cause to
riots and disturbances.”
Berger predicted a realignment of
the old partics and success for the
Progressives, declaring the Demo
cratic party unable to meet demand
¢d progressive reforms,
“As for my own person,” conclud
ed Berger, “I will say that 1T liked
my work in the House and shall en
joy it to the last moment, In fact,
Il am sorry for the interruption.”
i The two most “lonesome” mem
bers of the House—Theron Akin, the
‘m;m without a party, and Berger, to
day exchanged compliments,
“l have always applaunded the good
intentions of every member of the
House,” said Berger, “from Joe Can
non, Oscar Underwood, and Jim
Mann down to Akin."”
“I am ¢lad to know that I have
ofic defender,” retorted Akin, “even
though he places me at the end of
the list The last thing T heard
about Victor was Uncle Joe's sugges
tion, that he and 1 should have our
hands tied together and both of us
hung over a line to fight it out cat
fashion. 1 have never heard any of
my colleagues take exception to
Uncle Joe's suggestion, antrl don't
ke to talk about myself.”