The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1910-02-18
KAUFMAN
in WRONG
States Spokane Man Who
Takes Issue With Major
ity Rule League Idea.

| DiScuSbtoH VI lHe leSOlullOn lHJID-
duced by the writer at the recent ses-
sion of the State Federation of Labor
is warming up, as the time for the TAX
ing of the vote on the proposition to
form Labor Party approaches. Such
vote will, in all probability, be taken
within the next two weeks.
Among others who have evinced an
interest in the probable outcome of the
vote is Fraternal Delegate w. H. Kauf-
man of the State Grange. In a circular
letter to the labor press he proceeds
to discuss the merits of the proposed
move, and incidentally takes advantage
of the opportunity afforded to knock
+ the formation of such party by the
labor unions.
While at the convention / met Mr..
Kaufman and found him man pos
sessed of sincerity of purpose and a
considerable fund of information. In
common with many others, though, he
has formed the habit of looking 50 long
and so intently on some particular OBJ
| ject as to impair normally clear WIS.,
ion.
The particular thing which, in Mr..
Kaufman's eyes, rs the one great evil
is the existence of political parties of
any sort-and proposes to dispense with
them through the operations Of the Ma
jority Rule League, which he is at pres.
ent promoting.
The writer has no fault to find with
the. proposition advanced by Mr.. Kauf-
man in so far as the majority rule"
end of it is concerned, but when he
tacks onto that the proposition that we
Join the political parties that have so
successfully trimmed" us in the past,
and through those parties work out
our salvation-well, I confess that is
asking trifle more than my spirit of
humility will stand for.
/ Mr.. Kaufman says: 'Let's get rid of
the old parties" and suggests that the
way to do the "getting rid of is to
join them. This, to my mind, is para
doxical / have never yet known of an
organization ceasing to exist because
great number of intelligent people
sought membership in it. Again, l
must insist, until something more con-
elusive in the shape of argument is
offered than the mere statement, that
the fault in our present unfortunate con-
dition, politically, does not lie in the
fact that there are parties, but rather
in the control of those parties by the
''interests" predatory, to use com
mon expression. That control is pos
sible only so long as the workers are
divided as they are now, in two or three
different parties. At the risk of restat-
ing a truism; | must say that division
of labor alone is responsible for the
present condition in the old parties.
How can the men interested in clean
government and a Square dear' be
brought together? Speaking from my
experience so far and rather close OBJ
servation as to the spirit that animates
most members of trades unions, feel
that the only reason now for such di-
vision is the lack of tpme political
home that they can truly call their own,
and one to which they can give the
honor due an organization having more
to do for their veal or woe than any
other. thing. If such an organization
were to be formed by duly elected rep
resentatives of labor, not self-appointed
leaders" l am of the opinion that the
party would receive support that
would astonish even the most sanguine
and would eventually lead to success.
| Mr.. Kaufman talks of forming a
league, not a party. To differentiate
as to whether we shall call it league
or party is to waste time over friv-
olous matters. So far as I am con-
cerned, the convention may designate
the organization league or party-it
matters not; the one thing that does
matter is to have an organization con-
trolled in every detail by men who la
Dor. OF course, when say men who
labor l conclude that large class, some
times called "Wheat Kings" but prop
erly designated as farmers. well re-
member the statement of Mr.. Kauf-
man that the farmer has the eight hour
daylight before dinner and eight after;
so feel safe in including that class in
the list of those who labor
OF course, at this time, it is rather
premature to prognosticate as to the
platform that might be adopted by such
party or league, but it seems TO me
that in the most natural way in the
world Mr. Kaufmas's plan of majority
rule could be made most important
plank in the platform
Then we have the possibility of not
being able to elect Brother Case to con-
gress or re-elcting Brother Compbell to
the state legislature. AT this distance
from the field of these worthless ac-
tivities, | cannot, of course, venture an
opinion as to their chances of success,
even were Mr.. Kaufman's plan carried
to conclusion. Broadly speaking,
|