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

s. e. Com. Kenneth Thompson.
Dear Comrade-In your comment
filed with state office, on the Peoples
Land and Loan Measure, now being
pctitioned for initiation by organized
labor of this state, after differentiat.
ing between fundamentals and immel
date demands which difference is
fully set forth in the national plat
form, you, as If we did not under
stand close your remarks with this
pertinent statement, "Will Comrade
Barzee never learn" Our reply is
that Comrade Barzee has learned, al
ready, that which you must learn and
for this reason we make use of the
plan set forth fin the platform to
reach and teach those we would inter
est in Socialism. We are using these
means in order that we may appre-
bend those we would teach and that
our propaganda may not be placed
before closed eyes, fall on deaf ears
and be not understood because not
comprehended.
We have learned, and we speak ad,
visedly, for at one time we used much
the same tactics as Comrade Thomp.
son sets forth in his criticism, that
because Socialism seems simple and
plain to some, that to others whose
environment and opportunity might
be different it might present very
complicated and not at all practicable.
We have learned that we must speak
to those we would teach in language
they understands; that we must say
things that will arrest their attention
and interest them; that they must get
knowledge by their own thinking and
not because we tell them it is so and
so. We must learn that a dose of
medicine may be taken in glass
capsule, passed into the stomach and
out into the sewer and the patient be
not improved; because he did not
assimilate the medicine. In serving
a patient with Socialist philosophy
we must first of all get his attention,
either through economic necessity,
curiosity or by an appeal to his de-
sire to do the right thing Always
the glass capsules of prejudice and
superstition tends to keep him in ig.
norance-unless we can break them
on the lines suggested.
Now immediate demands were writ.
ten in the platform for this purpose
For Comrade Thompson to repudiate
them, which all impossibilists do, puts
him out of harmony with the nation.
al work; out OF harmony with the
party in this state, against the prov.
en- success of such a plan and alligns
him with that mealticket group in
this state and elsewhere that has al.
ways worked to defeat practical worn
in the Socialist party organization
In the early history of the Socialist
party, Mark Hannah and the capital.
istic politicians expected us to do
something. They we'll knew we had
the correct philosophy and fully ex-
pected us to have made much better
showing than we have. Mark predict.
ed that the issue between capitalism
and Socialism W ould come in 1916.
How far are we from this realization
How little heed is given us by the
old line parties; because we have not
the public ear and they well know it?
See the multitudes all about us.
They are not capitalists. They are
working men and women, just like
ourselves and all of them should be
working with us instead of passing
us by unobserved or with a sheer;
simply because they do not under
stand us and they do not understand
because we have not apprehended
them.
Comrade Thompson may say, with