The morning journal-courier., 1908-05-11
S0CIALISTIC POLITICS.

Spt'NiiSih i'oitiI's,
 With each State convention that has been held within the last few weeks there have been additional signs that some semhlance of order and regularity will he developed in national political circles in the near future. With all but two of the many candidates of the big parties declared out of the race for the presidential candidacy the situation has become more ship-shape. Political haraguers have begun to stop their warfare in defense of their choice for nominee and to train their guns in an offensive struggle. the republicans upon Bryan and the democrats upon Taft. But just as the voters of the country have heaved a mighty sigh of relief that this is the case. comes the announce ment of the socialist party that 1t Is going to be in the field this fall to make the election the most bitterly contested in the history of the party, " as one of the leaders put it Eugene V. Debs. the perennial, in comparison with whom Bryan is but a mere be- ginner in the art of running for the presidency. Is to be presented az the socialist candidate for the highest honor in the land There Is talk of ]. c. Phelps Stokes running for vice presi- dent Evidently there are men in the socialist party who are not out for first place or none The dearth of candidates for the vice presidency in the republican and democratic parties would seem to show that this is not the case with them
 Just what to say of the platform the socialists propose is difficult to de- eide For, while the platform declares "the socialist movement stands for the freedom of the workers of the nation" We are told that there will be locking of horns upon several questions, one of which Is that of restricting immigration Much senti- ment is reported in favor of excud ing the oriental races With those al least. who are of this opinion the freedom of the workers" referred tc seems to be of selfish sort, applying only to those who do not come from the Flowery kingdoms of the East But that Is far from being the most startling inconsistency in the plat 1 form Some of the matters to he urged are the prohibition of the use of tho military against workers ir case of strikes; woman's suffrage; thC prohibition of injunctions in labor dis. | putes; the free administration of jus. 1 tce. wholesale shortening of the days ! of labor and an increase of wages without reference to specific instance. or economic possibilities; taxation O incomes, inheritance franchises ant land values, the proceeds to be ap 1 piled to the improvement of the con. dition of workers, and in short . al be wrested from the capitalist sys l tenn" The democratic and republican ] parties are declared to he "strugglinl to maintain an industrial system which can be preserved only by thu complete overthrow of liberties al ready enjoyed and by the still furthe' degredation of labor"
 Such series of invectives agalns these gentlemen would feel the sam, way after their proposed regime ha, been in force for some years ant shorter days and larger wages ha, made them the capitalists and thu
 capitalists the waee-earners. Fron Uneasy lies the head that wears
 crown" the old adage would b. changed by them to Uneasy lies tn head that controls dollar" Tn
 doctrine of the joy and dignity of la bor seems nowhere apparent wit
 them. When strikers so far forge themselves as to endanger the lal and order of the State and make nee essary the calling out of the miitar
 to deal with them, they would mak such a safeguard impossible and lc the unruly strikers have their ow
 way They would give women tn suffrage when the vast majority e them do not want it, which may b taken as the greatest possible evldenc
 that they should not have it. The
 would make labor organizations i'm
 mune from the injunction, legal pro ceeding that every other organiaatlo
 is amenable to. With a free admin istration of justice they would swan
 our already overworked courts wit
 ltgations; every possible excuse [ wrest cent from capital would b | seized and capital would have to bea