The Northwest worker. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1915-1917, 1915-09-16
Preparing for the
Campaign of 1916
by Charles Sehl

THINGS which have, and are stilI, hap
lpening in the industrial and political
world, 1t is we'll that every branch,
and in fact every member, of the So
lcialist Party start in rightsnow and
Iprepare themselves for the coming ma
tional campaign.
For more than two years have been
travelling over the eastern states visit
ing many cities where our party has
organized branch or a local, aud on
account of my present position, | paid
particular attention TO the relation OF
these branches and locals to the labor
union movement of their respective
localities.
| have learned that there are few
places where the Party and the unions
are working hand in hand, as they
should be. IL we ever hope to make
any progress.
While there isn't state secretary
in this part of the country who could
produce an authentic record, showing
Just what percentage of the party
members are in their unions and those
that are not, feel safe in saying from
my own observation, that there are
thousands who are eligible to belong
to union that are not in their unions,
know that there are historical and
psychological reasons for this state of
affairs, but at the same time, hold
that until there is more said and done
about this subject it will be long
time before we can compare the Amer
lean Socialist Party with those of the
European countries.
To begin with: Is it not fact that
in those localities where the members
of the party are also members of their
Understanding in them with the I'M
derstanding that economic action is
just as important as political-that we
are electing our candidates to office
and at the same time putting up
much better fight on the economic
field against the master class?
BE A UNION MAN!
When the 1916 campaign begins, the
labor unions will, undoubtedly, be ap
pealed to for moral and financial sup
port; and will we not stand a good
chance of receiving that support if in
every locality where we have branch
or local, the members could be
found not only holding a card, but
holding office in the unions.
Many localities could be mentioned
to prove my contention; but l simply
ask you who elected Meyer London to
congress from New York, James H.
Maurer to the state legislature of
Pennsylvania, Robert Wheeler as a
commissioner of Allentown, Pennsyl-
vania, and the comrades who were
elected from your district?
Did the unions play an important
part in those elections, or did they
not? Did the fact that those comrades
were also just as good union men as
socialists have anything to do with
their election? OF course it did, and
anyone that knows anything about the
American labor movement understands
that this is the way that we are going
to make more encouraging progress
wealth.
To those party members who are
eligible, but not in their economic or
, CARNATIONS, / would suggest that if
you want to be of real service in the
: 1916 campaign, join your union; work
with the other fellow; take an office
when you are nominated and take the
: economic struggle as seriously as you
do the political.
, To those who do belong to their
unions, | would suggest that you at
, tend your meetings; be patient with
= the other fellows; work on the organi-
: cation committees and go after those
, party members who do not belong to
their unions. .
SOME GOOD ADVICE
You will find, if you use the proper
: tactics, that those members of the
working class who have at least rec
, ognized the necessity of organizing on
the economic field, will be far more
apt to understand your lessons as a
Socialist than those who have not as
: yet realized the Importance of eco
nomic action.
| venture to say that if every mem
Der of the Socialist party who is eligi
BILE to join a union does so in time for
the 1916 campaign with the many
coming industrial battles that will be
fought, between capital and labor, we
will not only roll up the largest vote
, we ever had, but we will send good
, number of our comrades to office. To
office, | say. That is where we must
get if we hope to bring the American