The Washington socialist. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1914-1915, 1915-03-11
WHAT Is THE MATTER WITH
THE PARTY?
by BRUCE ROGERS


ington state (SocialisD movement"
asks correspondent.
Less, 80 far, than what Ii the trou-
BILE with the movement In other states.
Without simplifying them as ] should
like to do If space permitted, should
mention the following causes of dis
affection:
First-The more alarming cause to
the opportunists among us was the
advent into the political field of the
progressive" movement, both inside
and outside its party lines. 1t did not
merely recovered them from us in the
manifest interest of the plurality mid
die class which in its discomfort had
been turning to us.
Second-The adoption into our party
constitution of Section 6, Article 2,
relating to sabotage. The assumptive
arrogance of this step went further
than any capitalist party would dare
go. 1t is resented by the trades
unions as an attack upon war tao
tic they have found necessary to use
under one name or another, immem-
ORALLY, under the shifting exigencies
of acute Industrial conflict. Ostensi-
bly, 1t was directed at the advocacy
nv William, n uouwna6 ~ tho furt 10
development and recognition of sabot-
age, but the underlying motive was
to offset his active criticism of trade
unions, per Sc, In which 1t signally
failed so far as catching the votes of
trades unionists" Is concerned 1t dis
couraged working class members by
the thousands and afforded an AK to
factions here and there, with which to
decapitate members who were unable
to hold their resentment within obedi-
ence of the constitution.
Third-A general truculent attitude
toward the American Federation of
Labor, overlooking the fact that the
trade unionist, with a limitation Of
apprenticeships and other protecting
walls, is in the enjoyment Of what
operates as a special privilege from
society; hence, Is bourgeois, and op-
posed as a class to the accomplish
ment of the program Of essential So
cialism. Our attitude toward economic
organization is everywhere half-heart-
ed jealous and cowardly and many
leading Socialists are actively opposed
to it. Avowing revolutionary political
action we are virtually opposed to re.
evolutionary economic action, a posi-
tion that will get us nowhere.
| Fourth-The war waged by the ma
tional officials of the party, both
above and below board, against the
publishing house of Charles H. Kerr
& Co. and such an able magazine as
''The New Review" to the exclusion
of the more accurate treatises, the
national office circulated bales Of lit
erature of sheer reformism and muck
raking
Fifth-Under closer scrutiny the
record made by Congressman Berger,
notably his advocacy of citizen sol
diery and his bill to buy the trusts,
was disappointing to the larger body
of the rank and file of the party The
former is in the direction of bour-
than a compromises surrender to
capitalist collectivism and tending to-
ward the establishment of a more
formidable and insurmountable cap
italist state.
Sixth-Last and more recent of the
great causes, and the greatest of our
immediate difficulties is born of the
collapse of the international as pre-
ponderantly represented by the Ger
man Social Democracy, or to be more
accurate, the discovery that we had
no international worthy of the name.
| Ioldile uOeS HOI rest SOltly Oh OuI
German comrades, if we may still call
them such, for indeed one might ex-
pect our American movement, so preg-
nant is it with nationalist elements,
to act in exactly the same way, fac.
ing a similar crisis. At least we must
expect that it would be as powerless
to act otherwise, in the face of our
negligence to prepare plans for a gen.
eral strike to prevent our own COM
pulsory part in war. Consider our po-
sition on Asiatic immigration. Con
slider our advocacy everywhere of the
civil service and extension of civil
service rules, than which it would be
difficult for us to devise a more flag
rant expression of the pernicious
spirit of nationalism and patriotic
egoism.
Internationalsm is the most emil
nent and essential quality of our
movement Without it we are an