The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1913-07-24
To Woodrow Wilson, President of
the United States, Washington,
ID. c..

10 WOODROW WILSON, FleSluenJ OF
the United States, Washington,
ID. c.:
Sir-Fully conscious Of the magn-
tude and serious import Of the matters
herein set forth and most thoroughly
/ imbued with the solemn and lmpera-
tive duty Of presenting as facts only
such matters as will readily bear the
searching light Of investigation; such
statements Of fact and incident as may
be verified by any representative and
/ impartial commission sitting In Seattle
and representing the executive depart
nent, we hereby submit for executive
consideration the following statement:
! First. That no member of the So
oalst party, or anyone In the name
Of the Socialist party has either re-
Gently or remotely, or at any time, adj
vocated violence or the destruction of
property, or at any time whatsoever
done or committed any act of violence
or deed subverslve of fundamental
property rights, or done any act con-
trary to the laws or subVersve in any
way of the peace and dignity of the
nation.
We further submit under this clause
that severally and collectively we have
held ourselves at all times ready upon
the slightest intimation and without
resistance to answer to any court or
other constituted authority for our acts
and utterances.
Second. That no one of us, or any
one In the name of the Socialist party,
has ever advocated, done, attempted
or even remotely dreamed of any act
of dissertation to the flag of the United
States or any emblem or insignia
thereof.
Moreover we submit that the chief
way In which the national emblem is
being desecrated in this and other cit
les of the Union today is by the cloak
ing of rascality and tyrannlcal abuses
of the aspiring poor within its folds
in short, making a lie of its symbol
ism. We call attention, Mr.. President,
to the saying of DR.. johnson, patriot
ism is the last refuge of the Sound
REL" We have on the contrary stead
tasty and consistently insisted that
the issue toward which our activities
and our propaganda were directed was
not one of flags, but of bread!
Third. That for over a year next
preceding this date daily newspaper,
to-wit, the Seattle Times, has attempt
ed in every way known to corrupt and
depraVed newspaper practices, and
has bent its every energy in falsehood,
Misrepresentation and abuse, toward
the creation and infuriation of a GRIM
inal laWIess and Incorporate mob to
aVenge itself upon us, to destroy our
libraries, offices and bookstores and
to threaten our very lives. Due to the
fact that in the minds of the public
and in official and court records the
chief editor and principal owner of
the publication was in the recent past
associated with the most criminal, de-
generate and depraved elements of the
community, one of his intimates, Chas.
w. Wappensten, being now an inmate
of the state penitentiary, and due to
the fact that the publication is motor
iously known to oppose every upright
endeavc~ of the people, it's vengefuI
and IaWiess program toward US was of
no avail. The Influence of the paper
was not sufficient to create even
slight demonstration against Miss
Emma Goldman, who may be Indirect
ly known to the president as noted
anarchist, Notwithstanding it Iabored
diligently to prevent her advent into
this city upon one occasion.
Fourth. That our propaganda and
our educational efforts steadily pros
pered under the daily fire of abuse
and misrepresentation until the COM
ing to this city of Mr.. Josephus Dan
| iels, secretary of the navy, who on,
to-wit, Thursday evening, July II, de-
Iivered himself of an lily considered
address under any circumstances, and
what under the local conditions, the
presence in port of the Pacific fleet of
the navy under his ranking control,
with it's men and officers on shore
leave, and under the artificialized psy-
choIogy of hatred and bitterness to-
ward, amounted to and had the early
effect of most incendiary utterances,