where the women are disfranchised 100 per cent., and where the boys
and girls under age, of course, are not enfranchised. Still they
will speak to these people about the power of the ballot, and they
never mention a thing about the power of the general strike. They
seem to lack the foresight, the penetration to interpret political
power. They seem to lack the understanding that the broadest
interpretation of political power comes through the industrial
organization; that the industrial organization is capable not only
of the general strike, but prevents the capitalists from
disfranchising the worker; it gives the vote to women, it
re-enfranchises the black man and places the ballot in the hands of
every boy and girl employed in a shop, makes them eligible to take
part in the general strike, makes them eligible to legislate for
themselves where they are most interested in changing conditions,
namely, in the place where they work."

Again we read, on page 122 of "The New Unionism":

"The politicians in the Socialist Party, who want offices in the
government, fight the I. W. W. because we have no place in our
ranks for them, and if our idea prevails, it will crowd them out
and destroy their influence as 'saviors of the working class.'
These politicians cater for votes to the middle class--to business
men, farm owners and other small labor skinners--while the I. W. W.
appeals only to wage-workers, and allows none but actual
wage-workers to join our ranks. The Socialists can never get a
majority of votes for a working class programme (if they had such a
programme) because the majority of voters are middle class, since
about ten million male wage-workers are disfranchised (being
foreigners or floaters without long enough residence in one place
to have votes). But the wage-workers are a big majority of the
whole people, and produce nearly all wealth, so when they organize
as the I. W. W. proposes, the working class will control the
country, and with similar organizations in other countries will
control the world. Foreigners, women, children and other non-voters
at elections, have equal rights in the union, and take part in its
activities, regardless of nationality, age, sex, or any other
consideration except that they are wage-workers with common