davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-07-19
STATE NOTES
By Alfred Wagenknecht.

w e. Westerman of Local Olalla
writes that Geo. Boomer made it so hot
for local politicians at their July meet
ing that they left the audience.
Seattle Thirteenth Ward No is hold
ing street meetings in Ballard every
Saturday night. The first meeting at
tempted brought IS people,. The second
ZIG, after which attendance grew until
now fully 700 people attend.
The state office must know the name
and address of your corresponding Sec
rotary if your local is to receive official
mail from the state office,
The Seattle city committee and King
county committee will hold a monster
picnic in Wildwood park, near Seattle.
State candidates of our party will grace
the occasion as speakers.
Joseph Jervis is at work in Kitsap
county. John Wanhope is painting things
red in the Grays Harbor country. Anna
A. Maley is busy hitting the heather in
eastern Washington. These state organ
izers are the advance agents for our
state candidates who will be routed
right after the primaries.
Wilfred Gribble of British Columbia
will fill several dates in Tacoma.
The result of the vote for candidate
for congress in the second district re-
suited in the nomination of Leslie Aller.
The votes of the candidates were: Burns
46, Sutton 50, Patterson So, Aller 1888.
w. c. B. Randolph, Okanogan county
secretary, calls upon all members, sym
pathizers and locals in the county to as
sist in collecting sufficient money to file
the county ticket. Send all money to
him, addressing Omak, Wash
w. H. Stackhouse has been elected
county secretary of Lewis county. A
county convention was held June 20 and
3d. Plans were made for the employ
ment of a county organizer. The Jervis
meetings were a success and the speaker
made a fine impression, reports Stack
house.
On July Clark county socialists held
meeting in the new hall of Local Char
ter Oak f. s. Simon, route 3, box 3A,
was elected secretary of the campaign
committee. Everything is being made
READY for the county campaign.
Gus L. p. Smith of Local Newport
writes that the local is prospecting in
spite of the heavy expense of hall rent
/ for meeting purposes. Big preparations
are being made for Anna Maley
A. c. Barrett of Local Charter Oak
writes: let us know when "The Great
Wanhope" is coming to this neck Of the
woods. We are going 70 give Clark
county voters a chance 10 vote for I'm
desirables' this fall"
w. Horsfield OF Local Mendots is al
ready busy with the county commission
ers Of Lewis county 10 get socialist
clerks appointed Tor The polls Tor the
fall election
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-07-19

L. w. Williams of the Rex local
writes: 'We are starting out with six
teen members, all farmers. This part of
the country is settled by several old time
reds. Many of them were in the move
ment in 1886 and have belonged to the
Knights of Labor, Western Federation
of Miners and |. w. W."
The miners at Burnett and Wilkeson
are writing for socialist organizers.
Both Comrade Lassila and b. Z. Knowl-
ton say that the time is ripe to again
make an attempt at organization in
these corporation ridden places.
Local Delphi is advertising its picnic
far and wide. 1t will occur August lG
to Is. A monster turnout is expected.
The picnic at "The Naples" Harstine
island, was a success. The Mason county
socialists are up and doing. Leslie Aller,
candidate for congress from the second
district, was the speaker of the day and
July IA will be remembered as a great
day by all who attended.
Mrs. Mile Weaver, secretary of Local
Echo, writes that their celebration on
July 4 was followed by dance in the
evening. Five of the local women com
rades saw the good time to a successful
finish and the result was $3.50 clear
for the local. This local started with a
membership of Ia the first of June, and
the above shows what little activity
on the part of the women comrades will
accomplish.
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-07-19
ON EVOLUTION.

ordinary thinker will that matter ndesructble
The that it impossible to change something into
nothing nothing into something will opposition
existence of the material world
Those of who realize that the material things of life the
change combinations of matter realize also that
there is progressive tendency in these changes.
We call it evolution.
of based former changes In
this the upward progressive tendency the result of each change
carrying with it the former changesof the combinations being
added to the old
Human knowledge gained by first reasoning from effect to
aeward from established effect Cause must
be first established
looking backward into the history of former days trace
continually changing method of gaining living In following the
changes note progression the of handling industry There
backward and from the effect higher methods
the and call it evolution.
Looking forward proceed to from (evouton
to effect (stil higher methods in industry .
The socialist them states from absolute knowledge that the
capitalist production inevitably be succeeded by
higher, nobler order.
From logical conclusions he enabled to point forward to he
Cooperative Commonwealth
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-07-19

The discomfort of the workers in the
state of New Jersey has eliminated in
widespread strike movement after
years of exploitation and increasing mis-.
cry and at present the indications point
strongly to a revolt by the industrial
workers and in the near future the entire
state may be involved in a struggle for
better living conditions. The character
istic feature of the revolt is the spon-
taneous strike. In every part of New
Jersey today strikes are taking place.
It is comfortable for the capitalist press
and other agencies of deliberate ignor-
ance to assert that the strikers are made
by "outside agitators." The agitator is
blamed on all hands for conditions that
are the inevitable product of economic
conditions created and fostered during a
series of years.
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-07-19

European agitation in behalf of Ettor
and Giovannitti continues to grow. The
Trade Unionists of Berlin, Germany, are
among the latest European workingmen
to protest to President Taft and Gov
ernor Foss against the arrest and i'm
prisonment of the two labor leaders. A
lengthy letter addressed to President
Taft sets forth among other things that
the German workingmen outspokenly ex-
press the conviction that another legal
outrage like that committed against the
so-called anarchists in Chicago in 1887 is
now being attempted in Lawrence. The
German workers in their protest were
preceded by the Italian, French and Eng
fish.
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-07-19
HISTORIC SABOTAGE

attempting to speak In the public streets
in violation of city ordinance. Defended
his action and at once expelled from his
local.
+. BENJAMIN Doe, of Massachusetts, In
endcavoring to carry out the recommend
alton of the socialist platform relating
TO propaganda among soldiers deliberate
" attempted TO influence n boy against
Joining the militia. Arrested tried to
justify his action, convicted under the
law, and at once expelled from the so
cialist party. owe harbor no lawbreak-
ers," said the Massachusetts, socialist,
with one eye upon the Puritan conscience
and the other upon the November bal
lot box.
s. Frank Doe and others violated an
injunction by remaining peaceably on
strike. Arrested and convicted. Tried
to justify their action, and therefore ex-
PEELED from socialist party. claw is law
and crime is crime" sententiously OBJ
served a defender of section @.
0. Willie Doe, member of the
Young Peoples Socialist society, stole
a loaf of bread to keep from starving.
Arrested in the act, and tainted from
weakness while trying to justify him
self In harmony with the wisdom of
section 0, Willies little comrades ex-
PEELED him from their society for crime
and violence, it having also been shown
that before he tainted he had attempted
to resist arrest.
10. Thomas Doe and 10000 others
working in Lawrence mills for IS per
week decided to do only So worth of
work per week, and therefore "loafed on
the job about two-thirds of the time.
Discharged, not only from their jobs,
but also from the socialist party, under
section 0, for sabotage. at is the duty
of every man to render his best service
to his employer" said a prominent de-
fender of section O, whereupon a lot OF
Boy Scouts and their trainers felt quite
at home with the socialists.
IL. Michaelvitz Doe, in Russia, killed
a most excellent police official, who had
always done his entire duty, as a large
part of the Siberian population could
testify. Michaelvitz was Immediately
expelled from the socialist party for
crime and violence, and socialist detec-
tives were put upon his trail to hand
him over to justice.
In conclusion, the writer wishes to re-
mark that the socialist party never has
adocated crime, violence or sabotage as
party policies. If, however, it attempts
to dictate to party members what their
tactics shall be, outside of political ac-
tion, in the innumerable exigencies of
the class struggle, it will deliberately
SOW within itself the seeds of revolt.
Section 6 is simply another form of
the Stree love" trap in which Avery and
Goldstein once tried to catch the social
list party of Massachusetts. The Massa-
chusetts socialists were not caught. Let
us hope that the socialists of the nation
will be equally wise, and vote section 6
into oblivion.
Wellesley Hills, Mass.
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-07-19
THE so-cALLED PRoGREssIvEs.

the handling of industry the real
has been from the small to the large unit The true
progressve who stands ready larger
unit
The is the highest point in the evolution of industry
"Le the nation the trusts" is a simple
of demanding the the
change.
Trust busters not progressive
Trust regulation is progression.
ownership by the individual has served its day and trust
owners only mark time
Evolution and the next step is before
Lee the nation the trusts"
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-07-19
POSSIBILITIES OF SECTION 6.
By Alex L. wight in N. Y. Call.

ny Alex f. Wight in n. y. Call
Editor OF the Call.
Possibilities aud probabilities under
article ., section @, OF the proposed so.
cialist platform continue TO come to
hand-to wit, "a followsi
l. Jesus, prominent jewish member
of Local Jerusalem about A. d. 30, was
alleged TO have committed breach Of
the peace in forcibly cjeeting from the
temple, without warrant of law, mum.
Der Of leading business men, assaulting
their persons in so doing. 1t was also
alleged that, being hungry, he stole corn
from farmer, the offense being aggra.
waited by the fact that this crime was
committed on the Sabbath. Furthermore,
il was alleged that by miraculously pro-
curing large quantities of fish and bread
he at one time deprived many fisher.
mon and bakers of their just profits
manifestly n criminal offense. When
tried by Local Jerusalem under section
9, Jesus admitted and attempted to JUS
tify these acts, and was therefore ex-
PEELED from the socialist party for advo-
eating crime and violence. Sabotage
could not be proved against him, al
though there were rumors that as car
penter he had been more given to dream
ing dreams than planning boards, and that
he lost his job in consequence. The
members Of Local Jerusalem considered
themselves we'll rid of this irresponsible
malcontent, and thereafter adopted "Safe
and Sane Socialism" as their slogan.
2. In ante-bellum days one John
Brown, of Harpers Ferry, was unani-
mously expelled from his local for the
advocacy and commission of violence.
The guilt of the accused was so clear
that there were no arguments.
8. Some years later the illegal act of
one Abraham Lincoln in signing the
emancipation proclamation, which act,
without process of law, deprived thou
sands of American citizens of property
which was legally and morally theirs las
lawyers and clergy enthusiastically tes-
tified), resulted in said Lincolns ex-
pulsion from the socialist party because
of crime against property. Socialists
stand for law and ORDER" explained the
secretary of Lincoln's local in an inter
view for the capitalistic press.
4. Emmeline Pankhurst and $4,000
suffragettes were elected from their
various locals in 1912 under Section for
advocating crimes and violence. ''We re-
spect the rights of private property"
said a prominent British socialist in ex-
planning this wholesale expulsion of
women. 'How about the rights of hui
man beings?" asked capitalist reporter.
But the prominent British socialist sud-
denly became too busy to talk.
5. John Doe, in 1912, was arrested for
violating the law by peaceful picketing
during a strike. Defended his action.
Expelled by his local under section for
crime.
6. Richard Doe, in 1912, arrested for
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-07-19

Recent reports regarding The seamea's
to man the ships, Uncle Sans blue
jackets included, are incompetent. Ships
which usually make Is knots, manned
by scabs, now make less than 7 knots.
To us it seems that the bluejackets have
a grievance, and not having any other
alternative, they are striking con the
job" They are practicing Sabotage
thus helping the striking seamen.
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-07-19

Merle Dewitt Britton, Harvard fresh
man and a strikebreaker in the Boston
carmen strike was killed recently while
performing his duty as a scab conductor.
The young mans death was caused by
a mistake of Arthur Wilson, fellow
student and chum, who was working as
a motorman on the same car, and who
ran the car backward instead of forward
as he had been signaled. Should not
President Eliot be held responsible for
the death Of this young man on the same
ground the authorities of Lawrence are
holding Ettor and Giovannitii
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-07-19

The socialist position the private ownership of land not under
The following letter will show the extent to which mental
the thought atmosphere of the halfbaked The
writer has been local with plenty of opportunity TO
fooishness of his position The letter is as follows
Hartline, Wash. July u, 1912.
Frend- did not know there such principle your
stand for There be absolute private title to
land know how the coored people freed and how coned
worthless the socialists
nuly titles worked hard to get little
property scratch off list from this local
Haferkorn the open where nations
saved political One do
than the ownership of Landau
argument taking place during the municipal campaign
''You talk socialism me, Jake I've got little farm
worked like HI for from II to IA hours day for
III be id if III let political party take
it from me-
Jakes a masterpiece
Now friend don't excited before something hurts
your little farm 1t isn't worth srappng about But
suppose the farm around should get wise all at
and throw their little bean patches together You know they
pillow of ground with pow minutes and
fourteen seconds Suppose should keep little hen dairy
and keep working IA hours day AS paused to wipe the
saline from ivory topece would neigh
bos sitting under unshdes and running improved machines
few hours day. and going to the ball in the afternoon
Suppose you should them getting of life few hours
your prehistoric hogwaow yell
the fence Go it, boys Stick ID little pud patch in with
the let the I'm done with the punk
duction of the dark ages
No. dear friend from Harne wants little ranch
until are dead willing advice if it ism
100 much trouble, and to think little.
Better keep the dues
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-07-19

Commissioner of Labor Charles O'Neil
has delivered his report on the Lawrence
strike to congress. The joint committee
on printing is debating whether it shall
order the report printed. 1t will cost a
small fortune to print it. The democrats
believe that it will afford some excellent
tariff material. The report will also af-
ford much material for socialist propa-
ganda.
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-07-19

81 hold that if there is any one thing
that can be proved to be the will Of
heaven by external nature around us,
without reference to revelation, it is the
proposition that whatever any one man
earns with his hands and by the sweat
of his brow, he shall enjoy in peace. l
say that, whereas, God Almighty has
given every man one mouth to be fed,
and one pair of hands, adapted to fur
nish food for that mouth, if anything
can be proved to be the will of heaven,
it is proved by the fact that that mouth
is to be fed by those hands, without be-
ing interfered with by any other man,
who has also his mouth to feed and his
hands to labor with.
81 hold, if the Almighty had ever made
a set of men that should do all the eat
ing and none of the work, He would
have made them with mouths only and
no hands; and if He had ever made an
other class that He intended should do
would have made them without mouths
and with all hands. But inasmuch as
He has not chosen to make men in that
way, if anything is proved, it is that
those hands and mouths are to be CO.
operative through life and not be inter
fered with."-From Abraham Lincoln's
speech at Cincinnati, Ohio, Sept. II, 1859.
Today in the year of our Lord 1912
thousands of men and women preach
this same doctrine. Like Lincoln they
do not hesitate to put it on bread and
butter basis. For that they are des-
pissed, slugged and browbeaten and i'm
prisoned by the very men calling them
selves admirers ~ and followers ~ of
Lincoln. They are the undesirable citi-
zens today just as Lincoln was then.
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-07-19

In nearly all strikes there have been
an abundance Of more or less serious in
juries inflicted to innocent third parties
due to similar causes. The blame for
such fatalities or injuries consequent upon
the strike can be legitimately saddled
upon the employers, who would rather
eriminally employ notorious incompe-
tents than eoneede the demands Of their
exploited slaves.
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-07-19

On April 8 last 1913 negro convicts
working in the Banner mine, operated
at the time by the Pratt Consolidated
Coal company, were instantly killed by
an explosion. Seventy-two of the con-
victs were from jefferson county, Ala,
and 81 out of the y, or 80 per cent,
were convicted of offenses so minor that
their sentences did not exceed 20 days.
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-07-19

Uncle Sam is determined TO break the
seamen's strike. Again a number of
bluejackets from the battleship North
Dakota were sent to take the places of
the striking firemen, oilers and sailors
on the s. S. Panama, which sailed from
New York to Colon. 1t is reported that
more bluejackets are being kept in readi-
ness for this same purpose.
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-07-19

"The more unbearable the present eN-
listing system, the more evidently it is
discredited, and the more unable the rul-
ing parties show themselves 70 remedy
our disgraceful social ala.
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-07-19

We do not declare any man good or
bad, worthy or unworthy, humane or in
humane, for all these terms are merely
retroactive-it depends on whether we
are looking at the man from the CAPT
talistic point of view or from the OPP
posite.
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-07-19

"The modern form of family is in no
way opposed TO the socialist system of
production, the institution of the social
list order, therefore does not demand the
abolishing Of the family"
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-07-19

Arc You a thinker1 Help US plan
wisely so that no moment may be lost
to restore childhood to its JOY, mother
hood to its glory, manhood and woman
hood TO power of growth and freedom
Margaret Druer Robins.
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-07-19

A boy in Amiston, Ala, trespassed
upon the railroad track. He was ar
rested, sentenced to sixty days hard
labor, and leased out to coal operator.
He was totally inexperienced in coal min
ing unused to it's dangers, and was at
work only few days when he met with
an accident which resulted in the ampu-
tation of one of his legs. He will hobble
around the rest of his life on one leg-a
cripple for life for trespassing, thing
that thousands of people do from year
to year unmolested!
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-07-19

We are fighting system known as
Capitalism. We are not even fighting
capitalists as individuals, but only as rep
resentatives of capitalism. Our idea of
right or wrong, of honor or dishonor, is
exactly the opposite to the capitalists
idea of these qualities in men and their
actions, to-wit, in the newboys' strike in
Chicago the scab is hero and the strik-
ing newsboy is a scoundrel from the cap
italist's point of view. From the work
er's point of view, the position is ex-
actly reversed.
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-07-19

James Ghould, strikebreaker in the
Chicago newspaper lockout, sworn in as
special officer at the request of the
Examiner, shot and fatally wounded
John Moran, a former union newsboy.
He is the fifth union martyr in this
strike.
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-07-19

In 1910 the deaths due to the $50
called" fatalities in American coal mines
totaled 1884 and in 1911 2,517.
The United States kills annually more
coal miners than all the rest of the world
combined.
It is question whether these fatalities
which can be so readily forseen and so
easily prevented ought to be called ao-
cidents. Some day we will come to re-
gard them as little better than murders.
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-07-19

Twenty-one workers who were sum-
marily sentenced to one year each in the
penitentiary as the elimination of an in
cident in the recent laborers' strike which
originated in Essex county on about
May l and spread almost over the en-
tire state of New Jersey with lightning
rapidity, have been liberated on the
ground that their commitment by Re
corder Winner of Kearney, N. J., was
illegal.
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-07-19

As the candidate of the new progress
sive party for the presidency, Col. Roose-
welt intends to make an appeal largely
to the farmer and the wage worker, on
the ground that neither the democratic
nor the republican party is attempting
seriously to deal with the fundamental,
economic and social conditions which
confront the country. Particular atten-
ton will be paid to the high cost of
living. These are the bare outlines of
the colonels campaign plan as sketched
by him. He evidently is striving to enter
the class of undesirable citizens"
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-07-19

The California Fruit Growers associa-
tion in its cannery at Santa Rosa keeps
about 70 children penned up in a 40-foot
enclosure, looked after by one italian
woman, while their mothers slave in the
cannery from 10 to II hours.
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-07-19

The Kalamazoo Corset Makers strike,
which was settled two weeks ago, has
broken out again. Four hundred girls
walked out when it became clear to
them that the company intended to vio-
late every term of the agreement made.
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-07-19

The Rev. Paul Harris Drake, pastor of
the Unitarian church at Saco, Me-, has
preached too much socialism during the
last two months. When he refused to
change, they terminated his relations
with the church.
The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-07-19

More so than ever before it is evident
that the function of the capitalist press
is not to print the news so much as to
form a censorship over the news, and
print that which serves class interests.