The Northwest worker. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1915-1917, 1917-02-15
MUST GUST REACTIONARY
GRANGE AND UNION
OFFICIALS
Outlook, Wn., January 4, 1917


gard to the political situation with
considerable interest. Much of what
you say meets my approval. ] have
contended from the first-its now
nearly Ia years since ! joined the So
cialist Party-that there is nothing
in the theory that q person has to be
proetarian or wage worker, in or
der to make good Socialist. The
wage worker and the tenant farmer
apparently are the hardest to reach
and get to stick to the Locals, altho-
ugh they are the ones who need So
cialism the worst. They seem to fear
that n little independence or activity
for radical action will mark them for
discrimination by the capitalist class.
The merchant and professional man
is also reluctant to have it known
that he Is Socialist The men in
Local Outlook who have been it's main
stay are men who own their farms.
But this does not Indicate that the
farmer as a class are more likely to
be Socialists than any other. Most Of
them are imbued with the idea that
they are capitalists or will soon be.
In my opinion not half of the Socialist
vote was cast at the last election, by
reason of our election laws requiring
such long terms of residence.
Again some Of our wage workers
getting impatient at our slow progress
are joining the |. w. w. At recent
meeting of Local Outlook votes were
present, and only two Of the five voted
at the recent election.
believe the Socialist Party Is in
deed on more sensible and solid
foundation than few years ago in
spite Of our loss Of votes. Four years
ago and less we were at each others
throat and trying to turn each other
out of the Party. 1t has been some
time since the charter has been taken
away from Local.
Four years ago it was an unheard
of thing for farmer to be a candi-
date for a state office on the Social
ticket. The energy of the State
Office was wasted in heresy hunting.
That reaction should follow such
tactics could be expected. Some Of the
disturbers have fallen out by the way
side and are trying in other ways to
get reform or revolution.
In my opinion our National plat
form is an admirable document, and
being a continuance of several pre-
ceeding platforms, certainly defines
the position Of the Socialist Party.
Whether or not we can work in
harmony with the Grange and Labor
organizations remains to be seen.
In the past they have shown
us much hostility. I have yet
to see where any of them have advo-
Gated the election of Socialist Candi-
dates. I know that the Grange Of
ficials and papers have not. Letters
from patrons calling attention to the
candidacy of other patrons who have
been candidates on the Socialist ticket
have been refused publication on one
pretext or another. Resolutions Of the
State Grange against filing fees for
candidates have been ignored when
so-called non-partisian primary laws
have been drafted by said Grange
and Labor Union officials. How can
there be harmony between the Social
lists and said organizations when such
tactics are followed? The facts of
the case is that the said organizations
are selfish and reactionary and the
Socialist Party has to be careful in
dealing with them if it wishes to re-
tain its revolutionary character.
A word about the professional lee
turer. Some of them are good and I'M
selfish and some of them are bad and
selfish. Few of them are worth more
than $500 per day and expenses. A
few men like Debs are worth big
money. In small place like Outlook
we should always refuse to pay more
than $500 per day. And there are
many places where that sum cannot
be raised The reason our vote don't
grow is because half of our people
never heard Socialist lecture or read
Socialist book or paper, except per-
haps a stray copy.
In conclusion will say l am still
hopeful that the working class will
yet win. But many pretty reform
theory of the half baked will have to
be tried and found wanting to fill the
bill first. No person can tell when
the Revolution will come, but come,
it will, and no man can stay its hand.
Times are good now as capitalism
goes, but hard bitter times are near
at hand. In the mean time it behooves
us Socialist to keep our papers alive,
and educate the people. We will win
sometime-maybe not in the day of
old men like me-but win we will Tho