The Northwest worker. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1915-1917, 1917-03-01
OPEN FORUM
THE NON-PARTl... G.ASV


with, but certainly cannot acre" tAHa
,auy permanent benefit to the work
ing class can be obtained 10y the non
partisan movement.
The people who call themselves in
dependent, usually vote in 4 hap
hazard way. They wander down 10
the polling booth ON election day,
putting their cross opposite the can
didate whom they consider a good
man" because he ia n member of the
same church or lodge, or because they
| knew his father or som. other rcla-
| tive, or was born in the same town
or state, or because he is. ~ Is not,
a German or English. or white or
| black.
Then too, there is the voter who
votes for some candidate whom the
| Grange, Farmer or Labor Union rec
ommends. These leaders could obtain
good money fOr their influence no
doubt some may, and some DO not,
Hence the working class voters are
divided. The Socialist party is the
only party standing fully for the
working class only.
Other political candidates promise
to represent all classes, an impossible
task. As candidate for M. c. in
the 4th District during the last cam
paign, | stated that would not try
to represent amy but the working
class. That | was not elected was be
cause many of the working class
either thought they are part of the
small farm, or they believed that
so-called good man" was better
than Socialist.
The people have been voting for
so-callcd good men" these many
wears and lived on the crumbs and
bones which fell from the master :
table.
Reforms in plenty have been prom
Used and some indeed obtained only
to find them impotent TO do much
good.
Take the money question. Under
the guise of constructive legislation"
such as the Federal Reserve and
Farm Loan Acts, the Money Trust
has fixed itsself more securely on the
backs of the pepole. A few bankers,
business men and farmers are bene-
fitted by these acts, and the mass
of the people robbed. Not dollar
of benefit to the tenant farmer and
wage worker in these acts-their CON
dition grows worse.
The old political parties do indeed
offer reform to the middle class, but
the wage workers have only one
friend-the Socialist. Two years ago
the wage workers tried for an S-hour
day for factory and mine, and 10
hour day for the farm. The Grange,
of which | am member, dictated to
by the big wheat farmers, whose
hours are ii or more day, opposed
5heir just demand. partisansh!p
failed there and will nearly always
fail when anything serious is pro-
posed to help the man who is down.
| have heard employers of labor
say that if the wage worker was
better paid, then we cannot hire
men to help us when we wish as we
10 now" TO many the iungles with
their half starved men is a "neces-
airy evil" just as the house Of pros
titution is to some. Yes, | have heard
men argue there must be prostitutes
so men can satisfy their sexual pas
sions without rdpihg our wives and
daughters!
And so, forsooth, we must have
jungles and tramps so in case we
need an extra man we can find him
EASILY, work him few days, and
then turn him loose on society again.
Such a system beats the slave syq-
.eml Then the slave had to be fee
and sheltered in bad wea .her and
sickness. Now we turn him out to
Craze just as some unfeeling people
do a worn out horse in the hills and
by ways!
am not a wage Worke" now, and
am free to say that if | were that
would hardly be able to exist, be-
cause there don't seem to be much
hard work left in me. Yet see
other men Older than | am who have
no other way to exist. God pity
| them
Now a few more words about this
partisan fad of Kauffmans and
few other reformers: When you
present a bill either by referendum or
otherwise in which the minority par
ties and independent men and women
candidates can appear on the ballot
without paying fine, then | will
consider your wish to be honest and
fair. Until you do so | shall consider
shat there is a niger in the wood
pile.
The facts of the case are that all
election laws calling for fling, fee