The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1922-05-19

Seattle, Wn.. May 10. 1922.
Mr.. James A. Duncan.
Labor Temple, City.
Brother Duncan:
On my return to the office today
| found your open letter of May oth
addressed to me personally.
In it you inform me. in substance
that irrespective of anything | might
say to the contrary you are still
convinced that your own construc
ton, placed on the letter sent out
on behalf of the Executive Councl
of the Federation on April 18th. is
correct. Let me, in reply. assure you
that | have neither hope nor desire
to change your personal opinions ant
attitude in the slightest degree. \ OF
assert in your letter also that l have
encouraged at least one individual tC
become a candidate for high office
on the republican ticket. This asser-
ton is not true as are the many
other things you have attempted tC
malign me with in recent months.
Your letter also invites me to join
you in a iunketing tour of the state
to present our own personal political
views to the rank and file. so that
they may be thus aided in arriving
at a proper decision on political
policy, by my debating with you
the following subject: Resolved
That the best interests of the work
ers upon the political field will be
best conserved by independent politl-
cal action upon the part of the pro
ducers through their own party" YOU
then inform ME that you will under
take to defend the affirmative anc
ask me to defend the negative side
of the question.
Were | merely notoriety seeker
concerned only with imposing my
personal convictions on others, anc
devoid of any sense of responsibility
to the labor movement that has hon.
ored me with their confidence,
might under such circumstances
give some consideration to your pro
posal. However, the state labor
movement. in addition to placing me
in a position of honor and trust
employs me at a reasonable remun
Grafton to render service to it II
carrying out such policies as it may
decide will best promote its interests
and would naturally resent any at
tempt on my part to, at their eX
pense run helter-skelter over the
state on such a ridiculous mission as
airing my own views versus YOU
personal opinions, much as such
burlesque might flatter your dis
torted ego. Until such times az
the State Federation of Labor con
vention meets in July and decides OF
the political policy it desires to fol
low this fall, there is nothing for me
to debate either on the platform oil
through the public press with any
one. Once it has arrived at a decl
sion in its convention you may fee
assured that | will then gladly NEE
either yourself or anyone who may
be in the field opposing it and de
fend its policy.
1t is on this sound principle that
you take personal issue with the
Executive Council of the Federation
and myself. We have taken the posi-
ton that until the representatives OF
the rank and file have. through the
legitimate machinery established an(
maintained for that purpose-th'
State Federation convention-reachet
decision. that to avoid the posi-
bility of division in our ranks al
local action be deferred and the ques
ton settled democratically by thu
delegates as a whole. Your position
seems to be that you are convinced
YOU are infinitely so much wiser thar
the general membership of our move
ment that it is sacrilege for them t
question your wisdom by asking tina
| they be privileged to settle the ques
ton themselves. | sincerely regre
my inability to agree with you II
your appraisement of your own per
sonal Importance, and drew your at
tention to the task that lays befor