100 years ago in Spokane: Socialists cancel lecture of noted socialist because he backs war with Germany

Spokane socialists angrily canceled the lecture of noted English socialist John Spargo.

Why? Because he recently came out in favor of war against Germany.

Apparently, Spokane’s socialists, along with the national party, remained adamantly against war with Germany, on the principle that it was a nationalist war and contrary to the aims of socialism. One local socialist charged that Spargo “had prostituted the teachings of Karl Marx, and that in England they knew Spargo was a backslider as early as 1910.”

The local socialists passed a resolution declaring that Spargo’s stance was in direct opposition to their stance, and “we withdraw all support.”

Spargo responded by calling the cancellation “at once comic and pathetic.”

“It is a delightfully German conception of freedom of speech,” he said. “… The people responsible for that resolution understand neither socialism nor Americanism. I consider myself complimented by their action on the whole, much as I regret the fact that the socialist movement locally is dominated by such narrow bureaucrats who would forbid free speech.”

Spargo had been quoted by local papers as believing that “the Central Powers should be defeated in the interest of civilization.” This was becoming an increasingly common opinion, socialists excepted.