VLVL2 (Chapter 6) - part 4 (rpt)

[Mike Weaver]

"Preamble of the Industrial Workers of the World
  The working class, and the employing class have nothing in common. There 
can be no peace so long as hunger and want are found among millions of 
working people and the few, who make up the employing class, have all the 
good things of life.
Between these two classes a struggle must go on until the workers of the 
world organize as a class, take possession of the earth and the machinery 
of production, and abolish the wage system. We find that the centering of 
the management of industries into fewer and fewer hands makes the trade 
unions unable to cope with the ever growing power of the employing class. 
The trade unions foster a state of affairs which allows one set of workers 
to be pitted against another set of workers in the same industry, thereby 
helping defeat one another in wage wars. Moreover, the trade unions aid the 
employing class to mislead the workers into the belief than the working 
class have interests in common with their employers.
These conditions can be changed and the interest of the working class 
upheld only by an organization formed in such a way that all its members in 
any one industry, or in all industries if necessary, cease work whenever a 
strike or lockout is on in any department thereof, thus making an injury to 
one an injury to all.
Instead of the conservative motto, "A fair day's wage for a fair day's 
work," we must inscribe on our banner the revolutionary watchword,, 
"Abolition of the wage system."
It is the historic mission of the working class to do away with capitalism. 
The army of production must be organized, not only for the everyday 
struggle with capitalists, but also to carry on production when capitalism 
shall have been overthrown. By organizing industrially we are forming the 
structure of the new society within the shell of the old."

We received a bundle of IWW material last month, from an old Manchester 
member. Included was a little card, I'd guess from the 1920s, entitled

The Lumberjacks Prayer

I pray dear Lord for Jesus' sake,
Give us this day a T-Bone Steak,
Hallowed be thy Holy name,
But don't forget to send the same.

Oh, hear my humble cry, Oh Lord,
  And send us down some decent board,
Brown gravy and some German fried,
With sliced tomatoes on the side.

Observe me on my bended legs,
I'm asking you for Ham and Eggs,
And if thou haves't custard pies,
I like, dear Lord, the largest size.

Oh, bear my cry, All Mighty Host,
I quite forgot the Quail on Toast,
-Let your kindly heart be stirred,
  And stuff some oysters in that bird.

  Dear Lord, we know your Holy wish,
On Friday we must have a fish,
Our flesh is weak and spirit stale,
You better make that fish a whale.

Oh, hear me Lord, remove these "Dogs,"
These sausages of powder'd logs,
Your bull beef hash and bearded Snouts,
Take them to hell or thereabouts.

With Alum bread and Pressed-Beef butts,
Dear Lord you damn near ruin'd my guts,
Your white-wash milk and Oleorine,
I wish to Christ I'd never seen.

Oh, bear me Lord, I am praying still,
But if you won't, our union will,
Put pork chops on the bill of fare,
And starve no workers anywhere.
		(over)"

Turning the card over:

"Answer to the Prayer
I am happy to say this prayer has been answered
-by the "old man" himself. He tells me He has furnished
-plenty for all - and that if I am not getting mine it's
because I am not organized SUFFICIENTLY strong
to force the master to loosen up.
He tells me he has no knowledge on Dogs, Pressed-Beef
Butts, etc., and that they probably are products of the Devil.
He further informs me the Capitalists are children of Hisn
and that He absolutely refuses to participate in any children's
squabbles. He believes in letting us fight it out along the
lines of Industrial Unionism.
Yours in faith, T-BONE SLIM.
NOTE. - The money derived from the sale of these,
goes for the payment of putting out free literature."