The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1921-10-07

a rump convention of members of the
State Grange, by C. h. Cottrell, of
Kent, for the declared purpose of
seeding from both the state and ma
tional grange. The call is author
lied by former state master of the
grange, VIM. Bouck.
The trades union movement of the
state has had considerable bitter ex-
perience in recent years with this
team of disruptionists. They sue
ceeded in destroying, for the time
being, the harmonious relationship
that had existed between the State
Federation of Labor and the Farm
ers' Grange, for a period of many
years. So domineering and untrust-
worthy were the tactics of both
Bouck and Cottrell in all relationship
with the State labor movement that
a breach was finally forced that
practically severed all relationship
between the two state bodies, to the
disadvantage of the members of
both organizations.
Bouck was recently suspended by
the national grange and immediate
ly thereafter the state committee Of
the state organization outlined a
plan of campaign to carry the fight
on behalf of Bouck into the coming
national convention of that organ
ization, which meets this winter IN
Portland, Oregon. The state execu-
tive committee of the grange un-
animously pledged itself to sustain
Bouck in a demand for a fair and
impartial trial on the real merits of
Al hn nf
the national body, and placed Mr..
Bouck in the field as a deputy and
at the same salary paid him as state
master and authorized him to devote
himself to preparing his case for
submission to the national conven-
ton. Yet, despite their agreement
to do this, and the fact that Wig
orous campaign for this purpose was
being waged by the executives of
the state organization, Bouck and
Cottrell determined on a plan of
secession and disruption and have is
sued call for a rump convention
for this evident purpose and have
openly declared that purpose in the
call for the meeting, and have de-
clared that those not in sympathy
with this proposal are to be barred
from the meeting.
The following public statement is
sued to the press by State Secre-
tary Lewis, and corroborated by
State Master Fred Nelson of the
Grange, should be of interest to all
those who have the best interests
of both the farmers and wage work
ers at heart:
"This brings the whole disruption
movement into the open, where the
state executive committee can
squarely fight it both in the courts
and before the bar of public opinion
Bouck's intolerance and autocratic
ideas and methods are familiar to
the executive committee, but. as
elected officers of the grange, we
have been obliged to act and sup
port him so far as we could when
he was state master. For the good
of the organization it has been neces-
sary to keep silent about many things
officially.
"But in the secession movement
call, which provides that only Bouck
supporters will be admitted as dele
gates, the regular executive COM
protect the organization on clear
drawn issue, which has been hereto
fore lacking. The grange constitu-
ton makes the executive committee
it's governing body between state
conventions, and we believe the
courts will sustain this provision
against any efforts the insurgents
may attempt to gain control OF the
state organization"
The State Federation is glad that
the matter has come to head and
sincerely trusts that the show down
will result in a real cleanup, and
has already assured the state mas
ter of the grange, Fred Nelson, and
his colleages, that the old alliance
between the Federation and the
farmers will gladly be renewed when
those who have been responsible for
the disruption of our joint forces
have at last met their just deserts
Fred Nelson is a clean cut progress
sive, and is thoroughly honest and
above-board in his dealing with both
the members of his own organlza-
ton, the representatives OF labor
and with all others with whom his
work brings him in contact.
The farmers and wage earners
have much in common and much
good can accrue to both organiza-
tions by active cooperation between
honest and responsible representa-
tives from both organizations -
something the grange lacked wher
represented by Messrs. Bouck anc
Cottrell - something which shoulc
now become evident to all concerned
in this effort of disruption of the
Grange, of which they have openly
assumed the leadership.