Montana news. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-191?, 1908-04-16
Wisconsin Vote Increases Four
Thousand for Socialist
Ticket
SPLENDID GAINS ARE MADE
Berger Loses Aldermanic Seat by
Small Vote

tOught the most tremendous campaign
that has ever been waged on the
American continent and have gained
4,067 votes over the last city election.
And no doubt fair count would show
that they carried the city last Tues
day. But the enormous number Of
floaters imported just before the cleo
tion turned the scale against US, and
resulted in turning the city over to
Rose and the Democrats for two years
more. Roses majority over Seidel,
Social candidate for mayor,
was only 2,147. We are therefore now
second party in Milwaukee.
The vote for the three mayoralty
candidates was as follows:
Rose, OLA
Seidel, Social Democrat. 20,s67
Pringle, Republiean-.....................1s is ,349
That we have gained over 1000 votes
since the last city election is matter
enough for rejoicing. And that this 10
a legitimate and natural growth 10
proved by the fact that the increase
was almost all made in the working
mems wards.
The Social democrats also carried
three new wards in addition to the six
which they carried two years ago, and
which we hold this year by largely in
creased majorities. Alderman Molms,
Social-Democrat, was reelected in the
Eleventh, by majority Of $50.
If the old law were still in force we
should now have is Social Democratic
aldermen against the II we elected two
years ago. But readers of these notes
will remember that the old party poll
tieians and the Merchants and Manu-
facturers Association together con-
coeted a law by which IL aldermen-at-
large are elected by the general city
vote. These twelve of course will al
ways be elected by the party carrying
the city, and thus the mayor and the
majority of the city council will in
variably belong TO the same party.
BY this clever political trick, the num-
ber Of Social Democratic aldermen in
the next city council, in spite of our
gain in votes and in wards, will be re-
duced from l2 to 8 instead of increas-
ing from - to Is. Comrade Victor L.
Berger, one of the candidates for
alderman at large, lost by only le
votes.
On the other hand, we have gained
in the county board. Two years ago
we elected 4 supervisors out of a total
of 50. Yesterday we elected 6 super
visors out of total of l6, according to
the new method of districting. We
have also doubled our number of jus
tiees Of the peace.
These gains are especially eneourag
ing when we consider the odds under
which we have fought. For weeks
before election, the Polish priests per-
sonally visited their parishioners and
strictly forbade them to vote the
Social-Democratic ticket. The press
attacked us most bitterly. All the al
legged anarchist outrages of the last
few weeks we're charged ap to the
socialists. And when last Friday a
robbery and murder was committed on
the South Side. an effort was at once
made TO connect the robbers with the
socialists. The charge was made so
entirely out Of whole cloth and was so
absolutely unsupported by the least
fragment Of evidence, that even the
caPitalistic papers refused to print it.,
except the Polish daily. But the
Polish priests took up the matter and
preached against US in all their pull
pits last Sunday.
As for the personal attacks on Com
rades Seidel, Berger and Weber, they
acted simply as boomerang. They
will never be repeated in any subse-
quent election. They have solidified
the working class and especially the
unionists and eomPactcd our ranks.
With these two powerful weapons,
the daily papers and the priests against
us, our big gains are a wonderful vie
tory. They are the largest gains
which we have ever yet made at any
one election. No wonder that the poll
ticians are frightened. No wonder that
Rose said on election night in his
speech of acceptance: "I believe
Social-Demoeracy TO be menace to
the welfare Of Milwaukee. believe
that all loyal, patriotic citizens, who
have al heart the best interests Of
our city, will amalgamntc into one
great body to crush out the spirit
which can only result in injury to the
general welfare. +" This was greeted
with applause.