IWW: Alcohol tallies up to "de-horn"

Yours is a very reasonable question, Theresa, in these complex times where
many of the current critters [not excluding myself by any means] can pick
and dissect with intricacy in the context of either subdued glee or open
tooth-grinding.  I exclude you completely from this, let me hasten to say!
You are a rare person of the clear and open and direct question and/or
statement. [I hope you don't mind if I send this to two other lists where
matters concerning the Wobblies are of considerable interest to at least
several members.]

Good question!

What the Old Wobblies [and this would apply pretty much to the current ones]
were saying was, "Stay off the juice!"  They referred constantly to alcohol
as "de-horn" -- the obvious meaning being that it was antithetical to
healthy activism:  destroyed the effectiveness of  militant workers and
radicals.  They also saw booze playing directly into the hands of the "goons
and ginks and company finks" and giving those creatures opportunities to
attack venomously.

During IWW strikes -- which, given the intransigence of the bosses et al.
and their various governmental allies --  were dangerous as hell, IWW strike
leaders made every effort to keep their people off booze.  [In Native
ceremonials, social pow-wows, dinners, and comparable occasions, we always
ban all alcohol and drugs.]

In a hard-fought, far-flung and ultimately successful IWW lumber strike in
North Idaho in 1936, company gunmen killed three strikers and seriously
wounded a dozen.  I have, here on my wall, a very rare strike leaflet from
that struggle.  Issued as "I.W.W. Strike Bulletin No. V, Spokane, Wash. June
17, 1936   Issued By Central Strike Committee," it is mimeo typescript on
both sides of a leaflet even longer than conventional legal size.  Included
in all of the up-dates and general news of the bitter strike, are several
calls to avoid saloons -- and all alcohol is firmly banned from not only the
picket lines but also from all Union meetings.

Most Wobblies -- old-time or now, I think, would not be too much into the
WCTU -- even if they shared that nice group's antipathy toward alcohol. My
wife, Eldri, at four, was pressured to join the WCTU but refused to let
"them" tie the white ribbon on her.  Thus, she was never really a member --
and enjoys a bit of Jim Beam or Jack Daniels on rare occasions.


Best - Hunter [Hunterbear]

Hunter Gray  [ Hunterbear ]
www.hunterbear.org  ( social justice )
Protected by Na´shdo´i´ba´i´



----- Original Message -----
From: "Theresa Alt" <talt@xxxxxxx>
To: <asdnet@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, April 26, 2002 9:25 AM
Subject: Re: [ASDnet] IWW -- Definitely Non-Violent


> Hunterbear wrote:
>
> >Consistently, at every point, the IWW discouraged violence.  Its
literature
> >often contained these three slogans:  "You can't fight booze and the boss
at
> >the same time;"  "Better to be called Red than to be called Yellow"
> >[cowardly]; and "Watch the man who advocates violence."  The latter was
> >based on the contention that many advocates of violence are either police
or
> >company agents -- or are off their rocker.
> >
> The first slogan "You can't fight booze and the boss at the same time"
> intrigues me, because, not knowing the background, I can interpret it two
> opposite ways. Does it mean "you can't drink (to excess) and be an
> effective labor activist" or does it mean "you can't be part of the
> temperance movement and the labor movement at the same time"?
>
> Honestly puzzled,
> Theresa
>
> Theresa Alt
> talt@xxxxxxx
>
> People's attention is scarce.  Do not abuse it.
>
> ==^================================================================
> This email was sent to: hunterbadbear@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://igc.topica.com/u/?b1dj8W.b2T0PF
> Or send an email to: asdnet-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail!
> http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register
> ==^================================================================
>



------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-->
Buy Stock for $4
and no minimums.
FREE Money 2002.
http://us.click.yahoo.com/k6cvND/n97DAA/ySSFAA/B140lB/TM
---------------------------------------------------------------------~->

"[C]apital comes dripping from head to foot, from every pore, with blood and 
dirt."
--Marx, Capital, Vol. 1, Chapter 31

Community email addresses:
  Post message: marxist@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
  Subscribe:    marxist-subscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
  Unsubscribe:  marxist-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
  List owner:   jplst15+@xxxxxxxx

Shortcut URL to this page:
  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/marxist

Also take our one-question survey at
  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/marxist/polls 

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/