Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-04-27
Outside Point of Niew.

nyms in the public mind. There was
shadow Of reason for this. All an
a rchists. We're socialists, but not all So
cialists were anarchists. And While
the public is beginning to better un-
derstand what real socialism is, and
have an increased respect for it,
preachers and followers, much of this
increase comes from the fact that So
cialism of today has divorced anarch-
ism. The gain to the ranks of the
socialists comes largely from the So
called ignorant class, that is in this
country. In Germany, of late, big ac-
cessions to the so-called party have
been made from "the middle class"
which in that country represents not
only the laborers, but many of the we'll
to do Here again seems strange
condition. Many carry an idea OF
socialism with that of IAN equal di-
vision of wealth and property" Evil
IDENTIFY that theory is an exploded one
with the present socialists OF Germany,
! for the thrifty and economical mid
die elias So of that country can have no
sympathy with such division of self
| accumulated wealth.
| The recent sweeping victory Of the
soeial-democrats in Milwaukee, de-
!
| announces the serious entrance OF the
socialist party as a factor in Ameri-
can politics." The returns show that
| the party not only elected its candi-
| date for mayor by an unprecedented
| plurality of 7,109, but also elected
majority of the city council, major
ity of the board of supervisors, and two
civil court judges. This is the first
time in the history of the United
States, we are told, that the socialists
have carried large city, and the event
lis generally regarded as the chief sur
prise of the spring elections. 1T would
be foolish to try to minimize the I'M
portance of this triumph, asserts the
New York World Qnd. Dem.,, which
sees in it another symptom of the
growing political restlessness OF the
American people.
1t is true that some OF the wall
street capitalists now openly advo-
cate a supervision and control OF all
CORPORATIONS by the general govern
ment. and as openly give as reason
for such advocacy, that unless we do
put such power into the hands OF the
government socialism will take pos
session. and of two evils, they, lie.
capital. chooses the least.
The following. according to a Mil
yaukee dispatch in the New York
Tribune, are some of the reforms the
isocial-democrats are pledged to intro
duce:
Home rule for the city.
2-Initiative and referendum.
| 3-Better schools.
! 4-Municpal ownership.
I 5-Penny lunches.
| s-Street car company to sprinkle
streets.
| 7-Trade-union conditions OF labor
| s-A seat for every passenger in the
street cars, Hitting jacks, automatic
| brakes and Tenders.
| s-Three-cent street car fare.
! l0-Eight-hour day for labor.
! l1-Cheaper gas.
| 12-Cheaper ice by means Of munich
| pal plant
13-Cheaper coal and wood by means
| of municipal coal and wood yards.
| 14-Cheaper and better light. and
tmore of it by means Of municipal plant
| Incorporation to pay their fuH
share of taxes.
1s-clean street cars. Glasgow cleans
and disinfects cars every day, it IS
pointed out.
17-street closets and comfort sta
tons.
1s-work for the unemployed at
union wages and eight-hour days.
! 1s-Widows who do washing for
support of families to have water rates
remitted by city.
2o-Cheap bread, by requiring stand
ard weight in every loaf.
Now If we divest our minds OF all
tradition Of party, forget for the time
that we are republicans, democrats,
populists, prohibitionists, or belong TO
any orea nization ending in name with
..isrn.s or lists let's see which OF these
| twenty so-called reforms we are OPP
posed TO. Surely not the first three,
and number four, municipal ownership
is only a theory all parties are favor
ing in many localities. Number hve
has for its advocates many of the pest
educators in our public school system.
Number six only the street car com
| panies will object Number seven 10
indefinite Does it mean universal
trade union and all that goes with II! II
so it's decidedly open to debate. Aho
if any citizen Of any town OF 2,ooo m
ha bitants or over objects to any re-
form mentioned from number eight 10
IL. it can be assured SUCH cltlZen De
longs to the rnOneyed class. ASoiiAoeA
eighteen is just a little too mucn
..socialistic" for the majority OF pres
ent day thickness. Ut suggests what
dollars and cents would express union
wages Number nineteen some OF US
would amend "by widows and all per
sons excepting laundrys that 90 wash
ling. ETC." Number twenty is gooo
one. Some of Us political economists
now can not understand why SIX
!teeu-ounce loaf of bread sells In Lon
don today at the same price OF an seven
Tor eight ounce loaf in New York CITY.
Practically we have socialism as q
mart and parcel of the workings OF All
lparties. Not so much in nationai
] ra-ties fore in state ORGANIZATIONS
and at least fifteen out Of these twenty
reforms they are to attempt for MIL
waukee. are more or less now BEING
in force or advocated by republicans
land democrats alike in city COVER
mental affairs Leaving out the re
forms to labor unions and union wages
for the unemployed" the two grea'
parties of this country could swallow
this socialism and be the healthier
for it.
A>LD-4