The I. W. W.: A Study of American Syndicalism

by Paul F. Brissenden

PAGE
Preface to the Second Edition		[5]
Preface to the First Edition		[7]
Part I
BEGINNINGS
CHAPTER I
Forerunners of the "Wobblies"
Early revolutionary bodies		[27]
English prototypes		[29]
Early radical unions in the United States		[29]
The National Labor Union		[30]
The Knights of Labor		[30]
The Internationals		[35]
The Sovereigns of Industry		[37]
The United Brewery Workmen		[38]
The United Mine Workers of America		[38]
Haymarket		[39]
The American Railway Union		[40]
The Western Federation of Miners		[40]
W. F. M. strikes		[40]
The Western Labor Union		[43]
The American Labor Union		[44]
The Socialist Labor Party and the Socialist Trade and Labor Alliance		[46]
The French Confédération Générale du Travail		[53]
CHAPTER II
The Birth of the I. W. W.
Pre-convention conferences		[57]
The rôle of the Western Federation of Miners		[60]
The January Conference		[61]
The Industrialist Manifesto		[62]
Attitude of the A. F. of L.		[65]
The Industrial Union Convention and the launching of the I. W. W.		[67]
Character of industries and unions represented		[68]
Numerical predominance of the Western Federation and the American Labor Union		[71]
Daniel DeLeon and the Socialist Trade and Labor Alliance		[75]
Doctrinal elements represented in the convention: reformist, direct-actionist and doctrinaire		[76]
The dominant personalities		[79]
CHAPTER III
The I. W. W. versus the A. F. of L.
Attitude of the revolutionary industrialists toward the Federation.		[83]
Critique of craft unionism		[84]
"Union scabbery" and the aristocracy of labor		[85]
Emphasis on the unskilled and unorganized		[87]
The "pure and simple" union and the "labor lieutenant"		[88]
Repudiation of the policy of "boring from within"		[89]
Convention resolutions		[91]
The preamble and the clause on political action		[92]
The attitude of DeLeon and the S. L. P		[93]
The I. W. W. Constitution		[96]
Classification of industries		[96]
The structure of the organization		[98]
The local unions and other subordinate bodies		[98]
The General Executive Board and its powers		[100]
Other provisions		[101]
Influence of "DeLeonism" in the convention		[103]
The primary importance of the Western Federation of Miners		[104]
Samuel Gompers on the convention		[106]
Other comments		[107]
What the constitutional convention accomplished		[108]
Part II
THE FIRST PHASE
[The "original" I. W. W.]
CHAPTER IV
Maiden Efforts on the Economic Field
The situation at the close of the first convention		[113]
Progress during the first year		[114]
Activities among A. F. of L. locals		[115]
Friction with Federation unions		[116]
Practical compromises with the craft-union idea		[118]
Internal dissension		[120]
Breakdown of the Metals and Machinery Department		[122]
Defection of the Western Federation of Miners		[122]
Early strikes and strike activities		[123]
Strike policies		[124]
The New Jersey Socialist Unity Conference		[125]
The discussion on socialism and the trade unions		[127]
The Unity Conference resolutions		[128]
The second I. W. W. convention		[129]
Growth in membership		[130]
The Industrial Departments		[131]
CHAPTER V
The coup of the "Proletarian Rabble"
The "reactionaries" vs. the "wage slave delegates" at the second convention		[136]
The DeLeon-St. John attack on President Sherman		[137]
Pre-convention conference of the "DeLeonite rabble"		[137]
The indictment of Sherman		[139]
Playing freeze-out with the "wage slave delegates"		[142]
The per diem resolution and the defeat of the Shermanites		[143]
Abolition of the office of General President		[143]
The findings of the Master in Chancery		[145]
Contemporary comment on the quarrel		[147]
DeLeonism and the Socialist Labor Party at the second convention		[147]
The Western Federation of Miners		[149]
I. W. W. finances		[153]
CHAPTER VI
The Structure of a Militant Union
An organization for farm laborers and city proletarians		[155]
The I. W. W. and the lumber workers		[156]
Provision for foreigners		[158]
Foreign language branches		[160]
The local union		[160]
Relation of locals to the General Administration		[161]
Centralization		[161]
District Industrial Councils		[163]
Industrial Departments		[164]
Further discussion of political action		[168]
The Moyer, Haywood and Pettibone case		[170]
Defense activities of the I. W. W.		[171]
Proposal for a general strike		[174]
Effect of the Moyer-Haywood case on the I. W. W.		[175]
CHAPTER VII
The Fight for Existence
The third convention		[178]
The condition of the organization		[181]
Membership strength		[182]
The I. W. W. at the Stuttgart Congress		[183]
Political parties and the trade unions		[185]
The political clause of the Preamble again under discussion....		[188]
CHAPTER VIII
"Job Control" at Goldfield
The A. F. of L. and the I. W. W. in Goldfield, Nevada		[191]
Character of the Goldfield local of the I. W. W		[192]
The town unionists and the mine unionists		[192]
Proposed consolidation of the two groups		[193]
Attitude of the Mine Owners' Association		[193]
Federal military intervention and investigation		[195]
Report of the Commission		[196]
What the I. W. W. accomplished at Goldfield		[200]
The I. W. W. and the Western Federation in Nevada politics		[201]
I. W. W. strike activities in other parts of the country		[203]
General organizing activities		[207]
CHAPTER IX
Doctrinaire versus Direct-actionist
Condition of the organization on the eve of the schism of 1908		[213]
Effect of the financial panic of 1907		[214]
The widening breach between the I. W. W. and the Western Federation of Miners		[216]
The line-up in the I. W. W. on political action		[218]
The personnel of the convention		[220]
Walsh's "Overalls Brigade".		[221]
The Socialist Labor Party Delegation and the unseating of Daniel DeLeon		[222]
The issue between the DeLeonites and the Direct-actionists		[223]
"Straight industrialism" versus parliamentarianism		[225]
The preamble purged of politics		[226]
Rump convention of the DeLeonites at Paterson, New Jersey		[228]
A bifurcated I. W. W		[229]
The issue between the Detroit I. W. W. and the Chicago I. W. W.		[231]
The Wobblies' criticism of parliamentary government		[232]
The doctrinaire state socialism of the Detroiters		[234]
The issue illustrated in the contrast between Daniel DeLeon and Vincent St. John		[235]
I. W. W. constitution non-political rather than anti-political		[236]
Influence of DeLeon on the I. W. W.		[238]
DeLeonism and Bolshevism		[241]
CHAPTER X
The I. W. W. on the "Civilized Plane"
The development of the Detroit I. W. W		[243]
Strike activities and friction with the "Bummery" or Direct-actionist faction		[246]
The Anarcho-syndicalists versus the parliamentarians		[252]
The Detroit I. W. W. on sabotage		[253]
Eugene Debs' plea for a union of the two I. W. W.s.		[253]
The Detroit I. W. W. becomes The Workers International Industrial Union		[255]
Part III
THE ANARCHO-SYNDICALISTS
[The Direct Actionists]
CHAPTER XI
Free Speech and Sabotage
Condition of the Direct-actionist faction after the split with the
Doctrinaires		[260]
The Wobblies establish the "free-speech fight" as an institution		[262]
The procedure in free-speech fights		[262]
I. W. W. tactics		[263]
Community reactions		[266]
The conventions of 1910 and 1911		[267]
Growth in membership		[268]
The I. W. W. press		[271]
Local unions organized and disbanded		[272]
The I. W. W. and the French syndicalists		[273]
International labor politics		[275]
The Syndicalist League of North America		[276]
The I. W. W. and the MacNamara case		[277]
Franco-American sabotage		[278]
Demonstration against sabotage at the 1912 convention of the Socialist party		[280]
Article II, section 6		[280]
CHAPTER XII
Lawrence and the Crest of Power
Strike activities in 1912		[283]
The Lawrence strike		[284]
The use of violence at Lawrence and the responsibility for it		[286]
Dynamite planting		[288]
The I. W. W. and the A. F. of L. at Lawrence		[289]
Results of the strike		[290]
I. W. W. patriotism and I. W. W. morals		[293]
The 1912 convention		[295]
The beginning of the conflict over decentralization		[297]
CHAPTER XIII
Dual Unionism and Decentralization
The policy of "boring from within"		[299]
Dual unionism		[299]
An I. W. W. defense of "boring from within"		[300]
Tom Mann joins in the attack on dual unionism		[303]
Rejoinders from Ettor and Haywood		[303]
The 1913 convention		[305]
Centralization versus decentralization		[305]
The proposals of the "decentralizers"		[306]
The relation of the locals to the general organization		[307]
The Pacific Coast District Organization		[311]
The East against the West in the decentralization debate		[313]
The western Wobbly and the eastern		[314]
Geographical differences in I. W. W. local unions		[315]
An anarchist's impressions of the 1913 convention		[318]
CHAPTER XIV
Recent Tendencies
Continued hostility between the I. W. W. and the Western Federation of Miners		[320]
The labor war in Butte, Montana		[321]
The United Mine Workers and the I. W. W		[325]
The 1914 convention		[327]
The I. W. W. and the unemployed		[329]
The resolution against war		[331]
Constitutional changes		[331]
Time agreements		[332]
Growth in membership		[333]
The slump in 1914-1915		[335]
Revival of activity		[337]
The Agricultural Workers Organization		[337]
The Everett free-speech fight		[339]
The 1916 (tenth) convention		[340]
Present strength of the I. W. W.		[341]
Character of the membership		[341]
The I. W. W. abroad		[342]
Anti-militarist campaign of the I. W. W. in Australasia		[342]
Australian "Unlawful Associations" Act		[343]
The Workers' Industrial Union of Australia		[345]
"Criminal Syndicalism" laws in the United States		[346]
The turnover of I. W. W. members and locals		[349]
Conclusion		[350]
APPENDICES
I.	Father Hagerty's "Wheel of Fortune"	[351]
II.	The I. W. W. Preamble: Chicago and Detroit versions	[351]
III.	The structure of the organization in 1917. (Chart)	[353]
IV.	Membership statistics:
	Table A. Membership of Chicago and Detroit branches. (1905-1916).	[354]
	Table B. Membership of the I. W. W. compared with the aggregate number of organized workers in the U. S., by industries	[356]
	Table C. Membership of the I. W. W. and of certain other selected organizations and industrial groups. (1897-1914)	[358]
	Table D. Membership of (1) the I. W. W. and (2) all American trade unions	[359]
V.	Geographical distribution of I. W. W. locals in 1914. (Chicago and Detroit)	[360]
VI.	Reasons assigned for locals disbanding. (1910-1911)	[366]
VII.	Free-speech fights of the I. W. W. (1906-1916)	[367]
VIII.	I. W. W. strikes. (1906-1917)	[368]
IX.	Selections from the I. W. W. Song Book.	[370]
X.	Copies of State "Criminal Syndicalism" statutes.	[381]
Bibliography		[387]
Index		[429]

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[PART I]
BEGINNINGS

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[CHAPTER I]
Forerunners of the I. W. W.

The revolutionary doctrines of the I. W. W. are spoken of today as constituting the "new unionism" or the "new socialism". It cannot be too strongly emphasized, however, that neither I. W. W.-ism nor the closely related but materially different French syndicalism are brand-new codes which the irreconcilables, here and in France, have invented out of hand within the last quarter of a century. Industrial unionism, as a structural type simply, and even revolutionary industrial unionism—wherein the industrial organization is animated and guided by the revolutionary (socialist or anarchist) spirit—hark back in their essential principles to the dramatic revolutionary period in English unionism of the second quarter of the nineteenth century. In America the labor history of the seventies, and especially the eighties, teems with evidences of the industrial form and the radical temper in labor organizations. The elements of I. W. W.-ism were there; but they were not often co-existent in the same organization. Contemporary writers have not failed to call attention to the striking similarity between the doctrines of the English Chartists and those of our modern I. W. W. The bitter attacks of the Industrial Workers upon politics and politicians and their appeal to all kinds and conditions of labor were also fundamental articles in the creed of the Chartists—who stressed the economic factor almost as forcibly as do the I. W. W.'s today.[3]

In both America and England, especially during the periods referred to, there was abundant evidence of those tactics which we characterize today as syndicalistic. I. W. W. strikes were not invented in 1905. The Socialist Trade and Labor Alliance, the Knights of Labor, the International Working People's Association, the "New Unionists" in the days of Robert Owen—all these and many another group have sought to push their cause by methods now once again made notorious by the French syndicalists and the American Wobblies. The general strike—mass action—the sympathetic strike—the solidarity of all labor—these concepts seem to have their prototypes and very possibly were put into action in still more ancient periods. Osborne Ward reports some revolutionary labor activities in years preceding the Christian era. He describes a strike of the silver miners in Greece—at Laurium, some thirty miles south of Athens. "The inference is unequivocal," says Ward, "that in 413 B. C. twenty thousand miners, mechanics, teamsters, and laborers suddenly struck work; and at a moment of Athens' greatest peril, fought themselves loose from their masters and their chains." He concludes that the strike "must have been well concerted, violent and swift," and "must have been plotted by the men themselves."[4] This strike, apparently, was widely heralded, but seems to have brought no more permanent results than has the average I. W. W. strike of today. The evidence for this very ancient prototype of syndicalism is not entirely conclusive. It was dug out of the old red sandstone—and there are missing links! It will be safer not to try to trace the lineage of syndicalist organizations—much less syndicalist activities and ideas—back more than one century.