New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-04-30
May Day Orner1.s,
Ancient of Popular Festivals Now Appropriated
Socialists for Their Annual Demonstrations

ment OF popular disturbances, OF sangUinaFy
disorders, Of attempted outrage and OF attacks
by the mob upon law. order and property.
Much bloodshed Is anticipated Monday at
Warsaw. LODI and in other great centres OF
industry in Russian Poland. Troubles are
looked for IN Italy, Spain, Portugal Austria
Hungary and Germany. and in fact. in all other
parts OF Europe. save perhaps Switzerland.
Troops will be kept under arms throughout the
day. The police strongly reinforced. viii be
the qui vive from dawn until midnight, and It
is only when the sun has risen on Tuesday that
the authorities chosen by their respective ma
lions TO maintain the observance OF the law and
to protect life and property win be able to
relax their vigilance and to congratulate them
selves on the fact that another OF these May
Days-now the most i'll Onened holiday OF tho
year-has passed and gone
Yet there is no reason for this-no reason why
socialism should in certain OF It's phases en-
deavOr to foster class hatred and to incite the
Iaboring masses against property and govern
rnent. Every sensible student OF contemporary
history, every thoughtful and broadmtnded man.
be he capitalist manufacturer. territorial
nagnate or merchant. professional politician or
patriotic statesman. has by this time become
convinced that socialism. which came into ex-
istence but seventy years ago, is here @ STAY.
that it is public issue which is bound IN tbs
natural course of events TO become more and
more important and absorbing as the years go
by, that it cannot be evaded, and that it is as
idle to dream OF crushing it as was the en-
deavor of Don Quixote 10 stop the sails OF thu
windmills. II is a movement that is by no
means confined to the Old World. and the late
Senator Hanna is often quoted as having PEE
dicted that the next great issue which the
United States would be called upon to meet
would be socialism. The only thing TO Go is to
endeavor to direct its rising and irTepresstols
tide in such fashion as 10 promote public
veal rather than popular woe
There are certain forms of socialism that may
be welcomed as of inestimable advantage to the
commonwealth. There are others which must
be viewed with aversion, and even horror by
every citizen interested in the preservation OF
order and In the protection Of whatever prop
ertv he may have succeeded in arnassing by
means Of his own industry and enterprise Tt
is difficult TO define these different forms OF
socialism within the narrow limits OF news
paper article. or even 20 attempt to explain
which are those 10 be commended and which are
TO be condemned Moreover. opinions on these
matters must necessarily be guided largely by
local conditions. and reforms OF a socialists
character which might prove OF inestimabls
benefit to one nation. state or city. might IN
fict irremediabIe injury elsewhere.
Thus no one can deny that the municipal
ownership OF all the hydraulic power used in the
city. Of the gas and electric lighting OF the
markets. slaughter houses waterworzs and
street railroads, has worked wonderfully well at
Glasgow. where the price OF gas 10 the con-
sumner. never very high. has been reduced BY
60 per cent. and where the fares on the trolley
lines are less than half of those in any other city
Of the United Kingdom. while the proportion OF
passengers carried is treble. But Glasgow IS
one of the model municipal governments OF Eu-
rope. and has ever since the days OF the Ref
ormation had at it's disposal a large amount
OF property. known the Common Fund"
composed in it's origin Of former ecclesiastical
lands and buildings. which by careful and
honest management has multiplied enormously
during the last three centuries the city authori-
ties. irrespective OF political Affiliations regard
ing II as a point OF honon to administer the tuna
In such fashion as to augment its value.
All municipalities. however. DO not enjoy the
same freedom from reproach as that OF GLASGOW
city OF more than a million inhabitants. ana
probably the second OF importance in the ByVS@$
Empire. and II may be questioned whether the
adoption OF analogous policy would achieve
the same amount OF good in London and IN
some other European capitals: whether for IN
stance. the people OF New-YOrk viii be much
better OF should it's gas plant be owned ana
managed by Tamnany municipal administra-
ton. and whether Chicago is likely TO find her
self happier when the new Mayor has succeeded
IN putting into execution his programme OF mn.
nicipal ownership. Socialists IN this coune-y,
and, for the matter Of that. IN many parts o.
Europe. base their plea for the municlpalizatlon
Of gas works, street railroads. telephones, ETC.
unon ths ahamslssanezs With which Ia eozpazan