1903-08 August Electrical Worker.pdf - International Brotherhood of ...

Local Union No. 163.
WII.KESBARRE, PA.,July 30,1903.
l;!:ditor Electrical Worker:
.. One hundred and ij.fty thousand men
wanted," was the announcement we saw
only a few short years ago, when our beloved
and martyred President of this prosperous I?)
'country decided to call volunteers, on acc~unt
of the Spanish nation, after cruelly
killing the Cubans and ravishing theircountry,
made the mistake of blowing up the
Maine. 'The citizens of this 'country're' '
sponded nobly, in the words of the political
organs. After joining, what did the volunteers
have to do? They got up at 5 and 5'30,
worked hard all day if there was no fighting
to do. They had to drill until they could
hardly stand up; lights out and abed by
nine o'clock, if they were so fortunate as
not to be on guard duty.
Now, 163 W.!LDts to make the announcement'that
it needs the services of aboutfour
hundred and twelve locals to discuss the
pros and cons of changing our journal from
the way it is conducted at present to electrical
articles or discussions; that is, to make
this subject more universal. The old saying
is two heads are b~tter than one, so,
brothers, start in now with the convention
and send your electrical discussions to the
journal, and let the whole Brotherhood criticise
them, and then in the words of the wise
old farmer, we will be able to pick the wheat
from the chaff.
I discussed this pretty fully on page 17 of
last month's journal. If you care for your
trade, read it and agitate it both locally and
nationally. Be like the case of the Christian
soldier when he said to his chaplain,
"In my barracks before going to bed I
knelt down and prayed, when suddenly ~y
comrade!! raised a loud laugh and began to
, throw books and clothes at me."
.. Well," replied the chaplain, "suppose
you rlefer your prayers till after you retire,
and then silently lift up your heart to God."
Meeting him soon after, the chaplain said,
"You took my advice, I suppose; how did
it answer 1" "Sir," replied the soldier, "I
did take your advice for two or three evenings;
but I began to think it looked like
denying ,my Saviour, so I once more knelt
down and prayed as at first." "What followed?
0', .. Why, sir, not one of them
laughs now; the whole fifteen now kneel
down, too, and J pray with them."
So, brothers, be persistent. It's that qualitythat'
enabled J. Pierpont Morgan ~o orglinize
the great trusts that are such a'menace
to the country's prosperity and to labor.
We have among the electrical workers
the material that would make the greatest
writers of to-day. Some of our writers have
the knack of putting together an article that
will compare favorably with' any written
by modern' writers. But-is there enQuglithought
in all of the letters? "
Tolstoi is a great writer, according to expressions
of opinion throughout the coun~
"try. Why is it Tolstoi is so great? The,
simple reason is that he combines thought
with composition.
I see some of our press secretaries don't
attend to their duty of getting letters to the
Worker. Possibly they think there is nothing
to write of. Well, if there is nothing
interesting to write of, don't write. A great
drawback to our journal at present is some
of the senseless articles written by a few
press secretaries, making it impossible for a:
member to read our journal through, because
you have to go to the trouble of picking
the wheat from the chaff. Now, those
brothers can put theirs in shape nicely, but
there is no thought in them.
,Now, brothers, there is a simple cure for
that, making it easier for you to write your
letters. All through the month think of
this great subject of changing our journal.
Be it at the opera house, at church under
the influence of soft music, riding on a
street car, or walking along alone, which is
very conducive to healthy, active thoughtjust
mark the point down at the time, and
at the end of the month, with all these
scraps of thought before you, you cannot
help but write an interesting and attractive
letter.
So now, brothers, with your think tank
going, turn to pag~ 17, last month's journal,
and study that subject from good old
163. Then go back to page 2,of April issue.
1902, and see if the letter of 163 does not
cover the subject of No. 1 as thouroughlyas
it ought to. If you see points that are not
explained in it well enough, write it up
yourself; write it up anyhow, and show that
you are in favor of quality and a more thor-