Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1911-11-24

- 80 -Ff'l III lfCA- y, lSil.
So ialists an. tire Commission Plan
Saturday, evening, 81 Labor Tenn
lie. there was . printed discussion
ar7rg ...t Socialists IS 10 the att
tu4c @; .uc r4r:y ~ the local govern
la,ut ot Olympia ~ q Commission,
- the proposition that viii be pre-
scented +. the voters on December
oh.
{. Y. BooLe offered two typowrit-
ten rs>e'u.io,,, both bcius To the
,I.c' tdat ;le proposed plan is a !
ra,re reform measure ininicai to the |,
Interests Of the working class. con /,
t.1ry 70 the STATE con5titl.lon of
The party; that any member favor
inr it by signing 4 petition, or 9th
erH ise, for the FIRST offense bis MEM |
hersnip in the party shall be sus-
pended f1r The period of six months,
aad Tor the second violation an eX-
pulsion will follow.
Byron Nillett. who admitted he
had signed petition to submit the
proposition, remarked he failed to
see why the mere signing OF this pc
tition was a violation of the party
pledge that prohibited q member
from ailying himself with any other
political party; that if member is
prohibited from signing any petition
proposed by an individual of another
political faith. he would be guilty of
an infraction if he sigued petition
presented by Republican or Demo-
crat addressed to the City Council
for the abatement of a nuisance; that
the speakers reasons for favoring
the new plan were because the law
in that behalf recognized the initia-
tive. referendum and recall PROPOSE
tions approved by the Socialist
party over thirty years ago, he could
not understand why Socialists should
now oppose such measures even
when crystalized into law through
the efforts of representatives of the
commercial class.
Comrades Goodpasture, William
sou, Mosher, Anderson, Allard, Syl-
vester and others took part in the
controversy.
The resolutions were passed by a
large vote to take effect at the time
of passage, whereupon a member
said in rather a loud tone. the posi-
ton of the organization would war
rant the expulsion of Congressman
Victor L. Berger by the Milwaukee
comrades, because he had supported
by his vote Taft's reciprocity meas
ure with Canada.
An observer who was much inter-
ested in the proceedings said all the
members agreed the Commission
plan is a good one, but the majority
were afraid it might hurt the party.
AS strangely as it may seem in
this mental strife, there was no bit.
terness of feeling manifested not
outstanding there were some acri-
monious thrusts.
An invitation was extended to
Mrs. Irene Smith to come to Olym-
pia and deliver an address for the
benefit OF women voters prior to the
close of the campaign.
The STANDARD desires to state in
conclusion few words in connection
with the terms revolution" and
reformf' so often used by Social
lists. At nearly every gathering Of
the faithful, speakers assert with
more or less emphasis. the Socialists
have constituted themselves into a
revolutionary and is not reform
party; have nothing in common with
political and social reforms and then
90 ahead and promulgate them, such
a. favoring a restricted district. the
employment of union labor in Olym-
pia. and similar announcements.
Now if the Socialist party is not a
reform party why does it concern
itself about reforms in any mannerl
1t shows itself to be q reform party
when it asserts in in its platform
these immediate demands, then calls
itself q revolutionary party. 1t is
ON uncongruous mixture to place it.
self partly revolutionary and partly
reformatory in its attitude; should
be either one or the other. and when
combined with two discordant ele-
ments adopt one and ignore the
other.