Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-02-07
Webster City is the Scene of a
Stirring Campaign For
Spring Elections
ME sociALIsTlc
IDEAS
Manifesto en- Subject of Municipal
Stores. Issued by c. F. Donaldson.
Chairman of Socialist Advertising
Committee, Causes Stir Among Mer
chants and Business Men.
Special to Times Republicans

Special to Times RepubllcaM
Webster City, Feb. THE socialists
of this city have commenced an active
camraign for the spring elections. Weo-
ster City affords particularly fertile
field for the sowing of socialistic doc
trine in that it has several times gone
on record in favor of the doctrine OF
municipal ownership-with certain re-
strictions and within certain bounds.
The steam heating plant is 4 recent
venture 1t as yet reaches only the
business portion of the city, but will be
extended into the residence portions in
the spring. These municipal utilities
are all run on an actual cost plus Il
small per cent for wear and tear on
machinery and reserve fund for new
material, etc. Taking all this into con-
sideration, however, it is safe to say
that while the city believes in withhold
ing as municipal utility all valuable
franchises it's citizens are by no means
socialists in the general political sig
nificance of the term.
q. f. Donaldson, chairman of the So
cialist advertising committee. has just
issued a manifesto on the subject of
municipal stores which has caused
something of ruffle among merchants
and business men. The socialist party
here is we'll organized and has two
members on the city council. Because
of their close organization and growing
ability to cut some figure at some fut-
ure date Mr.. Donaldson's manifesto has
stirred up much antipathy especially
among the merchants of the city. This
is the first venture of the socialists in
the way of issuing literature, but as
they propose to put full municipal
ticket into the field in the spring they
are making strenuous efforts to bring
the people around to their political per-
suasion.
After general remarks by way of
definition and introduction he goes for
the private store and its evils as fol-
lows: rs the demand of the socialists
that it (the establishment of municipal
stores) be done by the city timely? Is
it the natural course of events9 Does
it pay" BY way of Il reply to these
questions he proceeds to attempt to
show that private stores do not pay. He
shows this TO his own satisfaction by
stating that the mergers and trusts Of
the present day drive out the small
competitor. the enormous rents and
clerk hire in several stores when one IF
kind would suffice. the selling of goods
at a profit ranging from % to 200 per
cent mot to loot the public but to ac-
..umulate sufficient reserve to meet
any reverse that may arise" With
the terrible competitive strife now go
ing on you cannot ask him (the mer-
chanD to lessen his profit if you arc
not willing to assume your share of the
risk" Tho he speaks much of profit"
he concludes this part of his circular to
the faithful with the statement that
I'VE find then the present system does
not pay"
AS to where the city would get thu
necessary capital to begin such enorm-
Gus business as municipal stores Mr..
Donaldson says glibly "the wealth is
here. Give it reasonable security and it
is available The common sense OF
Webster City people," he goes on To-
say, will finally place the distribu-
ton of goods out of competitive strife
and into q stable public service under
public ownership and control" In con-
clusion this peculiar manifesto states