﻿Prepare for the Worst Guilt by Inference 
 
According to various constructions placed upon Miss Liberty’s criminal syndicalism law, guilt by association, guilt by inference and guilt by interpretation is an established fact. (So far as we know every member of the court and bar have endorsed the criminal syndicalism law in one form or another, which makes it unanimous). 
Under this law every member of the Republican party can be thrown in jail, for the “ballot box stuffing” done by other members of the G. O. P. Guilt by association Is “the construction” upon which this may be done. For example, a Republican judge sitting on the bench is guilty of criminal syndicalism when another Republican politician takes it into his nut to stuff a ballot box. For stuffing a ballot box is not “changing the political government” by peaceful and legal means. Also, when a member of the Republican party steals a horse, a Ford, or anything else, or speaks harsh words about the Democrats in power, the whole party is guilty of criminal syndicalism every bit as much as an Industrial Worker against whom the law was intended. That means no guilt need exist and no guilt need be shown. Society as a whole is an organization of individuals organized so that they can change the laws, governments and everything pertaining to themselves, but they must do so legally in a “peaceful” manner. If there is one member of society who thinks he can better himself that these may be incarcerated in Leavenworth (or some other equally barbarous institution) for the acts of that one man. Under the criminal syndicalism law, guilt by association is possible. If any member of society commits a crime each and every member of that society, or party, or union is equally guilty. You are your brothers keeper, and guilty as he may be, he can testify against you and send you in the pen. It is safest to take poison now! 
Of course the criminal syndicalism law is unconstitutional and will so be declared in due time. It was intended “to discourage” workingmen from organizing industrially in industrial units and it has had a measure of success that surpasses the dreams of those who fathered the law. American labor once again has been told “what union is best for them.” But now that this law is of no further use, now that organized employers have changed their opinion about their ability to strip labor clean, it is not improbable that this law will be declared unsound; in fact, they have, no choice, for this law has qualities about it that might be likened to those of the boomerang and already it is ‘on its home stretch. 
Why I talk in such a warnful tone must be clear to everybody. The Industrial Workers are not prepared to finish what this law may start—this very law has prevented labor from organizing to carry on production when capitalism shall have fallen, and to that extent it has prevented preparedness— it has to that extent declared in favor of unpreparedness. A shortsighted policy. 

Such an organization must be maintained at all hazards for it is next to impossible to wish it into existence after the collapse. It must be here before the collapse. 

The criminal syndicalism law has been of very neutral value, for good or evil. It has no sound thought behind it, but nevertheless I will say that it has held impatient forces in check until the masters partly had recovered their sanity; and as they regain their senses they will see that their insanity is the only justification for this law. 
We have seen the masters panic-stricken time and gain without apparent reason and we have thought they panic rather too freely and easily as managers of our industry. We honestly believe them to be entirely too damned panicky to last long. 
Anyway we must prepare. Preparedness is good. The very men (and papers) who oppose preparedness have told you to prepare. It was good then and is good now. There i yet time to organize industrially to protect yourself in the event these present irresponsibles further fall down in the management of our affairs. They themselves tell you that good times cannot last—that they are liable to panic again. It is your duty as a fair-minded man to give heed unto these things now. It is your duty to “aid and support” this movement for preparedness now, that you may not later wish for the Wobblies in vain. 
Your financial aid is not enough, although we welcome it. Your moral help is not enough, although we appreciate it. And until we obtain your active support we are doomed to remain impotent as a straw in the hands of a drowning society. 
It is not much we ask—we ask you to make no changes in your views for we know you see things as they ARE—as we see them. We ask you only to organize industrially with your fellow workers and to give your organization a boost along the line wherever you think it will do the most good. It’s not a question of me, or us; it’s a question of YOU. What are YOU going to do?— (T-bone Slim.) 

The I. W. W. never has been criminally syndical or syndically criminal. Neither has it been criminal, with or without syndicalism ; nor syndical, with or without criminalism. It has never been criminal. Never has it been syndical. It has never been either criminal or syndical, with or without, or within, in any way, shape, time or manner, before or after or at present. It has never wished nor does it now wish, nor win it ever wish, to be any, either, or all these things hereinbefore mentioned. 
The I.W. W. always was, is, and will be industrial, so far as we know, so help me Solidarity on that last Great Day.— (T-bone Slim). 
P. S.—Call the next witness.