The life of a strike depends upon constant activities. In Paterson, as in
all IWW strikes, there were mass picketing, daily mass meetings,
children�s meetings, the sending of many children to New York and New
Jersey cities, and the unique Sunday gatherings. These were held in the
afternoon in the little town of Haledon, just over the city line from
Paterson. The mayor was a Socialist who welcomed us. A striker�s family
lived there in a two-story house. There was a balcony on the second floor,
facing the street, opposite a large green field. It was a natural platform
and amphitheatre. Sunday after Sunday, as the days became pleasanter, we
spoke there to enormous crowds of thousands of people�the strikers and
their families, workers from other Paterson industries, people from nearby
New Jersey cities, delegations from New York of trade unionists, students
and others. Visitors came from all over America and from foreign
countries. People who saw these Haledon meetings never forgot them....
A touching episode occurred
in one of our children�s meetings. I was speaking in simple language about
the conditions of silk workers�why their parents had to strike. I spoke of
how little they were paid for weaving the beautiful silk, like the
Lawrence workers who made the fine warm woolen cloth. Yet the textile
workers do not wear either woolen or silk, while the rich people wear
both. I asked: "Do you wear silk?" They answered in a lively chorus. "No!"
I asked: Does your mother wear silk?" Again there was a loud "No!" But a
child�s voice interrupted, making a statement. This is what he said: "My
mother has a silk dress. My father spoiled the cloth and had to bring it
home." The silk worker had to pay for the piece he spoiled and only then
did his wife get a silk dress!
We had a woman�s meeting,
too, in Paterson at which Haywood, Tresca and I spoke. When I told this
story to the women clad in shoddy cotton dresses, there were murmurs of
approval which confirmed that the child was right�all the silk they ever
saw outside the mill was spoiled goods. Tresca made some remarks about
shorter hours, people being less tired, more time to spend together and
jokingly he said: "More babies." The women did not look amused. When
Haywood interrupted and said: "No Carlo, we believe in birth control�a few
babies, well cared for!" they burst into laughter and applause. They
gladly agreed to sending the children to other cities and, chastened by
the Lawrence experience, the police did not interfere this time.