The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-09-08
SEIDEL AND SOCIALISM.

The churlish refusal of Milwaukee's socialist
mayor to greet Colonel Roosevelt strengthens the
shrewd suspicion that his socialism is mean
ngless emblem, rather than term of description.
Mr.. Seldel from all accounts has made a mayor
40 better nor worse than the general run of such
functonarles. lie has not torn down any build
lngs, has not put any great corporations into
liquidation, has not attempted any practical
means of substituting long III lieu of short
division of accumulated profits. Milwaukee has
wagged along, concerned chiefly with what is
happening in prohibition States, and thoroughly
accustomed to the mayor whose party designation
at first threw it into pal pitation. Now, because
Roosevelt has denounced socialism, and because
Mayor Seidel considers himself socialist. he
fails in courtesy to distinguished visitor and
permits himself to indulge in some characterize
tions of the citys guest which, however true
are manitestly not the proper expressions to
proceed from one whose position makes him host
whether he would or would not be SO considered.
The point is that if Mr.. Seidel were a real
socialist, he would welcome Roosevelt, not. per-
hap5 as brother in the cause but as the repre-
sentative OF that class of opposition upon which
the cause itself grows strong and fattens The
denunciation of socialism by men of the type of
Taft or of Roosevelt is when coupled with the
acts and teachings Of such men, the strongest in
citement possible to the fallacy More than that,
the thing which they denolnce in spirit exempli-
fes the very thing they teach Making socialistic
conditions as they do, real socialists can we'll af-
ford to overlook their Incidental dennneiaton of
the cause whose groundwork they are steadily
building
For socialism is simply in its last analysis
autocracy more complete, more far reaching and
more absolute than any that the world has vet
known. II means solely the projection of govern
ment INTO every sphere of private life. 1t EN-
bodies the principle of the subsection of the in
dlvldual to a minute and iron-fsted law 1t
means that the liberty Of the many shall be bought
at the price of the bondage of ALL 1t would lay
hands on ambition and restrict initiative to gov
eminent measure. And this is exactly what. In
different way and for different purpose the cult
of new nationalism would do. 1t is exactly what
it would force In the terms of resentment. 1t is
exactly what, if he be sincere and thoughtful the
earnest socialist should DESIRE
1t is common remark made the subject of
anxiety by President Taft that socialism is gain
ing Roadway III the United States. When did it
commence to become menace, if not after. by
slow and insidious encroachment, the rights of
men, the rights of States the functions of the
more intimate representative government had be-
gun to be gathered into the hands of an auto
cratic rule at Washington How better could
it be aided than by a continuation of tendency
that has already sharpened its impulse9 And
what better means could the pirates of power
adopt in aid of socialism than fierce denuncia-
ton of principle differing from their own only
in method and not at all in spirit2
1t will be noted that it is in those countries
which have the strongest central governments,
the least measure of individual liberty, that So
cialism is most militant. Germany, for instance,
is rotten with it. Russia is saturate with its
virus. Is it not an easy deduction that its growth
in this country will proceed the more rapidly as,
by the accumulation of power in one set Of hands,
the example Ct power il hung up al. "a prize to