What a fantastic, razor-sharp, editorial. Likely penned by then IW editor James A. Wilson responding to an article from American Federation of Labor leader, and long-time U.M.W.A. President, John Mitchell on immigration and pretending to speak from the workers’ interest. Mitchell had recently lost his position in the U.M.W.A. because it had imposed a ban on members participating in the Civic Federations, which he refused to do. It was part of wave of anti-immigration hand-wringing that coincided with the massive 1909 strikes of largely East European workers (Hunkies–origin of the word ‘honky’) on Pennsylvania at McKees Rocks and Bethlehem Steel, with Jewish and Italian workers, many of them women, rising up in the garment industry, first in Chicago, then New York City and the East Coast, also beginning in 1909.

‘Immigration’ from Industrial Worker. Vol. 1 No. 28. September 23, 1909.

If the unemployed working people In America ever start a suicide club, they should elect John Mitchell editor of its official organ, for did we not know that Mitchell is a mere tool of the employing class, his drivel is enough to disgust a sensible workingman with the race that could breed such a specimen and make the “unemployed” wish for a speedy death. John has had time between banquets and receptions to write an article for the “Outlook” on “Protect the Workingman”–and this article is not in the joke department of the paper either. Whatever the radical agitators may say against Mitchell, they can not deny that he is a patriot of the first degree. “Our country” and “our government” are set up in copper and when John writes an addition to his confessions as a member of the Physic Federation, the printers have instructions to put them in on every other line–they fit in well anywhere. John has had a bad attack of “hop,” for he becomes a dynamiter when he says: “If the products of our mills and factories are to be protected by a tariff on articles manufactured abroad, then, by the same token, labor should be protected against an unreasonable competition from a stimulated and excessive immigration.” The I.W.W. is fighting and organizing to take and hold the mills and factories, but it’s no use! They are “ours” already. Then, too, John has learned that the employment sharks are man-catchers and scab-herders. He quotes an advertisement in a Pittsburg paper, as follows:

“Men Wanted–Tinners, catchers and helpers, to work in open shops Syrians, Poles and Roumanians preferred. Steady employment and good wages to men willing to work. Fare paid, etc.”

This is an underhand attempt to make people believe that it is the “foreigners” who are the scabs. The fact is, it is generally not necessary to advertise to get American scabs–they’ll come without. Then here is another dose–this should be followed by about a pound of Limberger cheese to remove the taste: “There is perhaps no group in America so free from racial or religious prejudice as the workingmen.” If this were so, John is at least doing his patriotic duty in stirring up hatred by pointing out the necessity of restrictions against the workers of other countries. The whole article shows the polished labor skate; pretending to sympathize with the class that he has repeatedly betrayed, he stirs up the foul passions of national prejudice and race hatred. Just how much “Mitch” got for this article probably appears on the books of the Civic Federation along with the expense account of the deputies at McKees Rocks, and the travelling bills of Sam Gompers. If a labor faker is feeling dull, or not in the writing vein, and yet has to fill o just so many galleys of dope, it is safe to talk about more law, or to try to divide the working people any old how. Make the workers think they have some interest in the laws of the country, or get them to fighting each other it all serves to help the bosses. A respectable yaller dog would get colic after reading this kind of Mitchell dope for an hour. “Keep out the immigrants, and there will be no unemployed,” or at least not so many but what there will be room for all of them on the chain-gang for the men, and the women may go to the brothels! Not a word from this critter about shortening the hours of labor till all the unemployed are able to have a job. But really there is not enough timber in his rotten arguments to drive a nail into. After telling about the “high standard of living” of the workingmen in our country he, in the next paragraph, snivels about the bread-lines and tramps. Let it be some comfort to the patriotic A. F. of L. man that the bread-lines in our country are no doubt at least longer than in Europe–yes, and “free”!

The employing class is international. The United States Steel Corporation has passed the day when it needs the tariff, for like the Standard Company, it is but a little time till it will have world control of the industry and even now can laugh at national laws and restriction. The employers constitute the government, and immigration will continue as long as it is in the interest of the employing class. It is unthinkable that Mitchell should for one minute wish for anything but to deceive the workers. He is paid for it and needs the money. Study his record, if you think this is too strong a statement. There is this thing to be looked at in the matter of the workers from other lands: The true union member regards the miseries of the workers in Sweden, in Italy, or in any land, as of equal importance and concern with those of this part of the employers’ world. But the spirit of rebellion has been repeatedly shown of late among the foreign-born workers. It will take them some time to be “assimilated” into the habits of our country. It takes the average Italian or Frenchman, for instance, a hell of a while understand why the button-hole makers should be in a different union from the cloak-makers, or why the men shovelling concrete should be in a different union from those shovelling dirt. If any of this anti-immigration rot is sincere, it is because the employers see that there is, altogether too much stick together in many of the workers from other lands than “ours.” Now that Gompers has failed in fooling the workers in Europe, and they can not be sent here under a sacred separated A. F. of L. contract; now that they can not be divided at home, America must be kept for the patriots–and the Civic Federation.

It would probably be a waste of time to criticize further such articles as this. Not every workingman, thank fortune, is even familiar with the record of Mitchell, Gompers & Co. But, any article or speech coming from a man pretending to represent working people can be judged every time by this.

Is it intended to unite the workers of the world, or not?

Start out with the fact: “The working class and the employing class have nothing in common,” and such drivel as that of Mitchell will appear for just what it is: the whine of a scab.

The Industrial Union Bulletin, and the Industrial Worker were newspapers published by the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) from 1907 until 1913. First printed in Joliet, Illinois, IUB incorporated The Voice of Labor, the newspaper of the American Labor Union which had joined the IWW, and another IWW affiliate, International Metal Worker.The Trautmann-DeLeon faction issued its weekly from March 1907. Soon after, De Leon would be expelled and Trautmann would continue IUB until March 1909. It was edited by A. S. Edwards. 1909, production moved to Spokane, Washington and became The Industrial Worker, “the voice of revolutionary industrial unionism.”

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/industrialworker/iw/v1n28-sep-23-1909-IW.pdf