The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1913-10-23
SOME OF THE REASONS WHY
THE SOCIALIST PARTY
DOES NOT EXERT THE IN
FLUENCE 1T SHOULD.
BY John McSlarrow.


Just at present there is considerable
discussion going on as to why the So
cialist party has lost membership dur
ing the last year.
It is my humble opinion that the
main reason is because a great many
real Socialists have lost faith in the
Socialist party.
They are more or less disguised
with the way the Socialist party con-
ducts its business meetings, and the
result that is often arrived at, as a
consequence of those meetings.
As an illustration of what | wish to
emphasize | will relate the following
! incidents.
In local, which shall be nameless
at this time, there were a few mem
bers who were also members of
(so-called) industrial labor union.
These members apparently were de-
termined to use the Socialist party
(and its representatives. for the pur-
pose of furthering the interests of this
labor union.
Naturally, those who were not per
sonally interested in this union, and
who had the interests of the Socialist
party at heart, were not disposed to
allow such procedure.
Becoming desperate, the leader of
! this union faction had the correspond
ling secretary of the local arrested on
trumped-up charge of larceny. "a
charge which was so flimsy that the
capitalist judge simply laughed and
turned the defendant loose)
OF course this alleged UNION
LEADER was promptly suspended for
one year, as provided for. in our state
constitution.
However, he had some friends left
in the local, and these friends got
busy They went out among the by
ways and hedges, among the saloons,
and into the red light district, and
rounded up a number of applicants for
membership lin number just twice the
size of the original local membership
and brazenly offered these applica-
lions for consideration by the local.
A majority of those present (being,
no doubt, obsessed with the idea that
you have first got to get man into
the local and then educate him) voted
to accept these applicants.
No sooner had these new members
been seated than they got busy. They
passed a motion reinstating the tel-
low who had been suspended; they
fired the financial secretary, the cor
responding secretary, and all other Of
.ficers of the local; they passed string
of the most ridiculous motions ever
emanating from Socialist party local,
and in short conducted the meeting in
such a flagrantly unconstitutional
manner that several good stauch So
cialists, of five to ten years standing
and more, openly declared that they
never would take part in another local
meeting; and it required hours OF
pleading and coaXing on the part OF
the more coolheaded to prevent them
from tearing up their cards and re-
nouncing the Socialist party alto
gether.
Now, comrades, as long as it is pos
sible for such action to take place; as
long as it is possible for ambitious
representatives of this, that or the
other organization to make a tool out
of the Socialist party for his own per-
sonal pleasure, or for the vending Of
his personal spite, it is going to go
hard with the Socialist party
If we wish to secure, AND RETAIN
the confidence and respect of the gen
eral public, and the working class Ia
particular, we have got 70 alter our
constitution so that no one can take
part in our business meetings until he
has proved that he understands the
principles OF international socialism
ana is a class-consciOus member OF
the working class.
About a year ago introduced mo
ton in The Fifth Wari local in Seattle
providing that TO person should Dc
admitted ~ the local until after one
week from the time when the applica-
ton was first presented. Ny motion
was voted down, ard II Vas denounced
sr5m the floor a. beiug one " the most
msocialistic motions that ever came
eI1rs thay body. Comrades. What 90
son think about IT, wss ny motion .
unsocisusdc or not should sc safe
guard our membership or not