The herald., 1898-12-17
CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM
DIR. BLISS REVIEWS HIS IMPRESS
SIoNs IN THE EAST
Business Conditions Compelling Men
to Think-An Estimate of Debs.
Bryan and Silver in 1900

DR.. Bliss, who has just returned from an
extensive trip to the east, was seen by a Her
aid reporter yesterday. DR.. Bliss has been
as far as Boston, delivering nine addresses
in that city, eight in New York city, six in
Chicago, eight in St. Louis, three in Pu-
eblo, four in Manhattan, Kansas, and nine
in Salt Lake city.
Everywhere" he says, II found the ideas
of Christian socialism spreading and taking
root In Chicago DR.. Heron is speaking
every Monday at noon on Christian social
ism and drawing vast crowds. Governor
Altged says he has never seen Chicago so
stirred. In Boston Dr. b. Fay Mills fills
large theater every Sunday night to hear
address on similar subjects. In a con-
servative New England city like Burlington,
VT, found almost equal interest.
"The fact is, business conditions are com
pelling men to think. Nowhere in the land
except in few placed in Kansas and some
of the agricultural states did find any real
prosperity, and in those states it was due
only to the temporary good prices of grain.
Some mortgages have been paid off, but
mainly little back interest has been paid !;
that is all"
''But has not our increased export trade
helped the eastern manufacturers"
Only little, and it has helped the
workngman scarcely at ALL America is eX-
porting because the American workingman
is so underpaid today in proportion to his
productive power that we are able to com
pete with the pauper labor of Europe. Our
export trade is built up partly on the ruins
of American labor and partly on the failure
of the American market. Our people, un.
der a captalstic gold policy, are becoming
so poor that they cannot buy; hence we
need foreign markets and an imperial colo.
nial policy"
DIR. Bliss was asked, is the country tend
ing more and more to favor imperialism or
not?
'It is not" replied the doctor. "The So
ber second thought Of the country is assert
ing itself One evidence of this is that
President Mckinley is beginning to waver.
President Mckinley's message, which con-
slider was lacking in either brains, back bone
or heart, dared not recommend any policy,
while since then the president is beginning
to hedge still more plainly"
"To what do you attribute the Republican
successes in the late electon?"
'They did not succeed in the east. In
A'AuSooNhNEStts, cHS Va tiIS lllOsl
Republican congressman was defeated in
Republican stronghold and a Socialist
mayor and two state representatives were
elected in another"
"Does this portend other victories for
socialism,"
"Not for the Socialist Labor party; that
party has no future. These victories be-
longed to the new Social Democratic party
which Mr.. Debs is forming"
"Will this party grow?"
4 think not Mr.. Debs, with whom I
talked three hours, is great, enthusiastic,
impulsive boy, honest and true, but not
wise in the work of permanent organiza-
tion."
''What party has the future of reform %
"This lies with the Democratic party if
it is true to the present plans of-its leaders.
had three long interviews with Coin Har-
vey in Chicago Mr.. Harvey believes that
the Democratic platform in 900 will con-
centrate the battle on free silver and the
referendum. If it does the Democratic
party will win.
THE SILVER QUESTION
'The Republicans will find the liveliest
dead thing they ever touched, especially it.
as they now propose, they withdraw the
greenbacks and allow the banks to issue
money instead of the government, as is
virtually proposed | agree with what ex-
Governor Stone of Missouri told me in a
conversation: We shall be compelled to
make the financials fight: in 1900 on the
mistakes of the Republicans and that will
be large PLATFORM
DR.. Bliss in regard to Los Angeles said
he found the work of the Union Reform
league in very good condition. "The So
cialists of the revolutionary type have left
us" said DR.. Bliss and now we have some
chance. The work, however, is going SO
well in this city that l expect to spend
much of my time in lecturing through the
state"