The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-08-30
SOCIALIST CLAIM.
Increase of Clinton
Vote Will Be Ten
Per Cent.
so SAY THE PARTY LEADERS.
How the Party Has Grown
and What Has Caused
It's Growth.
so SAY THE PARTY LEADERS.

Clinton, Aug. 29.-Clinton section of
the socialist labor party is getting
ready for the fall campaign. This will
be the first time in its history that the
socialist labor party has been required
to nominate candidates by caucus in
the same way as the old parties.
Socialists in Clinton are well situated
to do this. Last spring they named
their town committee. James P. Nc
Donald is secretary of the committee.
In few days he will issue call for a
caucus, just as the other parties do.
The caucus will nominate delegates to
a state convention of socialists, dele
gates to senatorial convention and
delegates to a representative conven-
ton.
The socialist labor party is first in
the field. A communication was adj
dressed to the selectmen last night,
asking for the use of the town hail.
Sept. IL. The selectmen will pass upon
the request at their next meeting and
furnish the socialists some other hall,
in case town hall is in use.
The representative of The Spy was
assured today by a prominent member
of the party that the socialists of the
state will wage a campaign of more
than usual energy. In spite of good
times they freely prophesy a larger" So
cialist labor vote than ever before.
This man claims that the socialist
vote in town will be at least 10 per cent
larger than it was last fall.
The reason for this rapid growth, he
fr in fIa 1oT0n O Of social
istic and semi-socialistic literature that
is turned out by the printing presses of
several companies that print no other
literature.
Literature of this class has circulated
among the people to an extent not be-
fore equaled and is seen in the hands
of dozens of men who do not in the
least suspect themselves of having So
cialistic tendencies, but who are being
permeated with the influence Of this
literature.
To the Worcester newspapers the So
cialists attribute no small part, in the
creation of a soeialistic sentiment in
Worcester county. The papers have
contained more or less lengthy reports
of socialistic speeches made on Wor-
cester common, which reports have in
some instances been written so as to
throw ridicule upon the doctrine, but
which have contained the facts. The
members of Clinton section claim to be
satisfied to get their doctrine before the
people and let it do it's work, no matter
how much criticism goes with it.
Heretofore the section has had things
its own way, in its peculiar field. But
this fall it has a rival in the social
democrats, of which Wilson B. Kill
lngbeck is the working head.
The organizations are fighting for the
same result. They want the people to
own the machinery of production and
administer it. But instead of eat
ing peacefully from the same manger,
two kinds of socialists are intensely an
tagonistic to each other.
The social democrats say that the So
cialistic labor party is hurting the
cause of socialism by fierce denuncia-
tons of individuals who own capital.
They later retort that social democrats
are traitors.
The SOCIAL democrats seem rather
more wide awake than their older, COM
petitors. They have started a COOP
eratiVe store, which has a growing pat
ronage. although it is far from being
as well stocked as its patrons would
like it to be. The store is run on the
commonwealth plan, as much as any
store can be that is very small So
cialistic oasis in a great, big competi-
tive world.
Most likely the voters in this repre-
sentative district may choose among
eight candidates. Democrats and re-
publicafs will nominate each two. and
the two kinds Of socialists each two
There should be- half as many candi-
dates for senator, and at least five
candidates for governor, if the prohi-
bitionists do their duty.