the armies of labor-第25部分

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onstabulary；　the　I。W。W。　sent　notice　〃that　for　every　striker　killed　or　injured　by　the　cossacks；　the　life　of　a　cossack　will　be　exacted　in　return。〃　And　they　collected　their　gruesome　toll。

In　1912　occurred　the　historic　strike　in　the　mill　town　of　Lawrence；　Massachusetts。　This　affair　was　so　adroitly　managed　by　the　organizers　of　the　Workers　that　within　a　few　weeks　every　newspaper　of　importance　in　America　was　publishing　long　descriptions　of　the　new　anarchism。　Magazine　writers；　self…appointed　reformers；　delegations　representing　various　organizations；　three　committees　of　the　state　legislature；　the　Governor's　personal　emissary；　the　United　States　Attorney；　the　United　States　Commissioner　of　Labor；　and　a　congressional　committee　devoted　their　time　to　numerous　investigations；　thereby　giving　immense　satisfaction　to　those　obscure　agitators　who　were　lifted　suddenly　into　the　glare　of　universal　notoriety；　to　the　disgust　of　the　town　thus　dragged　into　unenviable　publicity；　and　to　the　discomfiture　of　the　employers。

The　legislature　of　Massachusetts　had　reduced　the　hours　of　work　of　women　and　children　from　fifty…six　to　fifty…four　hours　a　week。　Without　making　adequate　announcement；　the　employers　withheld　two　hours'　pay　from　the　weekly　stipend。　A　large　portion　of　the　workers　were　foreigners；　representing　eighteen　different　nationalities；　most　of　them　with　a　wholly　inadequate　knowledge　of　English；　and　all　of　an　inflammable　temperament。　When　they　found　their　pay　short；　a　group　marched　through　the　mills；　inciting　others　to　join　them；　and　the　strike　was　on。　The　American　Federation　of　Labor　had　paid　little　attention　to　these　workers。　There　were　some　trade　unions　in　the　mills；　but　most　of　the　workers　were　unorganized　except　for　the　fact　that　the　I。W。W。　had；　about　eight　months　before；　gathered　several　hundred　into　an　industrial　union。　Yet　it　does　not　appear　that　this　union　started　the　strike。　It　was　a　case　of　spontaneous　combustion。　No　sooner　had　it　begun；　however；　than　Joseph　J。　Ettor；　an　I。W。W。　organizer；　hastened　to　take　charge；　and　succeeded　so　well　that　within　a　few　weeks　he　claimed　7000　members　in　his　union。　Ettor　proved　a　crafty；　resourceful　general；　quick　in　action；　magnetic　in　personality；　a　linguist　who　could　command　his　polyglot　mob。　He　was　also　a　successful　press　agent　who　exploited　fully　the　unpalatable　drinking　water　provided　by　the　companies；　the　inadequate　sewerage；　the　unpaved　streets；　and　the　practical　destitution　of　many　of　the　workers。　The　strikers　made　an　attempt　to　send　children　to　other　towns　so　that　they　might　be　better　cared　for。　After　several　groups　had　thus　been　taken　away；　the　city　of　Lawrence　interfered；　claiming　that　many　children　had　been　sent　without　their　parents'　consent。　On　the　24th　of　February；　when　a　group　of　forty　children　and　their　mothers　gathered　at　the　railway　station　to　take　a　train　for　Philadelphia；　the　police　after　due　warning　refused　to　let　them　depart。　It　was　then　that　the　Federal　Government　was　called　upon　to　take　action。　The　strike　committee　telegraphed　Congress：　〃Twenty…five　thousand　striking　textile　workers　and　citizens　of　Lawrence　protest　against　the　hideous　brutality　with　which　the　police　handled　the　women　and　children　of　Lawrence　this　morning。　Carrying　out　the　illegal　and　original　orders　of　the　city　marshal　to　prevent　free　citizens　from　sending　their　children　out　of　the　city；　striking　men　were　knocked　down；　women　and　mothers　who　were　trying　to　protect　their　children　from　the　onslaught　of　the　police　were　attacked　and　clubbed。〃　So　widespread　was　the　opinion　that　unnecessary　brutality　had　taken　place　that　petitions　for　an　investigation　poured　in　upon　Congress　from　many　States　and　numerous　organizations。

The　whole　country　was　watching　the　situation。　The　hearings　held　by　a　congressional　committee　emphasized　the　stupidity　of　the　employers　in　arbitrarily　curtailing　the　wage；　the　inadequacy　of　the　town　government　in　handling　the　situation；　and　the　cupidity　of　the　I。W。W。　leaders　in　taking　advantage　of　the　fears；　the　ignorance；　the　inflammability　of　the　workers；　and　in　creating　a　〃terrorism　which　impregnated　the　whole　city　for　days。〃　Lawrence　became　a　symbol。　It　stood　for　the　American　factory　town；　for　municipal　indifference　and　social　neglect；　for　heterogeneity　in　population；　for　the　tinder　pile　awaiting　the　incendiary　match。

At　Little　Falls；　New　York；　a　strike　occurred　in　the　textile　mills　in　October；　1912；　as　a　result　of　a　reduction　of　wages　due　to　a　fifty…four　hour　law。　No　organization　was　responsible　for　the　strike；　but　no　sooner　had　the　operatives　walked　out　than　here　also　the　I。W。W。　appeared。　The　leaders　ordered　every　striker　to　do　something　which　would　involve　arrest　in　order　to　choke　the　local　jail　and　the　courts。　The　state　authorities　investigating　the　situation　reported　that　〃all　of　those　on　strike　were　foreigners　and　few；　if　any；　could　speak　or　understand　the　English　language；　complete　control　of　the　strike　being　in　the　hands　of　the　I。W。W。〃

In　February；　1913；　about　15；000　employees　in　the　rubber　works　at　Akron；　Ohio；　struck。　The　introduction　of　machinery　into　the　manufacture　of　automobile　tires　caused　a　reduction　in　the　piecework　rate　in　certain　shops。　One　of　the　companies　posted　a　notice　on　the　10th　of　February　that　this　reduction　would　take　effect　immediately。　No　time　was　given　for　conference；　and　it　was　this　sudden　arbitrary　act　which　precipitated　all　the　discontent　lurking　for　a　long　time　in　the　background；　and　the　employees　walked　out。　The　legislative　investigating　committee　reported　〃there　was　practically　no　organization　existing　among　the　rubber　employees　when　the　strike　began。　A　small　local　of　the　Industrial　Workers　of　the　World　comprised　of　between　fifteen　and　fifty　members　had　been　formed　。　。　。　。　Simultaneously　with　the　beginning　of　the　strike；　organizers　of　the　I。W。W。　appeared　on　the　ground　inviting　and　urging　the　striking　employees　to　unite　with　their　organization。〃　Many　of　these　testified　before　the　public　authorities　that　they　had　not　joined　because　they　believed　in　the　preachings　of　the　organization　but　because　〃they　hoped　through　collective　action　to　increase　their　wages　and　improve　their　conditions　of　employment。〃　The　tactics　of　the　strike　leaders　soon　alienated　the　public；　which　had　at　first　been　inclined　towards　the　strikers；　and　acts　of　violence　led　to　the　organization　of　a　vigilance　committee　of　one　thousand　citizens　which　warned　the　leaders　to　leave　town。

In　February；　1913；　some　25；000　workers　in　the　silk　mills　of　Paterson；　New　Jersey；　struck；　and　here　again　the　I。W。W。　repeated　its　maneuvers。　Sympathetic　meetings　took　place　in　New　York　and　other　cities。　Daily　〃experience　meetings〃　were　held　in　Paterson　and　all　sorts　of　devices　were　invented　to　maintain　the　fervor　of　the　strikers。　The　leaders　threatened　to　make　Paterson　a　〃howling　wilderness；〃　an　〃industrial　graveyard；〃　and　〃to　wipe　it　off　the　map。〃　This　threat　naturally　arrayed　the　citizens　against　the　strikers；　over　one　thousand　of　whom　were　lodged　in　jail　before　the　outbreak　was　over。　Among　the　five　ringleaders　arrested　and　held　for　the　grand　jury　were　Elizabeth　Gurley　Flynn　and　Patrick　Quinlan；　whose　trials　attracted　wide　attention。　Elizabeth　Flynn；　an　appealing　young　widow　scarcely　over　twenty…one；　testified　that　she　had　begun　her　work　as　an　organizer　at　the　age　of　sixteen；　that　she　had　not　incited　strikers　to　violence　but　had　only　advised　them　to　picket　and　to　keep　their　hands　in　their　pockets；　〃so　that　detectives　could　not　put　stones　in　them　as　they　had　done　in　other　strikes。〃　The　jury　disagreed　and　she　was　discharged。　Quinlan；　an　unusually　attractive　young　man；　also　a　professional　I。W。W。　agitator；　was　found　guilty　of　inciting　to　violence　and　was　sentenced　to　a　long　term　of　imprisonment。　After　serving　nine　months　he　was　freed　because　of　a　monster　petition　signed　by　some　20；000　sympathetic　persons　all　over　the　United　States。　Clergymen；　philanthropists；　and　prominent　public　men；　were　among　the　signers；　as　well　as　the　jurors　who　convicted　and　the　sheriff　who　locked　up　the　defendant。

These　cases　served　to　fix　further　public　attention　upon　the　nature　of　the　new　movement　and　the　sort　of　revivalists　its　evangel　of　violence　was　producing。　Employers　steadfastly　refused　to　deal　with　the　I。W。W。；　although　they　repeatedly　asserted　they　were　willing　to　negotiate　with　their　employees　themselves。　After　three　months　of　strike　and　turmoil　the　mayor　of　Paterson　had　said：　〃The　fight　which　Paterson　is　making　is　the　fight　of　the　nation。　Their　agitation　has　no　other　object　in　view　but　to　establish　a　reign　of　terror　throughout　the　United　States。〃　A　large　number　of　thoughtful　people　all　over　the　land　were　beginning　to　share　this　view。

In　New　York　City　a　new　sort　of　agitation　was　devised　in　the　winter　of　1913…14　under　the　captaincy　of　a　young　man　who　quite　suddenly　found　himself　widely　advertised。　Frank　Tannenbaum　organized　an　〃army　of　the　unemployed；〃　commandeered　Rutgers　Square　as　a　rendezvous；　Fifth　Avenue　as　a　parade　ground；　and　churches　and　parish　houses　as　forts　and　commissaries。　Several　of　the　churches　were　voluntarily　opened　to　them；　but　other　churches　they　attempted　to　enter　by　storm。　In　March；　1914；　Tannenbaum　led　several　score　into　the　church　of　St。　Alphonsus　while　mass　was　being　celebrated。　Many　arrests　followed　this　bold　attempt　to　emulate　the　French　Revolutionists。　Though　sympathizers　raised　7500　bail　for　the　ringleader；　Tannenbaum　loyally　refused　to　accept　it　as　long　as　any　of　his　〃army〃　remained　in　jail。　Squads　of　his　men　entered　restaurants；　ate　their　fill；　refused　to　pay；　and　then　found　their　way　to　the　workhouse。　So　for　several　months　a　handful　of　unemployed；　some　of　them　professional　unemployed；　held　the　headlines　of　the　metropolitan　papers；　rallied　to　their　defense　sentimental　social　sympathizers；　and　succeeded　in　calling　the　attention　of　the　public　to　a　serious　industrial　condition。

At　Granite　City；　Illinois；　another　instance　of　unrest　occurred　when　several　thousand　laborers　in　the　steel　mills；　mostly　Roumanians　and　Bulgarians；　demanded　an　increase　in　wages。　When　the　whistle　blew　on　the　appointed　morning；　they　gathered　at　the　gates；　refused　to　enter；　and　continued　to　shout　〃Two　dollars　a　day！〃　Though　the　manager　feared　violence　and　posted　guards；　no　violence　was　offered。　Suddenly　at　the　end　of　two　hours　the　men　quietly　re