The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-12-22
A LITTLE CLOUD.

In this country socialism is as yet
but a small cloud on the political hor-
lion, but it is growing bigger. What
proportions it will reach is a matter
of good deal of speculation. The late
| Senator Hanna is quoted as having
predicted that socialism would be the
next great issue in this country, and
the chances are his prediction will
come true, If something isn't done that
will prevent so much Of the country's
wealth finding its way into compar-
atively few pockets by unfair meth
DDS.
The sociallstic vote in 1896 for Pres
ident was 1924; in 1900 it was 127,553
and in 1904 it was 426,376. OF course it
is a long way yet from the million
mark, but it was more than three times
| as great in 1900 as in 1896, and more
than three times as great in 1904 as in
1900. If the increase should be at the
same rate during the next twelve years
the socialists would practically con-
troll the country.
There is no proba bility of course that
the socialist party will continue to in
crease at the same rate at which it
has been increasing for the past eight
years, for the reason that 1t has in it's
ranks now pretty nearly all who are
dissatisfied with the other parties, but
that it will have accessions to its
strength-very large accessions-there
is no doubt. The new converts will be
led to Socialism by the belief that it
is the remedy for many of the evils of
government of which the people COM
plain, and which the other parties
seem powerless to correct.
1t is not necessary, of course, to go
into details as to what these evils are.
They relate to municipal, state and ma
tional government, and are the source
of great deal of complaint. They
could be corrected if there were lead
ers in the old parties that would lead
vigorous attacks upon them. They
grow out of the tariff, railroad dis
examinations and the granting of spe-
cial privileges to combinations that
wealth of the country.
1t is rather remarkable that the
stronghold of the Socialists is in the
Middle West. Just why their strong
hold should be there it is difficult to
see. Doubtless the problems which
they promise to solve are commanding
more attention there than in other
states. They have not as large a
percentage of foreigners in their pop
ulations as the states of the East and
the Northwest. 1t is the quite general
impression that Socialism flourishes
more vigorously among our citizens of
foreign birth than among the relatives,
but the fact that it is so strong in the
Middle West seems to prove that inn
preston is erroneous.
Here in the South Socialism hasn't
secured a foothold yet. A few Social
istic votes were cast in the cities in
the late election, but in the last four
years the Socialistic party has not
shown sufficient growth to cause the
leaders of other political parties UNI
easiness. AS a matter of fact the
South is quite free of the things that
are needed for a vigorous growth of
that party.
There are factions among the Social
lists, and it may be several years before
they get together, but If leader of
ability and forceful character should
arise among them the factions would
soon be welded into one compact, Wig
orous party that would make itself
felt