The Northwest worker. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1915-1917, 1915-11-11
Over-COnfdence
Brings Defeat
To Everett
BY n. w. Watts

The Everett election results OF the
2nd of November show that the So
oialists lost out through over-confi-
.dence. Every Socialist In the city was
confident of our ability to place at
least two Of our candidates on the
final ballot. This was quite possible
as the election results proved, but we
failed to recognize the necessity for
the fullest organized effort. Comrade
Carr. our candidate for the office OF
Commissioners of Public Health and
Safety, lost out by IA votes. These
IA votes could have been got In the
precinct In which he resided, had we
organized to get them out. The other
SO precincts had almost the same pro-
portion of voters that never turned
out that would have voted the Social
list ticket.
1t was another case Of Let George
do it." The weather was bad and
Jack Brown said to himself that his
vote would not make any difference
so he stayed at home. Sam Smith
thought the same thing and he stayed
at home. Bill Jones did likewise and
so on down the line until, instead OF
there being one man that stayed at
home. there were hundreds. And in
stead of Comrade Carr being placed
on the final ballot he lost by only IA
votes. Were he on the final ballot
he would probably be elected.
Another place where We fell down
was in getting Socialist sympathizers
to register. No effort was put forth
to have these people get out and reg
lister. So again we fell down through
lack Of organization.
We only have ourselves to blame
for being deprived of getting full con
troll of the administration OF the City
of Everett But after all 1t was the
finest lesson in the world. Every So
cialist in Everett knows full well why
we lost, and no other election held
in this city will ever be contested
again without the Socialists being full
| y organized in every detail. There
has never been an election held II
this city that has driven home the
necessity of organization as has this
last one.
Right after the final election We
are going to get in and organize il
such a manner as to be continually IL
touch with every Socialist and So
cialist sympathzier in the city. W.
are going to build up as powerful ma
chine as any political party ever had
We have the finest chance in the
world. We have better chance thar
any political party ever had, because
our work will be conscientious work
Every man and woman will be work
er instead Of a few politicians as IL
the case of the old parties. We will
organize along educational lines ant
have every worker in the cause doing
his agitating with 100 per cent. o.
efficiency We will have machine
that will reach every Socialist in ths
city in one hour. There is no use o.
anyone saying that this is a dream
an impossibility or an absurdity. II
has been worked out and something
of it's kind is now in vogue in Okla
homa, and there is not state in the
union that has cast as many votes FOL
Socialism as has Oklahoma Every
member of Local Everett should at
tend the next business meeting of the
local and get lined up on our propo
sition so that we can carry the city
for Socialism in the next election.
AS matters stand, it is generally
IcOncPded that we will at least ha hlf