The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1915-08-13

and logger around skawit county.
coming from there 10 6caitl. 10
work as clerk IN the postof'icc,
Becomes . Socialist
ny thI. time Wells had become
a socialist In those days So
etaiist was. IN the popular. but
mialnformed mind. something Iik.
an anarchist. and something like 4
murderer.
Wells became a socialist chiefly
because he happened 10 read an
article In tn. Appeal to Reason. al
time whsn he Was wondering
what was wrong with tho world.
which eapounded tho MARKHAM
truth that we produce too much.
When a stores tables arc piled
high with suits of clothes the fac.
tory liant going 10 make any more
until those suits are bought and
worn out Hence--bu, no matter.
Victim Of Spy system
In the Seattle postosficc In those
days they had the spy system.
Inspectors. seeing but unseen.
spied on tho clerks thru grated
windows In secret corridors. The
clerks worked 3s5 days year aud
never Less than nine hours n day.
Wells started n paper. The
postoffica Recorder" and in II he
criticised the civil service rules
made by Roosevelt when he was
president,
The civil service was started in
the administration OF Grover
Cleveland. Cleveland made a good
rule that "pcrnicious' political nc.
tivity, in Its genuine sense. should
not be permitted In the pos,officc
department.
Roosevelt changed the rule so
that IL interfered with liberty and
free speech.
Make Change We Recommends
An Inspector spoke sharply to-
Wells. forbldding him TO write or
talk politics OF any Kind whatever.
He ruled that even an article on
prohiAtion would be political
article and therefore forbidden.
Then one day Wells was called
on the carpet. charged with "in.
subordination. and fired. The
proof OF the characterization" was
10 clippings from The Postoffice
Recorder"
The most damning evidence was
an article criticising the lighting
system at the postoffice. Later the
very changes which Wells recon.
mendcd were made.
That was In 1909. In 1910 Wells
took the city civil service examlna.
ton. got a job In the city light de.
partment, and has been there ever
since.
He Joined the socialist party In
1904 During the free speech cam.
paign in tho time OF Mayor William
II. Moore. he served four days in
jail
When the late Judge Humphrey
ran amuck. Wells was one OF the
many who went 10 jail for CRITICS.
Ing the court. serving eight days.
He was the socialist candidate
for mayor. running against GIL.
Cotterill and Parish.
hesoe the LABOR Council
A week ago he was elected preai
dent OF the Seattle Central Labor
council, succeeding Councilman
Bolton.
Wells is radical. but not intoler.
ant.
Il will lock arms" he says.
with anybody who IL going my
ma o. tIA L.
separate before reach tho end
OF my journey"
Thus he will march with thel
single.taxer. the government-owne
ship apostle and the trade unionist.
lie In himself trade unionist.
as well AZ n socialist. being n mem.
Der OF the Electrical Workers
union.
Steers Clear Of Politics
But he believes I'm keeping these
movements out Of conflict. ForI
instance. a good trade unionlst
might not be socialist. He might
be progressive. democrat, OIL
even republican. He Ia still val.
liable as trade unionist. Why
quarrel with brother unionist
over n question OF politics or re.
| ligion?
Therefore. Wells believes that
the Central Labor council should
devote Itself TO industrial activi.
ties and that Its members. as such,
should keep out of politics.
lie has pledges OF support from
many members OF the council. and
! his tenure OF office should be one
OF harmonious progress.