The Northwest worker. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1915-1917, 1916-05-11
PETER COLLINS
IS CORNERED
GETS HIS IN EVERETT AND
IN SEATTLE
Socialist Editor Gets Hearing
Before the Knights of
Columbus
slippery Pete's Audience Cheers As
Shipley States Socialist Princi-
pies and Demands

When Peter (Ananias) Collins I'M
dertook to show whats Wrong With
the World" before an Everett audi
ence, under auspices of the Knights Of
Columbus, he found that copies of the
Northwest Worker had been distrib-
uted at the door, and on the front
page, in large headlines, was the le-
gend, "Peter Collins in the Pillory."
Then followed a challenge to slippery
Pete to go to Terre Haute, the home
of Eugene V. Debs, and repeat the lies
he has been circulating about this fer
vent champion of the workers. The
challenge is made over the signature
of Theodore Debs, who says, Il will
give him five hundred dollars if he
will come to Terre Haute where the
facts are known and ! do not prove
him to be the biggest liar in America"
Evasive Pete himself got a copy of the
paper and read part of the article to
the audience but failed to accept the
challenge of Theodore Debs. Then
this hypocritical champion of "har-
mony" and brotherly love waxed so
hot in the collar that his collar broke
from its mornings as he Numbered the
following example of his conception
of "love thy enemies" etc. Said this
harmonious tool of the plunderbund:
Socialism is the biggest gold-brick
ever handed to the public by as clever
a gang of crooks and confidence men
as ever followed circus"
Thereupon Comrade Maynard Ship
ley, editor of the Labor Journal, Of
fetal organ of the Everett Trades
Council, and who recently resigned as
editor of the Northwest Worker, rose
to his feet and challenged Collins to
a joint debate, declaring that he was
prepared to prove that Collins had
that evening ms.de no ltss than tsgafl-
ty erroneous statements regarding
Socialism and Socialists. 81 will meet
you at any time and at any place you
may wish to name, demanding only
that our time be evenly divided and
that we each have at least an hour to
make our argument" said Shipley.
This statement was greeted by thun-
derous applause, even Father O'Brien,
who, with other priests, sat in pri-
vate box, applauded the challenge.
Although the devout Peter had just
been Dragging about the number Of
Socialist leaders" he had met in de-
bate, he showed the yellow streak
within him when suddenly confronted
by real live "leader" who was ready
for battle on Peters own terms. AL
though the members of Everett Local
No. l had expressed their desire to
have Shipley challenge Collins to
joint debate, they had neglected to put
their sentiments into writing, so the
artful dodger took this for an excuse
to refuse to accept the challenge, de-
claring that Shipley offered no proof
that he was a recognized authority
on Socialism. To this Shipley replied
that the fact of his having been editor
for nearly three years of the official
organ Of the Socialist Party of Snoho-
mish County was in itself sufficient
proof that he was considered by So
cialists as competent spokesman for
their cause. Nothing doing. "All
right" said Shipley, "I'll meet you
again with certified credentials in
hand"
On the following Sunday special
mass meeting of the two Everett Lo
Gals was called, the proper papers
made out, signed and sworn to before
a notary. That very same evening
Comrade Shipley took the train for
Seattle, made his way to the Knights
of Columbus hall, and, when the OPP
perfume moment came, reiterated his
challenge, holding aloft his creden-
tials. Again the artful dodger lodged,
crawling out of the situation by chal-
longing Shipley to take the platform
there and then, not for fair and
equal debate as demanded by Shipley,
but for a short talk, with no chance
for rebuttal. "Come on now, if you're
not four-flusher," said the bold
knight" 'Ill leave the four-flush-
ing to you, Mr.. Collins" replied Ship
ley, adding, Its not fair PROPOSE
ton, but I'll take you on anyhow if
you'll give me at least half an hour"
The audience yelled approval and the
fun began.
Collins was tickled TO think that he
had forced Shipley 10 accept the plat
form with over a thousand "knights"
and their friends present, and after
he had developed psychology antag-
onistic to Socialism and Socialists By
this manoeuvre slippery Pete wriggled
out of accepting the challenge; for if
Comrade Shipley had refused to take
the floor, he would have claimed that
he had "called Shipley's bluff" and