The Daily Worker Newspaper, December 18, 1926, Page 11

Pricked Into Action - - — MURPHY came home from his nine hourg of work at the plant. He entered the kitchen where his young wife, a bride of five months, was engaged in cooking the evening meal. Hilda, the wife, of Scandinavian descent, was small and pretty, She was.wearing a neat little apron which had been a wedding gift, and had started out on the theory that she must: never. look slouchy when Red arrived from work. : Red was Irith-and a young husky. He looked unconsciously picturesque in a pair of tightly fit- ting truosers which ‘displayed a shapely and sturdy leg. Short, they showed an expanse ofvankle above the low shoes! At’ the waist—a small’ waist such as an athlete ‘values—they wero tightly belted in. And above the’ belt was a prodigious chest, covered with a blue flatinel ‘shirt, while on top of that was a heavy sweater’ coat; unbuttoned. barn. Fe) Ca Red across the linoleum “into the corner: hear. the gas stove. He then took off a cap that had been.et e rakish angle of “his ‘head. of “rebellious,. red, curly hair, and gave°tt a toss toward ‘a hook on the wall, where it caught’and hungitself, - : This accomplished; Red threw both arms abou d Hilda and gave her a rough but affectionate hug. . ~ Then he grew suddenly wober. “Say,” he ventured, “I've got something awful im portant to tell -you.<.We went on a strike today. I don’t go to work in the morning.” For a moment, Hilda loolred surprised. Then, as she calmly turned the pork chops in the skillet with a fork, she said: “Well, while it may be a bit hard on us, I’m glad you have struck. It’s about time you fellows did something.” Red beamed through a crop of freckles. “Say,” he exclaimed, “you’re a brick—pos-i-tively. Some women wouldn’t take it that way. Why Bill Stark was afraid to go home to his wife, for fear she’d bawl him out and send him back to work again. You're the right sort, you are. Almost glad I mar- » Yied you, eh?” Hilda gave the chops another turn. “My father was a union man. I know something about tt. But before you wash up for dinner, I’ve got something to tell you, too.” “Shoot away,” said Red, Hilda came. over, -pulled Red’s head down to a level with her own, and whispered very mysterious! into his ear. ie. . sugael exci: ‘ Red drew back, grabbed; her by both shoulders, and looked down into her anxious face. “Say,” he exclaimed, “you ain’t kidding:me? Honest, is that - the straight goods? Well, I'll say that is just fine. Gee, but I’m proud and happy. But worried, too, when I come to think about you.” “You are really glad?” she asked. “Sure, I’m glad,” he exclaimed. With difficulty, Hilda got Red to wash up and sit down. For a time the strike was forgotten and he rambled on about the exciting news that Hilda had imparted. But toward the end of the meal, he grew serious again. iy “Say,” he remarked, “they’re going to have a meeting of the strikers tonight at Mason’s. Hall. Going to start some kind of a union.- Of course, later we'll have a regular organizer come, but we gotta start something quick to show the boss we mean business. They said we ought to bring our women to get. them interested. I thought I would ask you to go, but of course now I suppose you can’t.” F “Why can’t I?” asked Hilda. . “Well, now, of course, you gotta take care of . (Continued from page 4) New Germany is the most prosperious country fm Burope and belongs to everybody but the Germans. “Here I wish to give due credit to that great man of peace, the inventor of dynamite Mr. Nobel, whom I am glad to see occupy such a high position among the most outstanding figures in Hell.” Mr. Nobel biushed to the roots of his hair and the Devil bowed the appreciation of the audience to the @reat man, “I should say,” the senator continued, with legs outstretched and chest expanding under the mellow influence of the satisfaction of having made a de ¢ided hit with the Devil and the wealthy dynamite man, “I should say, that, second ouly to the efforts of the United States as a peace factor, is the infla- ence of the Nobel peace prize. “There is nothing more conducive to honest effort in any direction, than a little money judiciously spent,” said the senator. “During the jast senatorial campaign in IWinois, I lost out by half a million dol- lars. In fact.had I spent another half million it te quite possible that Frank L. Smith would be speak- ‘tug before you here tonight, “But pardon the digression, Mr, Nobel-—and if I am mistaken I crave correction—Mr. Nobel left his wealth, which was made out of explosives to blast the way to world peace. At first it was feared that the foundation would have a deterimental effect on The whole out-. fit of clothing’ made“Red look about as broad -as.@.. stooped’ over and gavehis Juneh. kit a slide : => yourself,” P we Hilda laughed. “You are just a big kid, Red,” she protested. “A lot you know about some things. It’s months off yet, and I can do a lot.of hard work before I have to take it, easy. Of course I’m going with you.” ; i “I'm going just ag I am,” said Red, “Don’t want to dress up and look like a dude, But you put on your prettiest dress, so I can show you off to the bunch.” ; They went. The strikers were. gathered, but there was little enthusiasm, Al Green had been selected as chairman, because be was an earnest, conscientious fellow, and known to be rather well read. But-as a chairman, he was a dismal failure. No personality, and a weak, hesitating voice. He started the meeting off with a long speech, dealing in generalities about the labor movement,’ which he had hastily gathered for the occasion from papers and magazines. The bunch fidgeted in its ‘seats. What they wanied to: learn was how they. were going to get an eight-hour day and a better wage, “This thing is a frost,” Red whispered.to Hilde. “Al is:all right in his place—but this afn’t his place. This thing is going to peter’ out if someone don’t. “Why.don’t you get up and talk, Red?” she asked placidly. A “Me!” exclaimed Red, under his breath. “Me! You don’t expect me to get up and make a speech, do you?” Hilda’s fingers had been fumbling in the folds of her dress. Then her hand slipped down between her and Red. And then Red suddenly got up. He didn’t know he was up until he found he was standing on his number nine shoes in front of his chair. And it happened that just as he did get up, Al Green had at last found a suitable terminal facili- ties and had stopped. And a voice that sounded miles away came to Red. It said: “The chair rec- ognizes Brother Murphy.” ~ Red didn’t get it at first. Then he saw all eyes turned in his direction. It dawned on\him that the chair was Al Green and that Brother Murphy was himself, and that he was expected to say something. Well, Red had taken considerable punishment in the amateur boxing ring. He thought he could stand a bit more. So he squared his shoulders. “Boys,” he said, “we came here to form a union, and we don’t want to leave here till we've done it.” Then he took a hitch in his belt while he collected his thoughts, and he wondered why in hell his own voice sounded s6°finny“t6 ‘him. saslipecigsced sot “We are working nine hours a day, when in moat lines they work eight. But the only reason it’s nine and not ten is just because other unions have " been fighting for us. Now we want to get into the fight alongside other workers and fight our own battles. We want an eight-hour day, better wages, and decent conditions. z Monotony “By PAUL COMARTI They do not stop, these belts of steel; I feel them in my feet and in my hands, Through all the day they make my head.to reel. At night in sleep I ride their greasy bende. A stream of cars moves with this band. And now the chain becomes an endless snake. There is no rest in this live metal strand, And yet the sameness of my work it does not break. the dynamite business, and the munitions manufac- turers hired publicity men to prove that Nobel was a free lover, a socialist and an anarchist,” The audience was in an uproar of laughter and the Devil had a hell of a time trying to restore order. “This may seem funny,” the speaker continued, “put it is true. For the first few years the fears of the munition makers appeared to be well founded, The yearly swag was actually given to outstanding personalities who were opposed to war. But as time went on, the committee in charge of the fund began to develop a broader outlook. They came to the conclusion’ that the best way to avoid war is to be always ready to fight. And of ¢ourse this atti- tude presupposed preparedness and preparedness cannot be disassociated from munitions. “So the fund is now being used for the legitimate purpose of encouraging those who have been most successful, either in victory or defeat. No longer do long-haired, effeminate pacifists and hop-headed intellectuals receive favors from the Nobel foun- dation, The committee selects each year men who ean show the greatest number of scalps, not the groatest number of theses on international peace. And brothers—this is the ews you have been wait- ing for during my rambling speech—this year the de- cision of the committee is on such a plane of ju- dicial rectitude that not even the Communists can aay that the judges wero animated by an ulterior 5 + duredothe chair, already spending the money. By C. A. Moseley. “This isn’t just our own little fight. It’s part of a big battle. We are on strike. Now we must or- ganize; throw out picket lines, and perhaps establish some relief stations, if things get too tough. There's a lot tobe done.” A ripple of applause interrupted him. went out two more inches. round, that was. sure, “And we, want to interest the women, too. Ought to. have been more of them here tonight. Some of you men, F guess, were afraid tonight to go home and tell you women that. you had struck,, You were afraid of the rolling-pin.” His chest He had won the first Some. of.the men wiggled uneasily and a few wo. men. scowled, but there. are a» still heartier round: of hand-clapping, ‘ : . Perhaps, some! of:yousmen don’t know-how, impor- tant women areoin a: strike; Now. I suppose -you! _Were surprised when I. got up :to.talk,.But not a damned bit more: surprised.than I was: Pil tell you >the truth abouteit: ‘Theconly ‘reason wot up at ald was because my wife stuck a pin into my—into me.” The crowd roared with tmerriment-—but ‘Red knew, he had them going. Someone, he himself, was’ put~ ting a little more pep into things. “.. + ‘ “ “If any of yow-women here: know your husband. ig, lukewarm on this proposition, my advice te,you is to go home and jab: a hat-pin into ‘em. “Now, we got to fight for hours, wagés, cond tions. We got to fight for our homes, our wives, ang our kids. Of course, I ain’t got no kid yet—but here’s where I get back at the best little woman im. the world for that pin stick. Just before we came here she told me that she was expecting—” ' Again the crowd roared, while Hilda turned @ scarlet red and gave a tug at the tail of Red's Sweater coat. But it had been easier to prick Reé up than it was to pull him down. Red waited till the laughter had stopped. “I wag saying, when you rudely interrupted me, that my, wife said she was expecting the gas bill on the tenth of the month.” Then way back in the hall, Tony Martini jumped up. Tony had fought many a battle with Red, with the gloves, in Kid Riley’s gymnasium, and then had walked home with him in the most friendly fashion afterwards, a! nominate Red Murphy as president of this here union,” shouted Tony. ‘ “Nominations are not yet in order,” timidly vens But Robert’s Sit 6f*the window, After Red had snapped out the light that night ig the little apartment and had thrown himself on ta the bed with a force that had sent Hilda four inches into the air, they both lay awhile in silence. Then Hilda snuggled up to him. “Red,” she whispered, “I'm awful proud to think you are president of the union. And you ain’t sore at me for sticking that pin into you, are you?” “Hell, no!” he assured her. - “Best thing ever happened to me—next to what you told me before dinner. Only next time, use a steel needle. Not so much chance of blood poison.” : There was silence fer a while. Hilda snuggled @ bit closer. “Say, Rod,” she whispered, “you hava just got to win that strike now.” “Sure thing,” Red answered drowsily. will be proud of his dad.” Silence for a few moments. “But, Red, it might not be a boy,” she protested, as if announcing the discovery of an interesting biological fact, But the only response was asnore from the pres dent of the aew union. “Bo the boy When Hell Broke Loose motive.” ' >. The Devil and the whole audience became intense ‘ly animated as the speaker approached his climax. Who were the lucky ones? Woodrow Wilson was Napoleon wanted a new hat. He thought it was as good as on his head, Queen Elizabeth wanted another regiment of sok diers. A couple of thousand dollars would go a long way. * “Four men -were picked out from among the - world’s leading figures, for the years 1925 and 1926,” said the speaker. “For the year 1926 Stresemane of Germany and Briand of France were considered to have the highest death batting average. And for 1925 Austen Chamberlain and—Charles Dawes of the United States.” How it happened nobody will ever know. But when the senator's mangled body was placed’ in the morgue one of his ears was missing. A search of the audience did not produce the missing organ but Woodrow Wilson was seen rubbing his stomach as if troubled with something dinagrosahle. No body would admit who struck the Grst blow and the the Devil conducted the inquest it was obvious that his heart was uot in the thing, “I believe either Ananias or Munchausen siruck the first blow,” the Devil said, “but a Mar Uke he has no business in hell even if he is a United States senator,” f Rules of Orepo wv ateg eis 23s, not