﻿Your Defense Calls for One Labor Union 
By T-BONE SLIM 
 
Our newspaper is a very important part of our organization; it is our voice. In it we can broadcast any and all iniquities of the employing class and record our accomplishments—plus. 
If for any reason the paper begins to pine and the honorable fellow workers editor begins to mumble “two and two makes four” it ‘s a sign that the almighty membership hasn’t been sending in any new subscriptions lately or new checks and, for all the editor may know, the membership is on a vacation down in Miami Beach or Bourbon St. 
Plenty parasite papers have bit the dust in the late sorrowful months, falling into that oblivion we spoke about—all because the advertisers refused to support the disgraceful sheets. 
Shall it be said of our membership that they take our paper for granted and neglect to defend that which they have? The point is: once the paper falls into the pit it’s going to take a powerful magnet to drag it out—like fishing for a pair of horn-rimmed glasses in the ferments of Gowanus Canal. (It can be done if the gasses have steel pins in the hinges.) 
Labor schools, too, have been pulling the pin because of lack of interest in the element they would aid. 
What is this anyhow, a destruction of Jerusalem, a storm —and all hands shortening sail? 
I say no—we’ll get nowhere under bare spars. It should not be a question of bare survival. It should be a question of survival in style. 
Send the editor a check. 

Across the pond, airplanes are flown with charcoal. Tut, tut, by the way they are nosediving over here, I think we are using bottle corks. 

It is said the masses run this country and Congress does only the ghosting for them. This cannot be, for generally the man being ghosted for is a dumb lug and hasn’t the slightest idea as to the size of the score. Now, my people are a bright tribe and wise to all the skullduggery going on, including the grooming they get 18 months before the fact. 

Lord Lothian, Christian Scientist and Ambassador, died. Clearly a case of overwork. 
Our own General Hartman, topman construction in the Quartermaster Corps was hauled off to Reed Hospital 
Darn this defense agitation laying our best men low! For years and years thet never turned a wheel and then all of a sudden they have to grab the oilcan. 
The wars in Europe are but the greater maneuvers of employees (bosses). God knows, the lesser maneuvers are crazy enough, crooked enough and a repudiation of all that is ethical in the nations. 
Labor’s interference has been but a small disturbance so far; and there have been and are capitalist wars in the interest of commercialism, continued subjugation of workers and worship of greed, golden heifer. 
This, here, now United States is the sole remaining country that is free to propagandists, a regular propagandists’ paradise. Their lies are sure-fire hits. Other lands gag their liars, which same is sure worse than death. Mind you, I do not favor killing them . . . The rich sire trying to lead us into war or are too dumb to do it. They can choose their handle: dumb, decoy, dabbler, or deficient. It’s going to be kind of tough on unionism in the near future and the concessionary leaders are already holding conversations with themselves. But what the hell, workers always did want a unionism that unfolds like a desert mirage and that pans out like a swig of hemlock. Industrial management is in full control down Washington way; patronage travels through divers ways to the faithful, and punishes recalcitrants with loss of hand-outs. No widespread recovery is possible or intended and the few faithful are already hollering for a longer work-week at the expense of the unemployed, the great undernourished, illclad, illhoused of the American way of life. 
Here ye, Oh Ye Scissorbills, is not this the day, the hour of National Defense? Defense, defense — then protect yourself. For National Defense presupposes all parts of the nation shall be defended, not only the good and willing industries. Your unionism is your best defense as it is the best defene of a nation. 
Elementary unionim says gains and improvements are possible only through unionism; individual efforts are no longer efective in any part of the requisition. Shorter day presupposes greater speed, in the masters’ lexicon. Increase of pay presupposes still greater speed (if not displacement)”. No gain is evident. 
Guaranteed protection comes only from One Big Union. All else is endless skirmish. 

Pretty nearly impossible to maintain a home under present conditions of social adjustment. Life has been disorganized too many times. A loss at every disruption, and the losses mount into important money, plus much mental and physical anguish. Repeated frustrations have laid ther mark on homo sapiens and further struggle in the prearranged disarray seems futile senseless and devoid of any use whatsoever. 
And it may be true and then, again, it mayn’t. Scientists that can do no wrong are not setting up the new economic system. It is done by business, the original skinner of mankind; and the chief victim, the worker, doesn’t have the gumption or marbles to join the One Big Union and protect himself . . .