The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-21
The Socialist Party.

The increase in the Socialist vote at
the late election may have been large
relatively, but actually it was too small
TO be of any considerable significance.
If the estimate that the total poll reached
between three and four hundred thou
sand in the Union is correct the Social
lists cast about twice as many votes as
in 1900. but, even If We accept this guess
of their voting strength. they did not
prove themselves much stronger than
the Prohibtionists as a political force,
and it is questionable if they were as
numerous.
As compared with the Populists in the
days of the prevalence Of that political
mania, they made only feeble dem
onstration, for in 1892 the Populist votes
aggregated l,oil ,O?S. Pcpuism having
had kinship with Socialism, IL may be
said that a. that time the disposition
10 disturb the existing social system
was at its height II was then exhibited
extensively enough 20 provoke alarm
among many politicians. Populsm
seemed to be "A portentoIs political s.
turbance, for it swept over states of the
far West with dangerous rapidity and
threatened TO break the Sou, hern politi-
cal solidity. But il was only a politi-
cal squat. Now, only ten years later,
Populism has practically dsappea red
everywhere. Its influence in Congress,
once powerful enough To excite alarm
lest il might gain n balance of power in
that body. has now gone utterly.
Very naturally there was an increase
in the number Of Socialist votes at the
last election. The coal strike had stirred
up social disCord and created in certain
quarters q desire for revenge against
the great political parties. Besides, the
practical extinction Of the Populist party
left To the element Of radical and can
tankerous discomfort, to which il had
appealed IN the days of its evanescent
strength, no other outlet than the So
cialist party. The Socialistic poll was
no greater proportionatcly than is the
political eccentriCity which expresses it,
self in different forms at elections gem
orally. 1t was not a factor of any con-
siderable account.
IL the yeast of Socialism was working
as powerfully in this country at this
time as certain superficial observers
have imagined it's ferment would have
been made manifest TO everybody at
the last election For the first time
the experiment of appealing directly
to the Socialistic spirit was made
by great political party, A distinc-
lively Socialistic plank was introduced
into the Democratic platform in the
State of New York under the direction
of a man who was struggling for the
Democratic leadership in the Union; but
its principle was rejected promptly bv
the Democracy of all others States as
violently contradictory Of fundamental
Democratic doctrine, and even in this
State its defence was abandoned soon
after the political canvass began. So
far as its influence extended il proved
only damaging to Democratic interests
in New York 1t attracted no votes
and il drove away many, The returns
Of the election showed that the dyed-n-
the-wool Socialists could not br seduced
from their perversc allegiance to their
own political organization.
II the Socialist mania had been "a
acute and as epidemic as Mr.. HILL seems
to have imagined he would now be the
great popular hero he aspired To make
himself by his Socialist plank. In
stead he is rejected by his party on ac-
count Of it and the nomination covet ed
by him has been made impossible. No
more complete demonstration Of the
insignifcance Of the Socialist spirit in
this country AT this time could have
been made. II is becoming daily more
manifest that the Democratic party, so
far from yielding to that mania, il
tending rather toward a revival of it's
old-tme conservatism. The outcome of
both MIR. BRyAN'S experiment of sur
rendering Democracy to Populism and
of Mr. HILLS experiment of Socialzing
it has proved To be so disastrous that
no one need fear that there will be a
repetition of any such attempt to ally
that party with the spirit of social re-
bellion in 1904. The Socialists will have
to 60 II alone hereafter