The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1920-07-30
RADICAL GROUPS UNITE ON A
PLATFORM AT YAKIMA.

spokesman review: seven or eight
radical groups gathered at Yakima
this week were unable to fuse into a
single party organization; but their
differences arose over questions of
method, not over principles and prr-
poses, for all the groups united in the
adoption of common platform.
1t is radically socialistic and COM
munistic. The opening plank reads
like an I. w. w. utterance, or an ex-
tract from the printed propaganda of
the communist party. 1t demands
Immediate and absolute res
toration of free speech, free
press, peaceable assemblage and
all other rights guaranteed un-
der the Constitution. Repeal of
the criminal syndicalism act and
release Of all persons convicted
or imprisoned under this act.
Here is set up a false assumption
that free speech, free press and free
assemblage have been throttled in
this country; that our government
has ceased to be free and has degen-
Grated into despotism; that the laws
are vicious and courts and juries op-
pressive.
Political groups have a right to de-
mand the repeal of the criminal syn
dicalism act. That is matter of
opinion and feeling, depending IN
ones approval or disapproval of
criminal syndicalism; but no group
or no individual has a right to de.
mand that the prison doors be thrown
open for the wholesale release OF
prisoners duly convicted of crime and
now in Jail, serving out sentences.
The second plank in this commun.
istic platform calls for "public own.
ership and democratic operation OF
public utilities, the means of trans
portation and distribution, and of any
other undertaking found necessary t
prevent profiteering."
A most cunningly phrased plank
obviously drafted by an advanced so
cialist or communist--in substance
the plank that split the radical fore
es at the recent Chicago conven
tions. Endorsement is there CIV, ~
the Plumb plan for "dep,- Up,
Grafton of railroad '"c pubic W put
IN tho r,on..-,o attain public owner
sh;n - then turn the utility over 20
ne employees for democratic" oper-
alton. That method, though, is not to
be limited to the railroads, but is 10
be applied to all public utilities-the
postal system, the telegraph and tele-
phone system, the street railways,
light and power systems-publc util-
tiles in general.
Then comes this unqualified and
sweeping plank calling for the So
cialization of all natural resources:
Public ownership and control
of all natural resources, includ-
ing water power sites.
What are natural resources Land
is the greatest of them all, so here i,,
call for public ownership and con-
troll of the land-the farms, the gar
dens, tho orchards, the stock ranches.
The fisheries are another natural
resource. They, too, are to be Lee
ninized under the program promul-
gated at Yakima by all the political
groups there assembled.
The forests are another natural re-
source. The mines another. All 10
be communized if the radical ele-
ments united under this radical pro-
gram should attain power and carry
out their professions.
Then there is endorsement of la
boris efforts to secure just share
in the management of industry"
that is, what little private industry
would be left after the foregoing pro-
gram had been put into operation.
But what is meant by the term "just
share in the management of indus
try" Is the Plumb plan to apply
there also-the employees having
two-thirds of the general manage
ment and exclusive authority in de-
terminng wages, hours of employ
ment, working conditions, discipline,
etc? Or is the Russian soviet meth
cd contemplated in all its pristine
purity?
At all events the political groups
assembled at Yakima are to be
thanked and congratulated for their
frankness. The public knows now
where they are heading and what
their candidates will stand for.