On May 21, 1905 A.D., when war threatened between Austria and Italy, the socialists of Italy, Austria, and Hungary held a conference at Trieste, and threatened a general strike of the workingmen of both countries in case war was declared.
In both countries the socialists came out in bold declaration against the war and threatened the general strike. And in the meantime they made preparation for the general strike.
The general strike was the one great victory we American socialists won.
Beaten decisively on its own chosen field, it had abandoned that field and come over to the political field of the socialists; for the general strike was a political strike.
Then, also, the idea of the general strike caught the mood of the people.
The war should be called off, or the general strike would continue.
A general strike, it said, had been called all over the United States; and most foreboding anxieties were expressed concerning the provisioning of the great cities.
For a generation the general strike had been the dream of organized labour, which dream had arisen originally in the mind of Debs, one of the great labour leaders of thirty years before.
It's just what it claims to be, a general strike, and it's your turn to play, gentlemen."
Labour is doing nothing wrong in going out on this general strike. It is violating no law of God nor man.
You follows destroyed it, and by so doing undid yourselves; for right on top of it began the organization of the I.L.W.--the biggest and solidest organization of labour the United States has ever seen, and you are responsible for its existence and for the present general strike. You smashed all the old federations and drove labour into the I.L.W., and the I.L.W.
"It's a great stroke, this general strike," he said, as we bowled along through the crowded but orderly streets.