The times., 1900-12-23
SOCIALISM IN NEW YORK.
Present influence and Ideals of the
Different Factions.

NEW YORK, Dec. 22-Certain demands
by the Sociaiist-Labor faction in the
movement for civic reform have excited
some interest in the tendency and infiu-
ence of socialism in this city. Herbert n.
Casson, Socialist leader. who was re-
Gently a member of the community at
Ruskin, Tenn, and some years ago CO.
agitator with Keir Hardle, the English
Socialist, said today that, though no CEN
sus of Socialists had ever been taken here,
it was probable that their numerical
strength in Greater New York was about
$4,000. They are not, however. as in Ger
many, united in one great political party,
nor. as in Belgium, bound together by
score of business enterprises. Each fac
tion stands for itself; the votes of all
have never been cast as unit
Roughly speaking" said Mr.. Casson
today, II should say that there were no
less than 5000 Socialists in Greater New
York. There has never yet been politi-
cal contest, however. in which they have
not been divided, not even during the can
ddacy of Henry George, when he polled
SO, 600 votes Whether in New York or
elsewhere, the Socialists have never been
a happy family. They have always had go
much love for the race that they had meme
left for each other. The Abolitionists, in
their most contentious days, had fewer
splits and less intoierant wrangling than
the modern Socialists.
''The first New York Socialists came
from Germany. They were men and
women who had been trained in the fierce
ly logical school Of Marx and Lassalle,
and who had been driven from the Faith
erland by Expressive laws. These exiles,
taught by Imprisonment and persecution
n ha ha
been able to reconcile themselves to the
rough -and-tumble democracy of this
country. They at once set themselves
in opposition to American political and
economic institutions. Here and there.
through the East Side, they have fitted
up stufy little halls over beer saloons,
and organized sections to propagate
their ideas. Several printing Offices were
equipped and leaflets, reprinted from the
writings of Marx, Lassalle, Kanfsky, and
Krapotkin, were circulated. Three week
ly papers were started-English German,
and Hebrew. At the present time there
are, in addition to these, three six-page
daily papers, with an East Side circula-
tion.
Meetings are held almost every even
ing in halls and on the street corners, at
which feryid young taiiors and mechanics
pour stream OF redhot political econ
omy on the heads CT an audience which
sympathizes with the speakers, and ap-
plauds what little it can understand
Their arguments seem to be logical and
their eafnestness and sincerity beyond
question. For the sake of their convic-
tions they have again and again lost their
situations and endured ridicule and pow
erty. Defeat cannot daunt them. 1t is
now about eighteen years since the first
nrf ne o,,f1
they have nominated candidates at every
election, and been defeated on all occa-
slons, they are still undismayed and con-
sidering which of their number shall be
nominated for mayor. The money they
spend for hall rent and printing amounts
to thousands. every year. On all special
occasions they hire the Windsor Theatre,
the Thalia Theatre, and not infrequently
the Grand Central Palace. There is no
doubt that every one OF these Jealous
devotees might now have home Of his
own in New Jersey or Brooklyn il he
had saved the money he has spent for
propaganda during the last fifteen years.
The doctrines for which these men and
women sacrifice so much may be summed
up in few words. They maintain that our
present social system offers the mass of
the people political liberty, but condemns
them to Industrial seryitude. 1t is un-
just. they say. that an employer should
pay his workers less than the full amount
of their earnings. Profit and the profit
taker should be eliminated by the public
ownership of every industry in which
hired labor is employed. They hold that
all banks are parasiticai encumbrances
upon the body economic: and that gold
silver. and bank notes should be replaced
by labor checks, certifying that the bearer
has performed some useful service to the
State. Their aim is to enlarge the wage
system by adding profits TO wages and by
taking the capitalist inside. All capital.
they say. should belong to the public. and
its employment is the chief function of
BY capital they mean, of
course, not property. but wealth employed
TO produce more wealth. The Socialists
say. with Aristotle, that money should
not breed.
'In short the ideal of the New York
Socialists is to establish direct connec-
ION between the worker and his product
- means OF political organization. They
seek to abolish the middleman, whether
as capitalist, broker, banker, or CONNER
cial traveller The interests of the en-
ployer and employe are irreconcilable.
they say. Every capitalist. however gen.
erous and well meaning, is an exploiter
Of his workers and cannot help il. Moth
ing SO arouses the wrath of Socialist
orator as the charities of the rich. This
capitalistic class they cry, steals $40
from US and gives US back 10 cents. We
want none of their charity; we want
Justice Many Socialist writers and
speakers go so far as to denounce the
capitalists as the most in
sidlous and dangerous enemies OF the
working people, for the reason that their
'harities make the wage workers satisfied
with the present Industrial system.
Every one of these Germans and He
brew revolutionists is politician. His in
1uence upon municipal matters has been
40 more than that of the fly on the wagon ;
wheel, but his activity and self-import- |
ance are extraordinary. His purpose is |
10 combine all wage-workers into a COM |
pact, obedient, class-conscious political !
party, which viii capture every DEPART |
ment of the national Government. and
forthwith proceed to dispossess all capi- |
-alists and inaugurate the Cooperative |
Unhappily for their ideals. |
he present nucleus of the Socialist DO |
itical party is split Up into two bitterly |
hostile factions, each with newspapers |
and candidates of its own. The smaller
If the two factions contains the more un- |
non-assimilative opponents |
IF capitalism. They are the rigid Puri- |
ans of the movement. infallible and CEN
serious. The larger body has been Ieay-
sned by the influx of Americans. and is !
ess fanatieal liz its opposition to things |
IS they are. During the November cleo
lion 1t developed voting strength of |
L15, 900 throughout the country and a local |
of about 10000.
THE Socialists who WELD most influ-
,nce in this city are perhaps those who !
all thems elves Fabians. or opportunists. |
they are Tor the most part unorganized,
Except IN a score of small clubs and |
eagues Their working policy is not to |