The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-11-14
The Socialist Element.

The mathematician of the social
democratic party boast Of over 100000
votes, cast for Eugene Debs or about
per cent of the whole, as compared with
about $4,000 votes cast for him in 1900.
This is an extraordinary increase notice.
able in the eastern and western states,
the latter showing large gains, as Illi-
nois, where 100000 cial-democractic
votes were cast. In the southern states
the vote Of the party was the lightest.
The party fourishes best in large manu-
featuring communities.
It is natural to ask if this party is
destined to increase, as the social dem
ocracy Of Germany have since Herren
Bebel and Liebnecht organized it in
1868. The socialists of Germany were
able after the Franco-Prussian war to
poll 100000 votes at the election of
1871, which was increased to $50 900 in
1874 and $4,000 in 1877, and, altho an
tagonized by the government as sub
versive factor, gathered strength
enough to make it to Bismarck g in
terest to seek it's support in his fight
with the clericals and other obstruction
lists Of his policies. The progress of the
party has been such that, at the reich
stag elections last year, it showed itself
the strongest party in the German en-
pire, commanding 3,O1O,771 votes, which
put eighty-two Of it's members in the
new reichstag. It boasts of having
seventy-six party papers, of which
twenty-five are daily. Social democra-
cy is stronger in Germany and Austria
than in any other European countries.
Even in France, where there has been
SO much experimentation in socialism
during the last century, the party is
divided.
Social democracy in Germany makes
about the same demands it did in 1868,
and the Debs party in this country ad,
heres to the program to displace the ex-
listing capitalistic order of society by
one in which capital, land, and all the
means for production and distribution
will be subject to the ownership and
operation by the community for the
benefit Of all it's members. The under
lying principle Of the social democracy
is the equal right of all to the material
conditions of existence, with the obliga
ton of every member to labor in rela
4 lively equal proportion to maintain
those conditions. Insistence is made
upon direct legislation by the people
compulsory military duty by militia
and the abolition of standing armies
repeal Of all discriminating laws; judi
cial decisions by the people, and graf
Il uitous administration of Justice; com
pulsory popular education (free), and
graduated income tax to supersede al
indirect taxes. ...
The principles Of social democrat,
are so near akin to those of Colone
Bryan as to fit very closely in his pro
gram for the radical democratic part
he announces that he is organizing
Rather, he wishes to reorganize tn
democracy on that basis, and no ma;
rejoices more than he that Judge Par
ker was smothered under the volumin
Gus folds of the landslide last Tuesday
Bryan, in fact, proposes to make tn
first fight of his radical party (prae
tically cial-democracy) in the mayor
atty contest in Chicago next spring
when the people will vote on the cues
ton of Immediate municipal OWNERSHIP
of public utilities.
1t has been demonstrated at recen
elections that it is not true, as state
by many writers on economics, that th
advocates of socialistic principles i
this country are chiefly foreigners TIL
real leader of the socialistic element
the United States is Mr.. Bryan, and tn
4 majority of his followers, during til
last eight years, are Americans b
birth and ancestry, he himself bein
Of genuine American origin. But, alth
socialism has grown from a strength {
$500 votes in 1888, to 100000 in 100
1t is very certain that the vast maio
ity Of voting Americans still hold faI