The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-07-19
.tBy O. F. Branstetter.)

The gigantic plans of the National So
cialist campaign committee are under
way. The general plans, broad and com
prehensive in outline, have been greatly
strengthened by the painstaking man
ner in which the minutest details are be-
ing worked out, insuring their success
full operation and promising a fulfill
ment of the big hopes and expectations
of the committee and the membership.
The general plans were outlined by
the National executive committee, the
National campaign committee and the
presidential candidates IN a joint meet
ing of the candidates and the campaign
committee on the following day.
1t was at this meeting that Comrade
Debs, fired with enthusiasm over the
wonderful sentiment and the great OPP
portunities before us in this campaign,
said: 'SWe need a campaign fund OF five
hundred thousand dollars and with such
fund we can paint this nation red all
over"
The committee agreed with him and
set itself the task of raising half a mil
lion dollars to finance the greatest cam
paign ever undertaken by the socialist
party.
1t is a big undertaking, but it can be
done. The party raised nearly a hun
dred thousand dollars in 1908 with only
one-fifth of our present membership and
without the spur and enthusiasm of that
great opportunity now before US. We
can certainly do as well this year in
proportion to our membership as we
did in 1905.
All that is required is for every mem
Der, new and old, to raise as much as
the average member raised in 1908
and the thing is done. 1t can be done
and will be done.
As an illustration of the manner in
which the committee plans to do big
things in big way, it is proposed to
raise the bulk of this amount in a single
day. The details as worked out by
Comrade Barnes provides for a ONE
DAY WAGE FUND to be collected July
10th.
Every member of the party has been
made a member of the National social
ist finance committee whose duty it Is
to finance this campaign. An official
collectors card has been prepared for
the use of the members in soliciting
contributions to the One Day Wage
Fund. Everyone of the 5000 local sec
retaries has been sent one of these cards
for each member of his local.
On the face of the card appears an eX-
eellent likeness of Comrades Debs and
Seidel. with the name of the collector
and his authority to solicit funds for
the organization. Around the edge OF
the card. as on a meal ticket, are fig
ures; 10, 25, and $l.00, which are to
be punched out with a pin or nail by
each contributor, to an amount equal
to his contribution
Each card has figures representing a.
total of ten dollars which is not so large
hut that the vast majority of the com
rades can, by energetic hustling, secure
contributions sufficient to punch out
every figure in the margin.
The name of the fund, the One Day
Wage Fund, indicates the intention to-
secure contributions from each and
every socialist in the country equal to
his wages for one day. This is consid-
cred the most fair and democratic ap-
portionment as each member thereby
contributes the same proportionate
amount of his income.
While the one day wages IS to be
made the special feature, contributions
of any amount from 10 cents up will be
accepted and every collector is expected
to keep hustling among his friends, his
neighbors and his shop mates until his
card is full. Every likely and unlikely
contributor will be approached for con-
tributions large or small, and every pos
sible effort will be made by hundred
and fifty thousand comrades, acting in
unison from coast to coast, to raise the
bulk of this money in a single day.
Thirty per cent of the money thus
raised will be retained by the local, 70
per cent will be sent to the state organ
zation and so per cent goes to the Nat
ional campaign fund.
With its proportion the National
eampaion committee proposes to PRINT
twenty-five million sixteen-page pamph-
lets. to be delivered free to every voter
in the Nation. Still more millions OF
leaflets and pamphlets will probably be
printed later as it is the intention OF
the committee to make this pre-eminent-
Iy literature campaign, and to furnish
the party workers in each and every
state with all the free literature when
they can use to advantage.
Next in Importance to the free litera-
ture is the plan of concentration IN raw
orable congressional districts There
are fifteen or twenty districts in which
the socialists have a fighting chance to
win, and with the special attention and
assistance which the committee plans to.
give such districts we should be able to-
carry at least ten or twelve Of them.
The special assistance rendered favor
able congressional districts does not
mean that any portion Of the country
is to be neglected On the contrary the
plan is for a nationwide campaign, a
national campaign in every meaning OF
the word.
Both of our presidential candidates
will speak one or more times IN every
state in the Union with only a few eN-
oeptions, and one OF the other OF them
will be sent into every state.
rh. National nffina thronnh itA reg1ls