The herald., 1898-11-01
SOCIALISM
MI. Bliss Will Not Support Job Harri-
man Eor Governor

man Tor Governor
At the meeting of the Socialist Labor
party last week a letter was read from
| Kew. W. ID. p. Bliss in answer to a request
from that party to give his reasons why he
supported Mr.. Mcguire, and not the Social
ist Labor party. Mr.. Bliss, after answering
| some personal points and stating that he
spoke only for himself and not for the Union
Reform league, says:
Mr.. Mcguire is not Socialist, but he
stands and honestly stands-I think no one
questions MS honesty-on platform, OF
union of platforms, which does propose some
socialistic measures. They are by no means
al the measures l personally would like,
but they propose more practical socialism
than does any other party. Therefore, as
Socialist get all l can and vote for that
party which promises to give me the most
socialism. If the Republican party prom
ised me more socialism, and did it honestly
and could give it to me, l would vote for
that party. Mr.. Mcguire certainly stands
for more practical socialism than does the
Socialist Labor party. 1t is true that the
Socialist Labor party puts all socialism into
its platform, but its candidates all say and
are compelled to say, what everybody knows,
that, of course, they cannot be elected, and
therefore can practically give us nothing. 1
therefore vote for that party that will give
me the most of what l want and what be-
lieve the country needs. The union platform
promises strict state control of railroads,
low fares and forbidding railroads to earn
dividends on watered stock 1t favors gov
ernment money for the people, and not gold
for the banks; it favors the referendum and
other measures. This may not be much:
it is, at least, more than any other party
offers. Your party offers nothing, because
it correctly says it can give nothing.
"You call this Compromise That is
child's talk. Does the oak compromise when
1T begins as an acorn? Does the flower COM
promise when it begins as a seed? Does
the man compromise who begins as a babe
Your party ignores and forgets and violates
the whole law of growth and of nature
Therefore, you get nothing and can get
nothing. Your party has been in existence
over twenty years, and yet in the whole
United States you have only handful of
well-meaning and honest but impracticable
dreamers. l challenge your whole party to
show anywhere in the United States one
practical measure you have gained or have
even tried to gain.
"That is the worst of your policy. Be-
cause you cannot get it all, you do not believe
in even trying to get little. You are talk
ers, but not workers. You are active in
talk, but when it comes to doing anything
you are not there. In your city platform
you 'denounce' the proposed new charter,
but did you do anything to improve it? Did
other reformers try to get the referendum
You did nothing. Did we agitate for mu-
nicipal ownership? You did nothing; you
never do anything. Your party is the same
in Boston, in New York, in Chicago, in St.
Louis, in San Francisco and in Los Angeles
"a party of words, words, words.
"Now, our policy is doing something. 1t
has secured municipal water works, gas
works and electric light plants in many of
the cities of the United States. 1t has re-
formed charters, it has gained the referen-
dunn, it has shortened hours for municipal,
state and federal employees, it has raised
wages and provided work, and at the same
time it has conducted an enormous educa-
tional work. The peoples minds are chang
ing. Socialism is advancing rapidly, but very
little of it is due to the Socialist Labor
party and none of these practical reforms
are due to your party. believe our Union
Reform league has in few months reached
more new minds in California with the
socialistic idea than the Socialist Labor
take of little children, who talk about the
bigness and beauty of an oak and show how
vastly superior the oak is to the acorn, but
YOU forget that if you really want an oak
YOU must first have acorns. believe in
socialism so much that I really want a
little of it. as we'll as to talk about it. And
your party does worse than nothing. You
continually, though unintenionally,, play
into the, hands of the enemy. If Mr.. Ma
ruire is defeated this year, and the Southern
Pacific railroad wins. it will be in part be-
cause of the votes you draw away from prac-
tical reform. Every socialist vote cast for
your candidate is, unintentionally, of course.
vote for the Southern Pacific railroad.
am not willing so to vote.
"There is one condition, and only one
condition, under which I could vote your
ticket. If that condition was fulfilled I
would be willing to see Mr.. Mcguire de-
feated and see California put more than
ever under the power of Mr.. Huntington. If
by giving more power to private railroads