(From "War in Paterson," by John Reed. He, an activist-journalist, records his experience of imprisonment during the 1913 silk workers' strike in Paterson, and the words of his 'cellmates', i.e., immigrant strikers.)
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... One thing I noticed was the utter and reasonable irreligion of the strikers--the Italians, the Frenchman--the strong Catholic races, in short--and the Jews, too.
"Priests, it is a profesh'. De priest, he gotta work same as any workin' man. If we ain't gotta no damn Church we been strikin' t'ree hund'd years ago. Priest, he iss all a time keeping working-man down!"
And then, with laughter, they told me how the combined clergy of the city of Paterson had attempted from their pulpits to persuade them back to work--back to wage-slavery and the tender mercies of the mill-owners on grounds of religion! They told me of that disgraceful and ridiculous conference between the Clergy and the Strike Committee, with the Clergy in the part of Judas. It was hard to believe that until I saw in the paper the sermon delivered the previous day at the Presbyterian Church by the Reverend William A. Littell. He had the impudence to flay the strike leaders and advise workmen to be respectful and obedient to their employers...
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"If we ain't gotta no damn Church we been strikin' t'ree hund'd years ago." T'ree Hund'd Years! That really made my day, I'm telling you.
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