The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1920-11-12
A CAMPAIGN OF
EDUCATION AND
ORGANIZATION
Will Bring Victory to the
Farmer-Labor Party in 1922
and 1924.

NOV. 4, lJAO
To the Snohomsh County Organi-
cation of the Farmer-Labor Party
of the State of Washington.
Dear Secretary and Members: Let
me first express our since apprecia-
tion of the great work you did in
your county for the Farmer-Labor
candidates and principles and the
splendid cooperation you rendered
the state office in the unprecedented
campaign to elect our state ticket.
1t is true that we experienced dis
appointment over the fact that none
of our state candidates were elected;
but after we have absorbed this
temporary shock and had time to
look suarely at the real facts of the
election, we realize that, rather than
defeat, the Farmer-Labor Party
won a great victory in this state.
With less than six weeks cam
| pagn we rolled up nearly 100000
votes for our state ticket; elected
a state senator and two representa-
tives in Pierce County, and in sew
eral other counties came very close
to electing members of the legisla-
ture and candidates for county of.
fees.
During our organization work we
predicted that we were not organ
ling third party, but real con-
tending second party against the re-
dictionary forces as represented by
the Republican party. This predic-
ton has proven true, as the Demo-
cratic party has been practically
wiped out in this state. Had it not
been for the Presidential campaign
which absorbed the peoples atten-
ton and gave them an opportunity
to utterly repudiate the Wilson adj
ministration, we would have had a
splendid chance to carry the state.
The national and state result is
not a victory for the Republican
party, but pronounced rebuke to
the vascillating national admins
profiteering during and since the
war, the denial of fundamental rights
to the people, etc. The voters felt
that the only way they could adj
minister such rebuke was to vote
the Republican ticket. Such action
swept the whole country, and the
Farmer-Labor Party members and
followers in Washington stood
stronger against the political cy-
clone than the third party move
| ment in any other state.
Here we cast at least twenty-five
per cent of the vote and became the
second legal party in the state;
| while in many counties we cast
forty to forty-five per cent of the
vote. Two and four years from
now the voters will be as ready to
repudiate the Republican Party, as
the beneficiaries of that organiza-
ton will foolishly believe that the
vote last Tuesday gives them license
to continue exploitation and sup
preston of the people. Then will
come the great opportunity of the
| FarmerLabor Party, as the people
will turn to it as their only hope.
With this fact in mind and the
| realization of the really wonderful
work accomplished by our party in
this state, with only a short period
of organization, we only have time
and thought for rejoicing and pre-
pairing for the greatest campaign of
organization ever undertaken.
Complete plans for this work will
soon be prepared and submitted to
you. We hope to carry on a cam
paign of education and organization
through a systematic lecture course
in every county.
The first work we suggest for
your county committee to do is to
endeavor to reach every man and
woman who voted the Farmer-La-
Dor Party ticket. Print an adver-
| tisement or announcement in your
| oc1-;.r.
who voted the ticket to send you his
name and address on a postal card.
Then reach them with applications
for membership. Thousands of men,
bers should be added to our active
rolls in this way. If we can
gather even 500 of those who
voted for our candidates into our
party organization, success two and
| four years from now is beyond ques-
| ton.
Another suggestion: Town, city,
school and other elections are near.
Our organizations everywhere should
nominate or suppot candidates in
! all such elections, thus keep up the
active interest and fighting spirit
and winning local victories wherever
possible.
Keep in mind that our organiza-
ton is not merely for the purpose
| of electing a few public officials;
but to carry on education and organ
ization that will rebound to the ben
eft of our people. We must be on
the job at the coming legislative
session, informing the people as to
the acts done there, holding up vic
ious laws passed through the refer
endum and proposing new laws
through the initiative.
Get your county committee to-
gether at once for a new start,
and you will have the satisfaction of
accomplishing within the next two
years the greatest work ever done
on behalf of the welfare of the
producers in this state.
Brothers and sisters, to work
again. The future is yours.
Sincerely,
STATE FARMER-LABORY PARTY
D. C. Coates, Chairman.