Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-09-22
Scattering the Voters.

From present indications the voters in
this country will be pretty well split up
/ within very few years. They are urged
, to vote for this, that and the other thing,
each of which apparently requires a
separate party organization.
On Monday night.at Cooper Union Hall,
New ork, the German Socialist leaders,
DR.. Aveing and Herr Llebknecht, VINO
are visiting this country for the purpose
Of spreading their SocialIstic doc
trines, urged workingmen to go
into politics as Socialists. They
want to start Socialist party,
and advise all the workingmen TO join it,.
1t would undoubtedly be strong party,
provided every man who works for wages
could be induced to join it. AS there is
no probability that all wage workers
could be made to believe that the success
of Socialistlc doctrines would improve
Socialists will get very strong foothold
in this country are not good.
The Socialists, however, are pursuing
the same course that the PTohibitionists
are. The Prohibitionists. favor separate
party, and they are doing their utmost to
overthrow the Democratic and Republi-
can parties in order that they may get
control of the State and Federal govern
ments. There is no probability, of course,
that the Socialists and PrOhibitionists
will work together. The Socialists would
about as soon think of giving up Social
ism as giving up beer.
There are signs that the working
men intend to enter politics as a distinct
organization for the purpose OF securing
such laws as will tend to promote their
interests. The Knights OF Labor and the
different labor unions have been told by
their leaders that the way to secure re.
dress for grievances is the ballot. They
must nominate workingmen's tickets and
endeavor to put wOrkingmeD, or the
friends of workingmen, in places OF influ.
ence and power.
1t would seem as il there wouldn't be
many voters left to support the two great
political parties of the countryside
Democratic and Republican--,if the Pro-
hibiuonists, the Socialists and the work.
ingmen should eacn nominate tickets.
These organizations for particular pur-
poses, however, while they draw voters
away from the old political organizations,
will hardly become formidable enough
to seriously threaten the overthrow
OF either the Democratic or Re-
publican party. 1t is undoubtedly
true, however, that both the Democratic
and Republican leaders are influenced in
their course to greater or less extent by
fear of the power OF the ProhibitIonists
and workingmen. The Socialists have
not yet, of course, acquired sufficient
strength to be of much importance, and
the country will be much the gamer If
they never do. The Republicans of New
York did not call State convention this
year because they did not want to discuss
the labor problem or give any sort
Of recognition to prohibition. The eau
tious course Of the two great political
parties would seem 10 indicate that the
wiser course for the ProhIbitionists, So
clalists, workingmen and all other organi-
cations, which have some special object
to gain. would be TO seek what they want
within the great political parties, rather
than outside OF them. Outside of them
they cannot hope for much, while inside
Of them there Is a chance for gaining
whatever is right.