The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-07-30
Indiana Socialists Make Big
GQin---CrOWd P1Ohi Party

The present stronsholds of the party
are California. Colorado, Connecticut,
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas. Massa'
chusetts. Minnesota. Missouri, New
Jersey, New York. Ohio, Oklahoma.
Oregon. Pennsylvania, Texas, Wash
ington, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
The total vote cast in each state IN
1910 was as follows; California. Al
SIG: Colorado. 1e.o0o: Connecticut,
1o,S12; Illinois, 100000: Indiana, H.
osl: Iowa, $4,000; Kansas, 1854:
Massachusetts. 1886: Minnesota. s.
$40; Missouri. $4,000: New Jersey.
1o.1S4; New York. +s,S7s: Ohio. Co.,
s37; Oklahoma. 24.7o7: Oregon. S.sSs:
Pennsylvania. Ss.o5s: Texas. 1858:
Washington. 1900; West Virginia, g.
900; and Wisconsin. sS,547, In few
cases the vote is an approximation.
In two Kansas counties. the social
| list party elected county officials in
1910. The socialist candidate for con-
gress in the Twelfth Ohio district. in.
GLIDING the state capital. Columbus,
ran a little more than 5000 votes be-
hind the democratic candidate. Penn
|
the legislature. Massachusetts, has one
member and Minnesota one and North
Dakota one.
| The gains Of the party in 1910 came
from the two old parties and both par
ties lost equally to the new party. Mr.
Essex believes. The largest gain of
the socialists has come from the old
populist party.
Victor Berger, socialist member of
congress from the Fifth Wisconsin
district, including a part of the city
OF Milwaukee. has given splendid sat
isfaction to the party and probably
will be returned next year although
he defeated the Republican candidate
by only $50 votes. The socialist can
didate in the Fourth Wisconsin dis
trict was beaten by only 447 votes
and ran more than 5000 votes ahead
of the Democratic candidate.
The city of Minneapolis came near
joining the column Of the socialists in
the last election. The party fell only
a few hundred votes short Of victory.
Flint, Mich, and Butte, Mon. have So
cialist administrations. East ST. Louis
gave the socialist ticket a very narrow
defeat in 1910.
The editor of the local socialist
newspaper explained why the party is
opposed to the commission form OF
government. He said 1t Is regarded
generally as undemocratic and tend
: ing toward the concentration Of poll
tical power rather than it's distribu-
rtoH cA~ H. ~
been elected to ONCE in different parts
of the country had labored under a
great handicap. He said they had been
compelled to use the political machin-
cry of the government where private
ownership prevails in an attempt to
realize results dependent altogether
; upon the very character of the system.
, From what can be learned in differ
ent parts of the country concerning
the growth of socialism, and its pres
ent strength, 1t is hardly probable that
a labor party will be formed In this
country for many years. II at all. The
socialist party seems to have come
forward as the champion of the work
ingmen and while the socialist labor
party, the predecessor OF the socialist
party, was in open opposition to union
labor during the years Immediately
preceding it's decline. the new party
finds its greatest strength in trade
unionism. The leaders of the party in
their preachments begin on what they
believe to be the fundamental propo-
sition that there is a class conscious
ness in the United States and that It
is advantageous to the laboring man
and hence the socialist party that this
class consciousness be developed.
The class consciousness however. ap-
pears to be only another term for
class or community interest and It IL
this which the socialist party seeks to
encourage and develop.
The socialist party is maintained
in manner similar to the ordinary Sc
cret order. Members formally unite
with the party and in doing 80 re-
nounce allegiance to all other parties
They may be expelled for heresy. the
same as any Baptist. or Presbyterian
or Methodist. Outside of the enrolled
> membership. there are thousands OF
men who refuse to take the pledge but
7. who vote the entire ticket without ex.
ception.
indianapolis to the socialist II al.
most what Mecca is to the Mohamme.
,, dams. The Indiana state capital. Here
the party. properly speaking was born
in July 1901. Eugene v. Debs. one OF
the patron saints OF the party lives
in Indiana and to the Hoosier state
the party enthusiasts turn the eyes OF
the future with the belief that each
election will mark phenomenal gains
in the vote.