The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1922-07-21
Education of the Workers Is Urged
BY Rev. Robert Whitaker at Picnic

Forty per cent of the citizens in
the United States nave the mind OF
1z-year- old children and SO pee cent
have the mind of 15 year old.
Americans are bunch of grown
up children and need education
These are some of the expressions
used by the Rev Robert Whitaker
of California last Sunday when
speaking before few hundred
farmer-laborites at the picnic in
Forest Park. Discussing the politl-
cal movement, the speaker said:
"There will never oe an improve
ment in legislation until the great
majority of the people have a pro-
portioral representation in the law
making bodies he said. "Many
professional anG business men are
beginning to realize that something
is wrong in government and that the
Farmer-Labor part! has program
worthy of their consideration.
THE economic machinery of the
nation is not working right, but the
workers and producers cannot put
it in good working order by throw
ing bricks at capitalists or their rep
resentatives-the men you have sent
to congress and the legislature-nor
will the capitalists make any pro-
gress by throwing bricks at the
workers. Get down and fix the ma
chinery. Do not expect to accom-
plish anything with it by cursing or
singing the doxology. The lawmak-
ers you are abusing have worn warts
on their seats because you had warts
on your thinking apparatus when
YOU voted for them,
"The greatest problem to be
solved is that involving production
and distribution. The production sys-
tenn is highly efficient. but the dis
tributiOn system is centuries behind
the times. You are going into war
if you do not put an end to the sys-
TEN which crates war. This nation
is today producing far more than it
can consume-the capitalist system
is choking the machine; it can't dis
pose of the surplus it takes away
from the producers, and it is invit-
ing war with those nations within
which attempts are being made to
dispose of that surplus"
Substitution of an industrial de-
mocracy, of a cooperative COM
monwealth, such as was contemplat-
ed by the founders of this republic,
for the present autocracy of wealth
built up by the capitalist system,
was suggested by the speaker as the
most effective remedy for the ills
from which the nation is suffering
j. c. Kennedy. state secretary of
the FarmerLabor party, who fol-
lowed Rev. Whitaker, said it was
ridiculous to attempt to overthrow
the present vicious system by get
ting" Senator Poindexter.
The The system created and MAIN
tanned by the Morgans, Rockefellers
and their associates will continue to
function as smoothly as it has for
years so long as the common people
permit old party candidates to shake
their hands before election and shake
the common people afterwards and
do the bidding of the exploiters. The
coming election will, this speaker
asserted, be in the nature of CEN
sus showing with the present sys-
tenn and are contented to submit to
further exploitation, and how many
prefer an industrial democracy with
Il square deal for all.
use the ballot intelligently if you
would improve conditions peaceably,"
Le suggested. "If you can't vote
straight you can't be depended upon
to act straight in your own inter.
ests." Referring to the efforts of
the railway companies to economize
by cutting wages. Kennedy said the
poorest paid men had received the
greatest reductions. while the high
salaries of the "swivel chair offic-
ials" who perform no real service,
remain untouched.
Other speakers were: E. c. Daley,
county chairman; w. j. Fortson and
4. B. Tyler. nominees, respectively,
for state senator and congressman.
The tug of war between the rail
way men and city workers, principal
event on the program of sports, was
won by the former in less than one
second, on a flying start that their
opponents could not overcome.
Between 500 and 600 people were
in attendance. with about every part
of the county represented.
Percy B. Tyler. vice president of
the Railway Carmen, has accepted
the nomination as a candidate for
congress for this district
Other candidates named by the
Farmer-Labor people at the picnic
were: w. j. Fortson, Home Acres,
molder, farmer and active member
of the Everett Central Labor Coun-