The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-10-20

sonal choice as the democratic preSiden-
tial candidate in 1904.
mayor David 8. Rose Of Milwaukee, the
democratic candidate for governor Of Wis
consln,' stands on the New York platform,
ana says that 1.-The government ought to
seize the anthracite coal fields, use the
coal necessary to supply the needs Of the
government, and sell all the rest at the
cost Of production to relieve the poor.n II
A Boom for Socialism.
Socialism in all parts of the country has
received a tremendous boom as the result
OF the strike. Many thousands Of new
converts have been made in the ranks of
the laboring people, and the claim is
made, with good authority, it is believed,
that the socialist vote next month will
break all records in this country. In Penn
sylvania the growth has perhaps been
more marked than elsewhere, but what is
going on In that state is going on in other
states, too. It is claimed by socialist lead
ers that 500 new socialist lodges have been
organized In Pennsylvania since the strike
began. In Schuylkill county alone twenty
six new lodges were organized in one week
recently. Practically all of these new con
Verts are miners and men from the other
laboring ranks who heretofore have been
republicans. 49,. -. -
In New Jersey and in Delaware the So
clallst ranks have been greatly strength
ened, many of the anarchists of the former
state having Joined. + ss.'
In New York state the declaration of the
democratic party in favor. of government
ownership has caused CONSERVATION in the
ranks of thinking men in all parties. So
cialist lodges have multiplied rapidly, and
all socialists will vote the democratic
ticket next month.
The rest of the country has not been
heard from In detail, but in the SIX states
named, New York, Pennsylvania New
Jersey, Delaware, Ohio and Wisconsin, the
socialist outlook has never been SO bright
as 1t is at present. New York and Penn
sylVanla are the greatest states in the
union; ONO in many ways is the greatest
state IN the middle west; Wisconsin in
some respects is the greatest state of the
northwestern tier With state socialism
gaining strong foothold in these locali-
ties, and having the official favor of the
democratic organization to greater or less
degrees, 1t Is we'll enough to ask if the
party, as whole, is about to find in So
cialism its long sought national issue?
March 4, 1905, when the Roosevelt term
will end, will mark the end of forty-fou
years since the close of the Buchanan ad-
ministration. In all those years the demo-
Gratis have been in power in the White
House but twice. One Of the Cleveland
terms was a democratic disappointment,
and was more severely criticized by demo-
Gratis than by republicans. The demo-
Gratis, therefore, have had but four years
of real power since the beginning Of the
civil war.
Fate of Minority Parties. :,.-~
In France, Germany and Austria the
minority political parties, through the dis =
appointment of repeated failure for years
have been socialistic. Is the democratic
party Of thegUnited States, for similar
reason, to: follow the lead Of these old
world minority parties?
The question Is one of intense popular
interest, aside from any partizan, feelings.
Such a policy would be no more strange
than the adoption Of free silver by the
democracy In 1896 and again in 1900. The
tree silver craze was popular in the
widest sense. 1t attracted the common
people as no political issue had done for
many years, and it is We'll remembered
that the most heroic measures were
adopted in many Of the large cities in
1896 to prevent the. laboraVote from slump
ing to Bryan In a body. Had it done so,
his election would have been assured.
State socialism would perhaps he as pop
utarn an issue as free silver among the
comm on people,, and the coal strike has
suddenly thrust it forward. before the
gaze OF the country. The fact that it al
ready, has been adopted formally and
officially by the democratic leaders in
three states, New, York, Ohio and Wiscon-
sin, will lend an interest to the election
next month that-it could not otherwise
possess ): "A heavy democratic vote in
these States, and In the others that have
been named would no doubt move the
demo ATTIC organ ia ion or that part of
1t controlled BY the Bryanites, forward
towards socialism as fleat.paramount'' is
sue In 1904. 2 The vote in these three
states will be regarded, as a satisfactory
test. If socialism works we'll there in an
off year. why, the democrats will ask, will
it not work we'll in the country at large
two years later? -.--E. -
The South Is Opposed
The chief danger such. an issue would
encounter among democrats would be the
hostility Of the south, which did much
to make free silver possible as an issue
in 1896. Already words of warning have
come from that section that the demo-
Gratis there, noting the trend towards
socialism in states of the north, will not
indorse it. The Richmond Times voices
this southern opposition in a leading edi-
torial in which it points out the likelihood
that certain influential northern demo-
Gratis are leaning towards socialism, and
says with emphasis that the south will
not for a moment stand for any such
foolishness. The Times may or it may
not speak with authority. At any rate
the situation as it stands at, present is
filed with interest for men Of all parties
ard all sections 49,.
= .. w. w. Jermane.