The Northwest worker. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1915-1917, 1917-04-26

passed ON roll call by vote OF ia
to 56
1t is significant that John Spargo
(who is supposed to have invcst-
gated the non -rar,lsian League. hut
who, when in this state ignored all
Socialist Party officials and mem
bcrs and consulted only with dis
credited and expelled members of the
partly reported favorable TO- the
League; That l.. NJ Sheldon of
| North Dakato Tan organizer for the
uon-Partisian Lcaguc) was n dele
gate to the convention and that
| Geo. Goebcl, John G.. Kennedy, John
| Spargo and all Of the Wisconsin
delegates who voted, voted against
the adoption of the resolution. A
strong resolution advising working
people TO organize themselves into
! industrial unions in preference to
craft unions was also adopted A
majority and minority report ON pre-
amble were presented by the plat
form committee. The minority re
port, drafted by j, Mahlon Barnes,
concurred with the majority ON the
program of immediate demands. The
minority report was adopted and we
are pleased to report that the plat
form is II splendid exposition of the
! class-struggle, economic development
and the theory of surplus value 1t
is the best Socialist platform ever
presented to the people of the Unit
| ed States.
! The constitution committee also
brought in a majority and minority
report. The majority report, to which
! u. solomon, l.. f. katterfeld and W.
| ii. Henry dissented, sought to elm
! mate from our National constitution
! all those restrictions which prevent
! fusion, compromise and combination
with other political parties and poll
teal organizations and which pro-
hibit members from voting for or
supporting other than Socialist
Party candidates.
The minority report was adopted.
Important changes in the constitu-
zion are, the abolition of the Nation
Il Committee. Increase of the Ma
,ional Executive Committee to Is
members to be elected, 3 each, from
five districts and each one to be an
organizer. The National Executive
Committeeman are to elect the Ma
.ional Executive Secretary, he to
De subject to recall by the National
Executive Committee or by referend-
nm Of the membership. An annual
Conference of State Secretaries
members of the National Executive
committee and representative
rom the Foreign Federation anc
he Y. p. S. L. is also provided for
The section relating to the price OF
lue stamps was changed to read 100
instead of sc.
1t may be interesting to know
hat among those who voted against
leeping our party closed to fusion
compromise and political trading
were job Hartmann, Walter Thos
Mills, c. F.. Fields, John C. Kennedy
Jennie McGehe, Anna A. Maley, Geo
Il. Goebel, Patrick Quinlan, join
Spargo and the entire Kansas anc
Wisconsin delegations.
The committe on organization re
ported several important suggestions
md recommendations and it is to b,
; egretted that the convention did no
ind time to consider this report, in
tead of referring it to the Nationa
| Executive Committee.
Many letters and kilograms wer,
received from every part of the I'm
: tied States encouraging the dele
5 gates and urging them to stand tru,
to the principles of revolutionary So
: cialism-notable among these wa
one from Eugene V. Debs. Franl
| Kruse reported for the Young PEG
: pies Socialist League that they haC
increased their Locals in two year!
: from 40 to $50 with membership in
! crease in proportion, he requested
} fuller cooperation on the part O
State and Local organizations il
the formation of Young Peoples So
cialist Leagues. Among the thing
reported by A. DriefIs for the For
: eign Federations are that they have
| doubled their membership since 1S0'
: and that they are maintaining
) daily, 10 weekly, semi-Weelly,
monthly and l quarterly rublica
tions.
On the whole we are well pleased
with the results Of he convention
| and consider it the most importan
) political convention ever held in thu
United States. We feel that The
, convention will be recorded IN his
tory as having been very mucl
worth while and that it marks al
epOCH III JHe ueVelOpenenL OIL ln'
Socialist Party and the Soci&ls
! movement.
This brief account Of the proceed
ings of the convention are writer
by your State Secretary at the ex
pressed request of the rest of the
Washington delegates and for the
purpose Of aquainting the member.
of the Socialist Party of Washing
ton with most of the important
transactions of the convention.