The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-01-04
PARTY SHOULD CONTROL PUBLIC
 OFFICE HOLDERS
Robert Hunter Tells How Socialists 0per.
 ate the Recall in Germany When R:p. resentatives Forget Who Elected Them.
lie Says People Do not Understand The Value of the Ballot and Give it Away
 10 Others Who Use it Against Them.

Unity and solidarity for the Socialist movement were the points emphasized by Robert Hunter, the author and So- cialist authority, in a lecture delivered by him yesterday afternoon, at Fra ternity hall, under the auspices of the Socialist party. He said that it was possible for the people to control their representa- instead of the political bosses doing so if the workingmen are unified in one party, and existing sole ly for the public interests. Although claiming to have a real democracy in this country the speaker contended that we have no control over our rep resentatives who follow their own ideas, and do just as they see fit with out much attention to the voters who elected them. In Germany the half million Socialists out of the 3,0O0,000 voters hold meetings at which they exact reports from their representa- tives and recall them to the ranks of the party if their work is not satisfac- tory.
 The Socialist movement did not grow in a day, 20 years were required to have it come into it's own in England. The speaker described the shock to the English gentlemen in the British, Par
  ed with their hands were elected to seats in Parliament. Tn Italy, he. said, the Socialists had swept the grafters out of office by the nomina- tion of clean and honest men for of flee.
 "Old and disabled men in Germany would not receive pensions said the speaker, eff the Socialist party had not forced the Iron Chancellor, Bismark, nf France, the Socialists have made sure that the school children receive one good nourishing meal each day. In all Europe there are 10,O00, 900 Socialists representing five times as many peo-: pie. They were, power because their organization was international and at each of their conventions their plans for concerted action were map ped cut for the following year.
 Organization, he said was what is needed in this country, and progress could only be made step at4a time, just as in the work of bettering condi- tions in a municipality that streets must be cleaned. this old house shall be pulled. down, and over across the way is the factory which must be made more sanitary. '-+s f
 The movement in this country is hampered. by the too few newspapers devoted to the interests of the party, there being only two Socialist dailies. while in Germany there are 65 Socialist dailies with a corresponding number in other countries devoted to enlight- ening the people as to their rights and powers.
 MT. Hunter said the majority of the people were forgetful of the value of the ballet and that they allowed their rower to slip through their hands into the control of others with the result that it was used against them in the manipulation of the government. He ,comp1imented the party upon the large number of young men connected with it and said it would not be many years before they were making the residents 1 of the city sit up and take notice. Patrick J. Cooney presided at the meet ing. |