Montana news., 1909-10-21
SOCIALIST STAGNATION, SPIES
AND DISRUPTERS.

Peyton Boswell. the editor and pub
Usher of the Progressive Journal OF
Education" published at $50 WASH
ington s., Chicago. has recently COM
menced the publication OF the Mod
ern Magazine" II is issued from the
same point and its object was to furn-
ish a medium for the publication of
short stories and the more entertain
ing phases relating to socialism out
side Of dry economics and party mat
ters
Owing, however, to a suggestive sit
uation existing within the party at
present the editor has so modified his
plans that for the next four months
the magazine wi; be given almost
wholly to matters dealing strictly with
Socialist Party affairs. The state
ment is made that this is done because
the party is admittedly at a crisis in
its affairs. and the Modern Maga-
zine" states that the situation is such
that no other publication is available
for a frank and searching discussion
Of What is the Natter"
In the October number A. M. ST.
mons. edior-in-chief Of the Chicago
Daily Socialist. has an article on the
subject that forms the heading to this
article.
The Montana News was the first
socialist publication in the country
TO point out the presence of spies and
deliberate disrupters in the Socialist
Party ranks. 1t did this because Of
Its inmate knowledge OF these vermin
in the western socialist organizations
and the western labor movement. A
good part of this knowledge was gain
ed while reporting the Western Fed
Grafton trials; other parts Of 1t in the
course of propaganda tours, and Q
large part from association with ths
Montana Labor movement. and th'
criminal methods of the Amalgamatet
Co.. the oreat copper interests by
wkbel; Standard Oil dominates Mon
tana ard corrupts every poliica
measure. prostitutes the labor leader
that get to the front. and saps tn
vitality from every effort made by tn
exploited workers to gain soiidarit.
o. lahnr
We know Of the spies in the part.
at Bingham Canyon. and Eureka
Utah. and at Butte. and at othe
points where these disrupters hav
emasculated and dissipated the uniol
and socialist movement. As Simon
says, our first statements were re
ceived with incredulity. not to say hill
ariy: but even the keenest leader
are beginning to see a great lgh
and recognizing that q powerful disin
tegrating force is at work.
The New York CALI In very re
cent editorial discountenances tn
idea that deliberate disrupters are Q
work, and says that whst the part
needs to overcome is better educatio
Of the members. The Cali is rigf
as to the needs Of thorough economl
education In order to build an
strengthen an intelligent organizatio
Of the working class by which the
can successfully scope with their cal
italist antagonists. masters and oI
pressors. II we had a thoroughly c,
ucated and informed working cla
there is no doubt but what the capita
lists would be powerless TO make hea,
way against their enormous propo
tion OF numbers. But II is while th
long and tedious process OF educati,
is going on. while the working ella
are unposted as to what they ought
do, that these hellish processes OF dI
integration are carried on. The CO
sequence is that the organization ne
er becomes strong enough. or attrac
to It sufficiently intelligent persoI
20 gain experience In political metho
and warfare, the court OF final reso
We are publishing this week I
FIRST Of a sries OF articles by James
Graham. dIaling with socialist pal
corruption. These articles have be
In process OF preparation for sol
time. For over twenty years Co
rade Graham has been associated W
he labor movement in Montana as G
OF the Livingston machinists. He v
activ In the populist movement. ms
the first effort to organize the soci
ist Labor Party In Montana. bolted