The Northwest worker. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1915-1917, 1917-03-29
INDIVIDUAL PROTEST AND
APPEAL TO DISREGARD
CALL TO SO-CALLED WAR
EMERGENCY CONVENTION


To Emil Herman, Sophus Bonnevie,
Laura M. House, Joe Thomas, l.. T..
Katterfcld, Ed Maurcr, and Kate
Sadlcr
Comrades
My Local does not meet until next
week and | can do no more in this
than to make an appeal to your good
sense end to whatever devotion you
may have to the party's interest.
That we have state autonomy and
that the membership have had no
voice in prescribing or authorizing
any duties for your delegation It's
foolish to attempt to justify this
| high and mighty procedure when the
policies of the u. S. government have
been gravitating toward a war frenzy
for two years; plenty Of time for us
to have handled any matter we could
in deliberate fashion.
Second That you are handpicked
for a iunket that is not only unau-
thoriZed unconstitutional and illegal
! but is farcical, foolish, hysterical and
ridiculous.
Third. There exists a tempest in
II teapot at National Headquarters
the members of the N. f. C. have
for some time past been engaged in
fighting the European war amongst
themselves, lined up respectively on
the side of the central powers under
the leadership Of Victor Berger and
on the side of the allies under Louis
b. Boudin, to the neglect Of the par
tvs most consistent business, which
to a man up tree would seem to
be to champion the side of the work
ers in the war of the classes in Am
erica.
Fourth. For delegates such as
you are, selected in the illegal man
ner you are, and without expression
from the membership as to what
they expect of you, will be neither
ito influence any conceivable course
Of affairs and nothing in the party
unless to intensity and enlarge the
Berger Boudin feud to no good end
and the delegates go to their homes
not Socialists any more but patriotic
pro-German or pro-Ally nationalists
Fifth. Where do they get this
emergency stuff" anyway? What
climaXes in the conditions have come
about so suddenly as to constitute ar
emergency so grave that we SHOULD
further deplete the party treasures
state and national, to hurry unauth
orzed and powerless delegations to
gether to discuss matters that have
already been talked to death. 1t wa!
time long ago to have settled what
ever our great Caesars may have il
mind as an emergency. To stamped,
us with such cry is a speciou
demigogy if not a scoundrelly lie.
Sixth. From the Socialist angl,
CHe WolheIS nave a most engaging
war on with capital in this country
and for US to divide them and de
fleet their interest, if we could will
be to definitely conclude our useful
ness to them if not to betray then
outrightly. We might yield that a,
emergency exists if you were meet
ing to devise means of preventing il
Frisco on May 18th a repetition O
the Haymarket tragedy or if you hat
in mind specifically the "a workin.
class prisoners in Everett. l am tol,
your expenses are to be paid by tn,
state organization which is subse
quently to be reimbursed by the Ma
tional office in due stamps Who i
to buy due stamps when the member
,, ship already staggering under to,
great burden of apology for tn,
frauds, betrayal and incompetency O
/ our leaders, wakes up to find itsel
again film flammed. I'm asking vo,
not to do this thing until those VIII,
pay the dues say so. I'm asking 70,
to decline this futile touring which
, is calculated to destroy our nationa
and state conventions for their NOR
vital concerns. Pm asking you t,
act the part Of a Socialist and no
be pawn in the war of nationaisn
to advance the political fortunes O
our tin gods.
Yours for the Revolution.
BRUCE ROGERS.