The Northwest worker., August 12, 1915, Page 4, Image 4

About The Northwest worker. (Everett, Wash.) 1915-1917

Image provided by: Washington State Library; Olympia, WA

                
Pago Four.
The Northwest Worker
Entered as second-class matter
March 9, 1911, at the postoffice nt
Everett, Washington, under tho act
of March 3, 1579.
" IND. PHONE 47V/.
Published every Thursday by the
Press Committee of tho Socialist
Party Of Snohomish County, 1612 ('till
fornia St., Everett, Wash.
Maynard Shipley, Editor.
11. W. Watts, Business Manager.
'" Yearly subscription, $1,00; six
months, 60c; three months. 25c; single
copies. sc.
AMERICA.
By Anna Louise Strong
I thank thee. Lord, that 1 am not
As other nations are;
No tyrannies my records blot
Of emperor or czar,
For speech to every one Is free
Who doesn't disagree with me.
I grant to Russia's cowering slave
The boon of liberty;
This Is the country of tho brave,
The nation of the free.
I need twelve hundred armed police
To make paraders keep the peace.
1 know that Truth her rule attains
That In the end discussion gains
, By clash of mind on mind;
:, By views of every kind.
I grant full liberty of thought l
If you will think the things you ought.
WHERE'S THE FLAG?
• We are being continually told by
"patriots" (for profit) that we should
"honor the flag." die for it If need be;
and often one sees "the public" rise
when j. the band | plays ~ "The Star
Spangled Banner."
If asked as to why this ceremonious
respect for the colors, about the first
thing one hears from the devotee is
about how "the flag" stands for'this,
that and the other thing; but first of
all, "for free speech," "justice to all,"
••equality before the law." etc.
As a matter of fact we all know that
in a class-riven, society, where a small
minority lives in luxury off the ardu
ous labors of the hypnotized majority,
there can be no "equality," either "be
fore the law" or after the law gets in
its deadly work; and we know that
free speech and the right of peace
able assemblage exist only on paper,
merely to lend a semblance of justifi
cation for flag-worship, ancestor-wor-
ship, and "the high ;. and lofty '• prin
ciples ' upon , which C this government
was founded," etc.
But if some of the mentally-enslaved
workers who rise with such reveren
. tial alacrity ito the strains of the S.
S. B. should drop into Raymond, Ta
coma, Arlington, Port Angeles, Port
Townsend, —or other towns that could
be mentioned,and undertake to exer-
else some of the "rights" guaranteed
(?) by Old Glory, he would soon be
disposed to ask, "Where's the Flag?"
After a bunch of "the boys in blue,"
encouraged by "patriot" Sam McGee's
fire-water, had finished their patriotic
"duty" of beating up a citizen for at
tempting to apply in person some of
the "noble principles," etc., upon
which this republic was founded, the
mentally-enslaved victim would come
to his senses, and realize who owns
"the flag" and the government it rep
resents.
Why don't some of the good
-'patriots" who are so eager to defend
"the —with their mouths—do
something to defend the "rights" of
injured citizens under its folds?
Do none of our voluble patriots (?)
care whether or not an humble citi
zen's constitutional "rights" are vio
lated, if only "the flag" gets lip-serv
ice and outward respect?
Some of these days a body of real
patriots will be organized who will
stand ready to defend their constitu
tional rights with their life's blood, if
need be, even though the enemies of
liberty be clothed in the garb of sol
diers.
SOVEREIGN CITIZENS
While we were writing the fore
going lines, a worker brought word
to this office that the (old) Weyer
heauser Mill Co. has instructed Its
wage-slaves (excuse us, "sovereign
citizens") to register and vote "No"
against the proposed municipal water
plant. How's this for "the land of the
free and home of the" wage-slave?
Some "freedom" in this country, all
—freedom to do as you're told or
starve.
VOICE FROM MIDDLE AGES.
"The Eastland disaster may have
been an act of God to defeat the out
cry against the seaman's act." —Sam-
uel Gompers.
"They shall beat their swords into
plowshares and their spears into prun
ing hooks. Nation shall not rise
against nation, nor shall men learn
war anymore."The Hebrew Prophet
Isaiah.
GRAVE PROBLEMS' CALLING
FOR SOLUTION
Having expressed our editorial
views (Issue of July 28th) on what wo
believed to be the, proper attitude of
Socialists In case tha owners of Ihe
United Stairs should become Involved
In war with some foreign mil lon, It Is
now in order that we Maud read]
either to defend our position or change |
our views In the light of further study
and reflection. We did not lor a mo
. man! suppose that our position would
not be assailed. We welcome criti
cism. None of us know It nil. To
: gether we may finally arrive tit the
real solution of the grave practical
problem confronting us. At any rate,
honest and fearless discussion of the
groat Issues we are soon to meet face
to face cannot but be productive of
good results. • ,
ERNEST UNTERMANN DOES
NOT AGREE WITH US.
Comrade Ernest Untermann takes '
exception to our ultra-radical stand on '
the war question. He asserts that our
views are as Utopian as those of the
pacifists, and supports the stand of '
the National Committee. In our next
week's Issue we will publish his argu- '
ment in full, together with our own
reply. Comrade Untermann la one of
the best Informed writers in the So
cialist movement, and we always read
with Interest and profit anything he
has to say on party tactics.
ANOTHER POINT OF VIEW.
Seattle, Wn.. Aug. 3, 1915.
Editor, Northwest Worker:
' Your remarks on "Resisting Inva
sion" In your Issue of July 29th struck
me as made without due considera
tion of the facts in the case. Like the
optimistic Belgians in July, 1914, yon
Cry, "The Germans are not going to
invade our country." Further on you
say (supposing an invasion possible)
"Would we have to stand up and let
themthe Germans —shoot us down?"
Not at all. Neither the Germans nor
English would shoot down a non-com
batant" ' * „ _ , .7, ,;.;
How about the two-year-old child
crucified on a farmhouse door at
Haecht? the little children shot down
on the village green at Tamines, the
other children bayoneted at Weerde?
Surely these must have been non-com
batants!
In a land not invaded by a brutal,
merciless foreign army, it sounds fine
to talk of not under any circumstances
taking up arms in defence of the
country, but when the invader actually
lands upon our shores —when cruel
war really begins—all our fine resolu
tions are the mere fabric of a vision.
I have just heard of a good com
rade—a native of Belgium—for several
years a resident of Seattle and a red
card Socialist, who now for months
has been in the trenches somewhere
on the allied front. His parents, sis
ters and brothers lived in a Belgian I
village not far from the German fron
tier. It may have been Tamines where ;
the little children were shot, or Trlml
loo, Westpilaer. or Marchennes where
the ravishing of women and girls was
carried on by the wholesale. Wherever
his native village was located you may
be sure that atrocities were commit
ted there by the German soldiers, and
our good comrade, not being made of
wood, having red blood in his veins,
did what any true man would have
done: He went home to help defend —■
what? The Belgian government? He ,
didn't care a continental for the Bel
gian or any other government. He
went to defend the Belgian people in
the name of outraged humanity to i
drive the unspeakable assassins be
yond the Rhine.
Had Kirkpatrick lived In Belgium
the present year he would have modi
fied the pledge In "War, What For?"
That grand soul-stirring proclama
tion would have closed with this brief
note: "The Teutons not being human |
are not Included in the above pledge."
No, comrade, there can be no cut
and dried rule of action for Socialists
in war time. Man proposes but war
disposes.
Fraternally,
H. S. CROSBY.
4823 W. Dawson Street.
STILL SIGHING.
"The slghed-for period of prosperity
will not come; as often as we seem to
see its heralding symptoms, so often
do they again vanish into air. Mean
while, each succeeding winter brings
up afresh the great question, 'what to
do with the unemployed; but while
the number of the unemployed keeps
swelling from year to year, there Its
nobody to answer that question."—
Frederick Engles' preface to "Capi
tal," 1886.
Mutual aid amongst men has played
at least as great a part in human his
tory as the struggle for life. — Ram
sey McDonald.
Land should be given to those who
can use It, and tools to those who can
use —Ruskin.
Workers Must Oust
Kaiser, is ♦View
of Bolfrn
SPEAKER ASSERTS PARTY
MOVEMENT IN GERMANY IS
NOT REVOLUTIONARY—AU
DIENCE ASKS NUMEROUS
QUESTIONS.
Declaring tha Socialist movement of
Germany was not a revolutionary
movement, ami that, In fact, it could
not be a revolutionary Socialist move
man! so long as It permitted tin- Kai
ser and tho titled aristocracy to con- ;
tinue their rule, Frank llolin, In a re
cent address In Now York, told ot
some of his experiences In Germany I
and Austria recently. He addressed
a fair-sized audience In the Lenox
iOpen Air Gardens, at Lexoti avanua I
and i loth street, under the direction of
the Socialist Suffrage Campaign Com
mittee.
Holm's criticism of tha European So- I
cialists' attitude toward war was di
rected mainly against Germany and
Austria, the only two countries ho |
spoke of visiting, and his strictures did i
not meet with the unanimous favor of I
his audience. He bused his views up-1
on the statement that there had been j
an error committed in the history of:
Germany, In that, when other countries
had ousted their royalty, Germany con
tinued to keep Its crowned heads. The I
Germans bow to the Kaiser and his
clique, he declared, and until the Ger
cracy, no revolutionary Socialist move
ment is possible.
Says Vote Is Valueless.
The Reichstag, he declared, was
powerless and a 4,500,000 vote cast by
Socialists had no other value than a
register of noses. The laws are made
by the Bundesrath, a body of fifty-five
men appointed by the rulers. With
such a ruling body, the people of Ger
many had no power to prevent war.
He believed it would have been
much more effective If 10,000 men and
women had gone upon the streets and
openly declared that they laughed at
militarism, that they would spit upon
the uniform and medals and that they
would fight against war. If the 10,000
had declared "hang us all; boil us all
In oil —we will still oppose you," there
would have been no war. <
"Geographical divisions are respon
sible for the psychology of a people,"
continued Bohn. "The German nation
Is surrounded on all sides by other na
tions;, Its empire Is composed of many
small kingdoms. England is an island,
a united people. France Is a penin
sula, a republic, and free from harass
ing influences about it. The United
States has a broad ocean on each
side."
It was natural, Bohn contended, that
a land such as Germany should have a
different psychology than that of oth
er peoples.
"When, in 1848, there was a move
ment afoot for the purpose of further
: ing the Idea of democracy, the Ger
man revolutionists found themselves
!too small to cope with the power of
the landowning class," he went on.
"The peasants were not the people to
found a republic and the champions of
'democracy failed in their efforts. The
western and southern portions of Ger
many were adherents to the cause, he {
said, but feudal Prussia stifled the .
movement through its military power.
In other lands, however, the merchants
and shop owners who were independ- ;
ent of the feudal barons, furthered the •
cause of democracy.
The Setbacks In Germany.
"Following the effort in Germany,
about 1,500,000 Germans came to
j America. Again in the 80's another
1,500,000 left for this country, follow
| ing enforcement of the Exception
Laws, stripping Germany of 3,000,000
| political democrats and Social Demo
crats. As a result, the German move
! ment is now a reform organization,
'. and is not revolutionary. A change
in government means a change in the
minds of the people, and Germany has
made no such change. j
"In the movement of '48," said the
speaker, "the five Socialists in the
Reichstag were thrown into prison for
declaring that they represented the
working men of France, England, I
Russia and other countries, as well
as those of Germany. Today, the So- ;■
cialists are going to the front and
fighting the battles of the ruling
classes."
An armed revolution is the only
method which will wipe out the Ger
man aristocracy, Bohn argued. Eng
land stands 300 years ahead of Ger
many in the march toward democracy
and France stood more than a century
ahead, he contended.
"Germany will not march in step
with other nations until its patriotism,
its faith in the Kaiser, is stifled," he
declared. "Germany must fight the
fight of democracy."
The German movement, according
to Bohn, had turned completely over
to the militarists. It had lain down,
he asserted, and he quoted Albert
Sudekum, a member of the Reichstag,
THE NORTHWEST WORKER
FORWARD TO MARX
(lly Dr. Joseph Slavlt In the New York Call)
1 wish to call attention again to »
dangerous current in our movement,
because to be forewarned- is to be fore
armed, i Bay "again" because some
years ago i pointed out this currant in
Call readers la my articles on "The
Now Duehrlng," dealing with vvm.
English Wailing'- attempt to "prag
unitize" Socialism. Consciously, or
unconsciously; this current comes to
the surface now and then, and now
It bus revealed Itself In the letters tO
Tho Call in the recent Lester Ward
controversy,
The characteristic element of this
currant or tendency, despite Its varie
ty of forum and attractiveness (Bomo
tliiies) of appearance is readily recog-
Disable. It always consists In tho at
tempt to revise, recast, modernize, "re
Interpret In modern terms," "adapt, to
present needs," or even outright to re
ject the Marxian theories, because,
forSOOth, these theories are antiquated,
Inadequate, outgrown, outworn, un
sound, dogmatic, metaphysical, half
truths, "survivals of the middle ages,"
speculations of a past generation," etc.
etc., ad nauseam.
Thus, for Instance, In addition to tho
above-mentioned attempt at "pragma
tlzed" Socialism, I recall a "Reconsid
eration of Marxian Theory In the
Light of Bergsonlnn Philosophy," pub
lished in the Weekly People some
lime ago. Then there were the at
tempts to reconsider Socialism In the
light of Christianity, Judaism, the Bi
ble, and what not. Recently, In a
"Motion to Substitute" (see New Re
view, July 1), the class struggle and
class-consciousness are nominated for
the dump-heap In the light of house
hold hygiene and "common sense,"
those theories being considered "un
attractive, unsound, and unnecessary."
Now comes Comrade Llebel In a let
ter to The Call and "seconds the mo
tion." And close upon his'heels fol
lows Comrade Floyd Melvin with a
scholarly brief for this tendency.
Comrade Melvin sums up his letter
thus: "Let us continue to value Marx
for his heroic example of self-sacrific
ing intellectual labor for the cause,
but let us seek the theoretical basis
of our movement in a more modern
Interpretation" of sociological science."
He considers the work of Marx of
'more or less accidental and therefore
of uneven value," and that "some of
it has been positively misleading and
mlßChlevlous to the Socialist move
ment." And he exhorts Socialist stu
lents to "coniplete and appraise the
Marxian ' doctrines by familiarizing
themselves with current sociological
science." The writings of Lester
Ward, he asserts, 'without the slight
3st doubt," form "a more satisfactory
md logical basis for Socialism than do
;hose of Marx."
Well, there Is some doubt—at least,
in some minds, I yield to none in ap
preciation of modern science, includ
ng sociology. But not even sociology
jives an adequate scientific explana
;lon of social phenomena without the
Marxian analysis of the capitalist eco
nomic system and the Marxian expo
tition of the process of social evolu
ion. In short, sociology uninspired
>y the scientific Socialist method and
concept is a mere mass of inspired
;enerallties.
Let our would-be "revisers" show
dearly, unequivocally and conclusive
y. We live in New York, but we come
rom Missouri. Is the Marxian anal
■sis of the capitalist mode of produc
ion, exploitation and development cor-
THE WEALTH OF NATIONS.
For the year 1914 the following estimate of the national wealth
of the great nations shows how much ahead the United States is over
the others: !
United States i $150,000,000,000
Great Britain and Ireland 85,000,000,000
Germany 80,000,000,000
France '. 50,000,000.000
Russia 40,000,000,000
Italy .... 20,000,000,000
Spain 5,400,000,000
Netherlands 5,000,000,000
Seeing the U. S. stand out so far ahead of all other nations
in point of national wealth ought to make every jobless and home
less wage-slave in the country swell up with pride and patriotism.
Oh you Uncle Samuel -
at great length. Sudekum Is recog
nized as the extreme militarist of the
German Socialist group.
Socialism Strong in U. S.
Turning his attention to the Social
ist movement in this country, Bohn
declared that It stood 100 years ahead
of the world, "It won't fall," he said,
"as It is building upon a population
which is democratic in mind. The
Ameripan movement does not have to
fight the militarist influence to the ex
tent to which the workers do in Eu
rope. It must not follow the opinions
of European Socialists; it must hew
its own way and take the lead. One
thing the American movement needs,
however, it needs discipline. A little
more of that which Germany has too
much of."
Trunks and leather goods. Everett
Trunk Factory, 2815 Rockefeller.
root? Are there social-economic classes
and are these classes more or less con
scious or unconscious of their social
economic position and powers?. Must
class-consciousness necessarily play in
a class-divided society as society is to
day? Are the social-economic struc- ,
ture and the social-economic needs, in
terests and powers of the social classes
—are not these the main-springs (mind
you, not the only, but the main forces)
that operate to determine social events
and changes and even to shape to a
great extent social and class psychol
ogy? And I want to know particularly
just exactly what It is In the work of
Marx that has been "positively mis
leading and mischievous to the Social
ist movement."
If sociological science leads Comr
ade Melvin and others to "appraise"
Marx's works as "accidental," then so
ciological science and Its appraisers
havo yet to learn the great funda
mental Marxian principle that a work
like Marx's was a necessary historical
and social product and not the mere
speculations of an Individual brain.
Marx was more than a pioneer; he was
necessarily In advance of his time, al
though Its product. He built so far in
advance that it has taken sociology
half a century to reach a stage where
It could begin at all to appreciate the
Important conclusions of his work.
And while every sane socialist will
cheerfully acknowledge that Ward and
other modern sociologists have done
excellent work, and have even ap
proached very closely the Socialist
position, still this proves all the more
conclusively the soundness of the
Marxian position rather than the need
for its revision or rejection.
Let us continue to value modern
science and modern sociology, but let
us seek the theoretical basis of our
movement In a more Marxian Inter
pretation of social phenomena. And,
although It may be found worth while
to "appraise" Socialism and the Marx
ian theories from the Christian, or
pragmatic or sociologic, or other
standpoint, nevertheless it is equally
worth while— It Is imperative
appraise these very standpoints in the
light of the Marxian theory. What Is
sauce for the goose Is sauce for the
gander.
It Is an open secret that many a
member in our party is psychologically
but a combination of bourgeois mental
ity and Socialist sentimentality, with
or without a dash of respectability to
taste. This type of Socialist Is strong
for Socialism, any kind of Socialism
modernized,' spiritualized, pragmatized,
soclologized, Christianized, sterilized
and anesthetizedany kind except
Marxian "proletarianized." You see,
this Marxian kind is coarse and vul
gah, doncherknow! It wallows in the
mire of "material" things, and chat
ters about "classes," and it's unattrac
tive, and- isn't shaved, and wears the
whiskers of the past generation.
There is now a greater need than
ever before for a more general educa
tion In Marxian Socialism. The slogan
of "Back to Marx," raised recently in
some quarters, is a healthy sign, ex
cept that it should be "Forward to
Marx." It Is not Marx who is the
back number; it is the general mem
bership that is backward in their
knowledge of Marxian Socialism.
We charge our comrades of the war
ring nations with abandonment in
practice of their position In theory.
Shall we of America abandon even the I
Marxian theoretical position?
WORKINGMAN'S PSALM.
The politician is my shephard; 1
shall not want for anything during
the campaign. He leadeth me into the
saloon for my vote's sake. He filleth
my pocket with scab cigars; my cup
of beer runneth over. He inquireth
concerning my family even- unto the
fourth generation; yea, though I walk
through the mud and rain to vote for
him and shout myself hoarse, when
he is elected—straightway he forget
teth me. Although I meet him at his
own house he knoweth me not. Surely
the wool has been pulled over my eyes
all the days of my life, and I shall
dwell in the house of a chump for
evermore. Amen.
We make way for the man who bold
ly pushes past us. —Bovee.
DO YOU WANT TO BE CONVINCED THAT WE HAVE THE
BIGGEST HARDWARE VALUES IN THE MARKET? THAT
WE HAVE WHAT YOU WANT RIGHT NOW? WELL!
THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO DO, AND IF YOU NEED
BUILDERS HARDWARE, TOOLS OF ANY KIND, STOVES,
CUTLERY OR ANY ITEM LET US FIGURE ON WHAT YOU
WANT. THIS STORE IS EQUIPPED AND READY FOR
ALL EMERGENCIES.
■■■ . ,
Curran Hardware Co.
HEWITT AND BROADWAY
L
PASTIME 1
Amusement Parlors
FOR GOOD TIMES
Wetmore and Hewitt
Driesslein & Becker
C A. HEALY I PLUMBING II
• ---*.• X XJLL/_L_L JLV X Both Phoaes 584 I
3018 Wetmore Avenue Opp. Court House!
princess theater I
"51)- one place wljere ?ou always see I
Blje Stjows I
2jt?e Jaost Jramous Stars I
Accompanied by ICtiexcelleg Mtusic I
' ■
•»—i-M-^ '"'' '" •" -■ .■■--:■•■.,.. . ■■■■v^-. ~-'*^-'H
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BROADWAY
Friday and Saturday
| "THE KITE WITH RHEA MITCHELL" (in two parts)
«'FASHION AND THE SIMPLE LIFE" (in one part)
"HOGAN'S ARISTOCRATIC DREAM" (in two parts)
KEYSTONE COMEDY ||
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consideration; least of all can you
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of spokesmen— movement whose
press is printed in fifty different lan
Thursday, August 12, 1915.
guages. "Wisdom is the principal
! thing; therefore get wisdom; and with
all thy getting, get understanding."
Send in one-cent stamps, or money
order, to No. 1612 California street,
Everett, Wash.
GETTING AT IT.
"Mrs. O'Rooney, why do I never see
'Patrick at church now?"
Mrs. O'Rooney shook her head sad
ly.
"Is it Socialism?"
"Warse than thot, your riverence."
"Is it atheism?"
"Warse, your riverence."
"What is it then?"
"Rheumatism."