The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-07-03
Unconscious Socialists.


 A Chicago Socialist declared in a speech in that city that Socialism is gaining rapidly in this country, and all the peo- pie who are aiding us are not aware that they are doing so." The speaker stated the truth. Socialism is growing and so- cialistic ideas are preached by persons who call and who think themselves Dem- ocrats. In various parts of the country socialistic blanks are being placed In To- cal Democratic platform, while men pro- fesSing to be Democrats are advocating Socalistic measures in disregard of or in ignorance of the fact that they are essen tially undemocratic. The doctrines and theories of socialism are not well under stood in this country, but they are ad- vocated in some form or another by many persons who accept them under another name. A Socialist party is destined to cut a figure in the future politics of this country, and some of the most noisy in it's ranks will be many who are today protesting the Democratic faith, not knowing what 1t is and not knowing that they are not Democrats, and who are seeking to read out Democrats who re- fuse to subscribe to the fanciful theories of those whose ideas of Democracy are as nebulouS as their spirit of intoler- ance is strong. We have a number of such in Tennessee, some of whom reside in Nashville.
 party, and also the Social Democratic" party, as if there could be such a thing, in the political sense in which Democracy is understood. This party in it's platform declares in favor of national system of cooperative industry based on the social or common ownership of the means of production and distribution, to be ad- minstered by society in the common in terest of its members; public ownership of all railroads. telegraphs and tele- phones. all means of transportation and communication, all water works, gas and electric plants, and other public utilities; public ownership of all gold silver. cop
 1pfs all oil and gas wells; a system of public works and improvements for the unen- plnyed, the public credit to be utilized for this purpose: national insurance of work ing people against accidents, lack of em- ploYment and want in old age; equal po- littcal rights for men and women; adop- tion of the initiative and referendum, ana abolition of war;
 These are some of the platform decla- ratons of the Social Democratic party. It is a party which appeals to certain classes of persons who have little knoWIc edge or conception of sound prlhcIples ol government and who may be easily m, duced to indorse political fancies ana theories as they try patent mediclnles, la nostrums, faith doctors anq 1,,s hoouoo charms for real or imaginary HIS.
 The remnant of the populistic eleineht i; those with half-baked ideas or po,iucai economy and hazy notions ol poltIC,il science. disappointed demagogues who have failed in other parties. and the diS- satisfied and more ignorant ana gullple of all parties. will gradually drltt into some such aggregation of political odds and ends as the Socialist Democranc par tv sO-caIIed which may he known by some other name but which will he ut- terly un-Democratic and thoroughly pa- ternal and socialistic, dis vuraging indi- vidua1 energy and independence O fencr- rv effort. thought and action, and rely ing on the Government fer everything and holding that all evils can be remedied bv the be-it-enacted policy. The Chicago 1 Socialist ora tor quoted in the beginning of this article, is right Socialism in | this country is growing, and there are many advocating socialistic ideas who | imagine they are Democrats but who never were Democrats except by asso- | citation and environment.