The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1909-02-18
LET US UNITE
w. H. KAUFMAN
Bellingham, w ash.

II
ton is today.
Party lines are SO forgotten that null
titudcs of voters care nothing at all
as to what party ticket they vote.
Everywhere little reform clubs are
being organized. In Spokane county it
is Township Club; In Bellingham it
is a Direct Legislation Club in What
com county the farmers are demanding
local self government, each school dis.
trict claiming the right to control its
Sept. issues of the Pacific Grange Bull
etn | urged farmers to call for a vote
on township organization. Nearly half
the counties of the state took action,
and wherever submitted, with scarcely
any agitation or education the vote was
two to one and ten TO one in favor of
township organization, although every
where the political machines violently
opposed it. In Whitman county the
commissioners refused to obey the law
SO Il patron writes me. In my own
precinct the vote was six to one in favor
of township organization. In Spokane
county the vote was 10000 for town
ship organization out of possible
10000; practically no opposition for
there were only 1000 who failed to vote
for the measure. Thos, Maloney, one OF
the wagcworkers' leaders of the city
did effective work for the measure
"iust because the farmers wanted it,
a notable Instance of the fraternity that
is developing between the farmers and
Nagcworkers
Even the cities. usually the slowcst
to take up reform work, are becoming
active. More than half of the leading
business men of Tacoma are identified
with some reform organization 1t did
me good to hear such men as John r.
Bibb, president Tacoma Grain Co.;
Mcssrs. Rhodes of Rhodes Bros, Stone
of Stone Fisher Co., Senator Metcalf,
Marshall X. Smell, Nelson Bennett and
scores of other leading Tacoma busi
ness men arguing for public ownership
of public utilities all on the same side
Just like the Knights of Labor and the
Alliance, back in the sos.
During the ten years l have been in
the state the direct primary is the one
reform law of any great Importance
The legislature of 1907 killed direct leg
islation; killed a full weight bill; killed
Il bill prohibiting saloons near our aeri-
cultural college; killed woman's eight
hour law.
Will the legislature of 1909 do any
better? Our road laws are vastly
worse than ten years ago; the shore
lands of Lake Washington steal; the
A.-Y.-P, steal the annual graft of
So, 900, 100000 which goes to spectators,
and all the little steals go merrily on in
the face of an awakening public life
Our Only Hope Lies in Union.
With little group of socialists; a
olittle group of reform democrats group
of reform republicans, a small group of
women workers; a few township clubs in
one county and some good roads clubs
in another; with the Grange trying for
some reforms and wageworkers trying
for other reforms: with the reform
forses thus divided, special privilege will
again triumph
Let us unite. Let us keep every I'M
popular issue of the platform. We can
still advocate our hobbies; but let us
not burden our candidates with single
unpopular measure. Let us at once
draw up our Majority Rule Platform
When we have selected ten or more
planks, every one of which is in itself
n winner we can certainly elect candi-
dates who endorse them all! Let us
not give up our beliefs-but let us for
once see how il will feel to have the
people put into effect dozen of the
most popular measures
Agitation is all very well-but let us
accomplish something in l9l0!
Merely TO start the movement I sug-
gest the following measures. Let
every grange, trade union local, reform
club. woman's league and indeed every
reformer in the state consider these
planks cut out those that will minded
success; add others that are hetter;
compare views; amend into shape and
then let us start the campaign like a
whirlwind, and keep it up till the 1910
primaries.
A Victorious Platform.
|. Exempt improvements from taxa
ton tWill save farmers 20 cents to
$3.50 per acre; win make such de-
/ ....l -, Ii 4ba e4o3n hoe ,at-or