Evening journal., 1910-04-09
SATURDAY, APRIL 9. 1910
THE MILWAUKEE TURNOVER.


mt ATURALLY there Is much interest III the
IN political overturning OF milwaukee, III
which The Socialists came out oil top, clecting
their candidate Tor Mayor by large majority.
Some think Il an evidence of temporary dissatis-
faction with the old parties, that the Socialist
vote was swelled by thousands of persons who
are moi Socialists but who arc opposed TO the old
political rings In Milwaukee. The next congress
sional election will tell whether this view is
correct
Socialists in their propaganda never urge
person to become member OF that party unless
he Is thoroughly convinced concerning its doc
trines and Is prepared to stick 1t does not care
for the floating vote.
During the last campaign 4 committee OF dis
satisfied negroes In New York visited the Social
ist party managers end asked what the Socialists
would do Tor the negroes il any considerable NUM-
bcr OF negro vots we're delivered to them. lhe
reply waS 20 IKE effect that the Socialists would
do nothing in particular for the negroes any more
than they would do for any other race that the
negroes had better study the tenets OF Socialism
and f they firmly believed in them the SOCIALISTS
would be glad to have the votes OF these negroes
or of any other citizens II the men who elected
Seidel Mayor Of Milwaukee are real Socialists
they will poll their full party strength at the next
congressional election and secure Congressman
or two. If the Socialist majority was made up
of the temporarily disgruntled the latter Will go
back to the old parties during national cam
paign
II NAV he that the Socialist majority in Mil
waukee was composed of the restless ones. those
weary OF machine rule. The Democratic party
had control Of the city and the voters did not see
fit TO return the Republicans to power. They took
new line hoping the party would be on ITS
good behavior and would give the people an ad-
ministration free from the influence of the special
interests which are the root of most of the trouble
in municipal government
And this is where the test o the Socialists Will
come Can we in our American atmosphere
create a CITY government which shall be free from
the baneful influences of the selhshness of special
interests, The Socialists may answer that prob
lem. but we doubt 1t.
The active program of the Socialists in Milwau-
kee contains little that is not in the platform OF
any party that is demanding improvements and
progress i'm CITY government 1t is platform oi
what is called state Socialism, something differ
ent from real bedrock Socialism, which means
the collective ownership of the means of produc
zion. state monopoly and an industrial despotisn
instead of private monopoly and theoretical Tree
dom Of the producer.
In control of the municipal government the So
alists of course cannot put into effect their rea
doctrines. and as the new Mayor says. they have
no idea OF doing so. But if the Sociastic admin
stration i'm Milwaukee proves successful, Social
ism will grow and we shall have to confront q
party frankly founded on the "comrade idea' oi
Glass consciousness of the working people
whose slogan has been class against class
doctrine that We in this country have studousS
endeavorcd to avoid