﻿ALL I KNOW 
 
Well, as usual, it resolves itself upon me to give the slaves an “inkling” as to what industrial unionism is—it seems strange nobody has sprung it on them, before now. 

It is presumed to be a terrific conglomeration of tissue destroying ideas, doctrines, creeds and programs, all rolled up like a ball of fishhooks, and, it is further hinted that its tremendous range and unfathomable depth can only be explored by laborers with ‘specially equipped apparatus: such as brains, intuition and perseverance, etc.—yes. 

How well I remember the first time it was explained to me way back in ‘16, great beads of sparkling sweat gathered on my brow as I wrestled with the subject and, thus it is: I point with pride to myself as a man “who came, who saw and who conquered” (venus, wieners and vichy, in Latin). Am I right? Of course I am. 

Suspecting no shock I innocently asked him, “What is this, industrial unionism over which everybody seems to be going nuts”? Imagine my astonishment when he snapped out the fatal enigmatical reply, “everybody in any industry belongs to one union only, 

The blow hatd fallen. 
“Everybody in one industry belongs to one union.” Holy mackerel and sanctified smelts, how in the world is an uneducated man like myself going to get all that through his noodle! I turned pale; I had to do something to hide my acquired ignorance. (Assuming ignorance is not the basic scat of learning). 

“Everybody in one union.” Even old heads who have studied unionism for years can’t get that through their brain. Is it then a wonder that I was somewhat staggered by the problem? Anybody who thinks industrial unionism is easy to understand (and easy to explain) is off his trolley and on the wrong street. 

An average worker understands the law of gravity — the theory of relativity is pie for him (with one arm tied behind him) — but the conundrum, the hard cold concrete fact of unionism, “the everybody in one union.” is as hard to understand, as is the art of aquatics to a water spaniel — what does a spaniel know about swimming? Nothing, not a thing. 
(Stopped in nick of time).