Nevertheless it would be absurd to conclude that

I. W. W.'s carry disregard of the law to the point of dis-
regard of the practical expediency of keeping within it.
"The I. W. W. has no intention," we are informed, "of re-
sorting to violence in any form in retaliation for the
numerous outrages perpetrated on our members throughout
the country......Our members have been murdered, beaten,
thrown in jail, subjected to every abuse that the master

class could hire thugs to do."l Nevertheless, they insist,

"The I. W. W. never has plotted or committed any violence; it never has preached or practiced the destruction of property, and it never had for its aim, nor has it now for its aim, the overthrow of the United States Government, its Constitution and its laws."2

The W. I. I. U. is first to condemn the I. W. W

indifference to legality: "It (the W. I. I. U.) refuses
to conduct the class struggle on the lines of a dog fight.
It does not sanction lawlessness on the part of the em-

ployers, the capitalists, and their hirelings by itself
13
violating the law.

The transition to the Industrial Co-operative Commonwealth will be effected by the use of physical force, and not by political action as the W. I. I. U. proposes. Under the W. I. I. U. plan the State would succumb first. Only in case the capitalists rebelled

1. "More Truth about the I.W.W." (published by I.W.W.) 14-15. 2. John Sandgren, "The I...,A Statement of Its Principles, Objects, and Methods."

3. W.I.I.U.Leaflet #1, "Manifesto of Socialist Indus.Unionism".

against the decision of the ballot box would the economic power of the industrially ranked toilers be brought into action. Under the I. W. W. plan the factories would succumb first, and the State, which is only the shadow of capitalist power, would pass away simultaneously. Under the

I. W. W. plan a "general lockout of the parasite class of non-producers" will end the contest; in other words, present employers will be shut out of the factories by the workers.

The General Lockout of the capitalists will be preceded by a General Strike. What I. . .'s mean by these aminous terms is described by one writer in the following unmistakable words: "We are going to do away with capitalism by taking possession of the land and the machinery of production. We don't intend to buy them, either.......We realize that without our labor power no wealth can be produced. We fold our arms. The mills close. Industry is at a standstill. We then make our proposition to our former masters. It is this: We, the workers, have labored long enough to support idlers. From now on, he who does

not toil, neither shall he eat."l

As Haywood put it, "If labor was organized and selfdisciplined it could stop every wheel in the United States tonight every one and sweep off your capitalists and State legislatures and politicians into the sea.

-

The Government is only a shadow anyway, - a shadow

1. Grover H. Perry, "The Revolutionary I.W.W.," 11.

2. William D. Haywood, "Testimony before Industrial Relations Commission," 34.