The I. W. W.: A Study of American SyndicalismBrissenden, Paul F. (Paul Frederick)
History
The I. W. W.: A Study of American Syndicalism
Brissenden, Paul F. (Paul Frederick)
Industrial Workers of the World; Syndicalism
Frank Bohn, in describing the methods by which this group of so-called
"spittoon philosophers" in the mixed locals is said to have attempted
to disrupt the I. W. W., asks, "Is this chair-warming sect now the
leading element in the I. W. W.? Is it in a majority? If it is, the I.
W. W. is not dying. It is dead."[631]
Whatever may be the merits or demerits of philosophic anarchism, it
is unquestionable that the anarchist--the _naïve_ anarchist, at any
rate--is an unmitigated nuisance. Perhaps the General Executive Board
had something of this sort in mind when they said that "word pictures
of the ideal will not serve to satisfy the cry for bread for any great
length of time regardless of how beautifully they may be
portrayed ...," and reminded the delegates that "responsibilities,
financial, moral and physical, must be met and not shirked."[632] The
Board was more specific farther on in its report:
There is an element in the I. W. W. [it declares] whose sole
purpose seems to be to disrupt the organization. We refer to
the syndicalists or decentralizers, as they are all the same,
in their attempt to disrupt the I. W. W.... While we do not
believe in a highly centralized organization, neither is the I.
W. W. such. In fact, it is the most decentralized movement in
the world today. It does not interfere with the action of the
locals as long as they abide by the fundamental principles of
the organization.... We find a situation in the West that if
carried on means a complete disruption of the only industrial
organization in the world. In time of strike they sit around
the hall talking of what ought to be done or devising ways
and means to do away with General Headquarters.... They will
talk of sabotage and direct action but leave it to the boss to
use it on the few who take up the fight. If these conditions
continue, the I. W. W. will die of dry rot.[633]
Delegate Foss, in a despondent moment, remarked that there was "a
general tendency to prevent organization of any kind in this [I.
W. W.] movement."[634] At another time he remarked: "The western
portion of this organization does not need any decentralization.
Decentralization has got hold of it now and that is the very reason why
this organization has no job control in the West...."[635]
In 1912 the G. E. B. had assured the membership that they were "not
unmindful of the danger that will ever live in centralized power,"
but they asserted that "it does not follow that to centralize the
administrative machinery of your organization necessarily means a
centralized power," and that "the only means by which centralization
of power can be avoided is by correct education and a thoroughly
intelligent membership...."[636]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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