The Northwest worker. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1915-1917, 1916-03-09

from it's scientific course We saw
If this is possible II will be done any
way as capitalism has every means
at hand for defeating us and will lose
Ia It possible? If It Is we have no sci.
entifc economic plan, such as Social
lists believe Is the only possible plan
for continued habtation of the globe.
Experience has taught us that reli.
gious superstition, the hope of the be-
You'd, sort of a pay-after-you-de
promise, is the most powerful weapon
| in the hands of capitalism to combat
Socialism; because Socialist philoso.
ply is allied with rational material
istic concept of history that bears
evidence of its self instead of the
thus saith the Lord" that accom-.
panies the Bible-age This is,
again, where judgment, which impos.
siblists have so little Of, must be ex.
ercised. Almost the whole world be.
lieves in some sort of religion that
is directed by priesthood We must
reach these without offense or they
will close up their clamshell of super
stition and leave education on the out
side. We cannot reject this great
mass else we cannot have democrat
ic majority without which Socialism
is impossible. How unwisely do many
Socialists propaganda for the cause
What wonder we have done so little
Of that which was expected of us by
farseeing capitalists.
Now, Comrade Thompson, may we
speak frankly and say we are not in
the least disappointed in your criti
cism of the Peoples Land and Loan
measure. We have long known that
you worked along impossible lines
When the Right to work" petitions
were sent your local two years ago
the state secretary received the petit
tons returned untitled with some such
unfraternal statement as I'VE have
things of more Importance than to
cooperate with the party in the initia.
tion of this measure; and we now
learn that this important thing is the
opening up of a soup house or the
like; a very commendable thing, but
it gets us no where with our propa.
ganda The Submerged tenth" in
these United States are no proportion-
ate part of the whole. They bring
us very little by way of influence, lit
tie in education, less in votes, as they
are here today and there tomorrow
Let the dead bury their dead,' but
follow thou the party's adopted plat
form and reach the multitudes with
information, if you would gain the
world for our cause.
Oregon has proved by more than
one-third of the favorable votes cast
for the industrial department measure
against the less than two-thirds cast
against it by the Oregon voters, that
the people are reaty to consider any
thing they understand; whether it
bears the Socialist label or not. This
measure was state Socialism both in
theory and practice. 1t did more to
break down the walls of prejudice in
this state than all that had been done
before. The Peoples Land and Loan
measure will add to that good work
already accomplished, and we should
lend our individual aid to petitioning
it; particularly so for the good effect
it will have with organized labor in
this state. Many Socialists are found
among the unions. They want a clos:
er union with the political Socialist
party. Intellectual appetities will be
whetted for something better when
this is accomplished, and as the only
cure for democracy is more democ-
y-educatiOn-we may accomplish
much good and not be continually
trailing in the dust of capitalism be.
cause of our impractical attitude and
impossible activities.
Comrades of Oregon, we ask you to
consider well this letter Instruct
your delegates to the state conven.
ton to cooperate individually with
organized labor and go out after the
men and women in this state with a
program taken from our immediate
demands that appeals to them. Let
us. stop firing our propaganda shots
over the heads of those we would
bring to an understanding of the
principles of Socialism.
C. w. BARZEE,
1911 Belmont St, Portland, Oregon.
FUTJ, PROHIBIT OF TOTT