The Socialist Civil War

To the Editor of the Everett Labor Journal: My attention has been called to several articles that have appeared in the Commonwealth of your city, treating of the case of the Spokane socialist local. The dispute arises from the refusal of the local to expel D.C. Coates when he refused to sign an undated resignation to the office of city commissioner—an office to which he had been elected under a non-partisan law. Brother Coates is charged with 'treason' for failing to obey the mandate of the state secretary, Krans Bostrom. Bostrom, aided by certain characterless scrubs and Pinkerton tools in this city, has used his office to misrepresent the position of the Spokane local. Let us see for what Coates stands: The elimination of the contract system and the doing of public work by day labor; the payment of the union wage scale; the employment of heads of families in preference to single men; compelling city contractors to do honest work; and the eight-hour day on all public work. Truly a 'capitalistic' program, and one calculated to inspire fear in the hearts of the exploiters. He has the courage to stand up and fight for these things, and so, of course, is betraying the workers. How would you like to be betrayed in that way, Mr. Reader?