The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-02-19

ing men in and around Haverhill, particu
larly To those employed in the textile and
shoe industries. He outlined the agitation
of the movement which lead to the success
full election of a Socialist administration
and the causes which resulted in defeat.
He was elected mayor for two terms and
was defeated in the campaign for a third
election. The same condition which led to
the Socialists victory caused their defeat.
Concerning his election as mayor of Haver-
hill and the conditions which brought it
about he said:
The primary cause of the first victory
of the Socialists in Haverhill was an in
dustrial depression. The introduction of
machinery into the shoe industry had been
very rapid for about twelve years until, if
all the machines in the industries were to
run for five or six months steadily, they
would manufacture all the shoes that could
be consumed in a years time. During the
depression of business for two years prior
to the Socialists first victory, the shoe
makers were idle, which gave them plenty
of time, and therefore they were more Will
ing to listen to the arguments of socialism
and it was much easier to propagate the
principles.
There is a marked difference between
the people employed in the shoe industry
and those employed in other trades, the
textile industry, for amp While the
shoe industry has had a very rapid growth,
the textile industry has been developed for
hundreds of years. All of the textile In
dustries are entirely controlled by cor
porations. Tn wages of the employees
have been ground down gradually but
surely, men thrown out of employment
and superseded by women and children,
and the result is that wages are down TO
almost the very lowest mark. But there
is one thing true of the textile industry
which is not true of the shoe lnduStry-1t
is that employment is steady. The en-
ployes work at a smaller wage than do the
shoemakers, ranging in most cases from
81 TO Sc a week and even less, but the
downward trend of wages has been that
gradual that to-day they find themselves
liz a condition where Ii is impossible for
them TO offer any resentment. With long
hours of labor for Just a mere existence
they seem Indifferent TO their own welfare.
THE SHOEMAKER'S CIRCUMSTANCES.
THE sh~oemaker's life is entirely differ
ent. When the shoemaker works he works
at lightning speed for the few months of
the year and receives better wages. Then
comes the long period of depression and
he suddenly finds his condition changed
from one where he earned good wages to
unemployment with nothing to live on. 1t
is this marked contrast which makes him
ask himself the reason for his changing
condition. He is, therefore a thinking man,
more SuSCeDllDI6 y ItdSOu lldn Is the
textile operative. This was perhaps the
main reason why we were able to be the
first to elect a Socialist TO our city govern
ment. But surprising as it may seem. this
very condition led to our defeat. During our
administrator the same industrial de-
pressions continued to exist because we
had no power as a municipal government
10 cause any change in industrial cOndi-
lions by municipal legislation. No munic-
ipal government can at this time enact
any law 10 affect industrial enterprises,
The politicians were shrewd enough to
see that their only hope of defeating the
Socialists was by making the people believe
that we were responsible for hard times
that still existed under the Socialist adj
ministration. So, In an organized manner,
they set TO work TO scare the people into
believing that the reason why they did
not enjoy prosperity Supposed TO be enjoyed
i'm all other sections of the country was
/ because the people at large had a fear of
Haverhill as being a city governed by So
cialists and workingmen. Many voters,
not stopping to examine into the affairs
to any great extent, accepted this bluff
and went back 10 their old political faiths.
These were sympathizers or the floating
vote which Away goes whichever way
the wind blows. Notwithstanding the fact
that We were defeated, there was more of
a real solid Socialist vote cast when we
were defeated than when we were sue
cessful.
This simply illustrates what will in
all probability transpire in every city where
we are successful These are simply pre-
liminary skirmishes TO y greater contest in
the Nations politics. When the line shall
ganizations there will be those who are
striving To ~perpetuate the present capital
istic order and the socialistic organiza-
tion that seeks to make the change from
the private TO the collective ownership OF
the industries of the Nation and the
world