Thompson’s Report.

Industrial Unionist, Volume 1, Issue 1, 1 February 1913, Page 4

Thompson’s Report.

Fellow-worker J. P. Thompson pointed ont in his report, as general organiser to the 1.W.W., that the success of the Lawrence strike and the remarkable solidarity displayed was simply the carrying out of ideas drilled in before the strike began; that in most of the previous struggles of the textile workers they had been defeated because other crafts remained at work, thus helping the boss to beat the workers; that, although a law was passed reducing the hours, it was actually turned into a benefit to the employers by the speedingup of machinery, etc., more labour being got out of the workers, and the bosses’ light bill being reduced. 31c went on to outline how dynamite was planttd by prominent business men in a cowardly attempt to discredit their slaves , and that only the fact that the plans miscarried saved some of our fel-low-workers going to their death in the electric chair, that if this murderous plan 1 1 ail not miscarried, tin* politicians, editorettes. and sycophant's of the employing class all over the world would have been now throwing mud at the I.WVYV. He told how a boy was killed by a bayonet thrust from a soldier, and how a woman was shot by a policeman. Ettor and Giovannitti‘. two organisers, were arrested as “ accessories before the fact” although they were two miles away from the spot. (They have since been acquitted.) “ The strike itself,” says Thompson. “ was one big pro-

paganda meeting. Every question of importance was taken up and analysed, and every trick of the employers exposed and every wild rumour knocked on the head; everything was explained to the strikers.”

He also pointed out the folly of abusing the cops instead of preaching industrial unionism. He suggested that branches see to it their speakers do advocate industrial unionism. [All italics are ours. —Ed.]