Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1889-04-06

ADMIRABLY CONDUCTED BY
THE CHICAGO SOCIALISTS.
Agitation EXtraordinary-A Social.
ist Ratification - Speeches by
CandidAtes-A Small But
Solid N0te-IIccIcrs
Well Beaten.

The Socialist Sections of Chicago
made the most of their limited OPP
portunity during the short election
campaign between the date of their
nominating convention and the mu-
nicipal election which occurred last
Tuesday After the first surprised
eXclamations, the capitalist press
kept "dumb as an OYSTER concern
in the socialist campaign, and the
people Of Chicago, as rule, had no
knowledge Of what was going on.
Last Sunday afternoon our com
rades held a ratification meeting, at
which some of the candidates spoke.
Chairman Heeg, in opening the
meeting, read the manifesto of the
Party, after which he introduced the
Socialist candidate for Mayor,
Charles Orchardson, who made
forcible speech, in which he de.
picted the condition of the workers
and referred to their patient bearing
of their burdens on the strength of
the promises Of the old party candi-
dates. He closed by saying that all
who voted the socialist ticket voted
against the capitalist system, aud he
felt sure that if the people once
C0mprehended the aims Of socialism
they would vote the socialist ticket.
The audience frequently attested
their approval Of the Professors
remarks.
Then followed a speech in Ger
manly Peter Knickrchm, ,aldermanic
candidate for the Seventh Ward.
Mr.. Knickrehm reviewed the po-
htlcal activity Of socialists in this
country, showed how they were fore
most in every labor movement, how
they were the life of the Radical
Labor Party and the Progressive
Labor Party, and how they did not
snCcecd to the extent of their eXpac-
tat0ns. Now the Socialist Party
had come to conclusion that they
could not act in harmony with re-
dictionary elements, but had to place
themselves fully upon their own
platform. Compared with the So
cialist Party, all other parties
formed one reactionary mass. The
speaker then answered categorically
the chestnutty objections which
were raised by certain "friends"
Of the Party against going into the
election. We are told that we shall
make ourselves ridiculous by the
small vote we shall poll. think
that we made ourselves more ridicu-
lOus when helped to cast $4,000
votes for party that does not exist
any more; when we helped elect
representatives who voted in favor
of the Merritt bill. We are also
told that before deciding to 60 into
elections we should have sought the
advice of the trades organizations.
My opinion is that those organiza-
tlons are not competent in this mat
ter They are composedto a great
extent of people who still work with
the old corrupt parties, and there
fore could not be expected to be
able to decide properly, nor would
their opinion be worth anything to
socialists.
Mr.. B. Berlyn, candidate for col
lector, made a short speech, in
which he gave honor to the S. l.. p.
Mr.. Berlyn was one of the active
men in the Progressive Labor Party
in New York, and is an old-time
socialist.
The chairman then introduced
Thomas J. Morgan, the organizer
of the American Section, who fairly
outdid himself in mastery speech
which carried his audience with him.
He told how the democrats" were
calling Roche, the Republican"
candidate, bad, and the "republi
cans" were complimenting Cregier,
the democratic" candidate for
Mayor, in the same manner. And
the fun of it was, both we're right.