The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-08-18
Berger the Politician.

Berger the Politician.
To Victor Berger, who is the Social
ist party in congress, tho politics be-
ing played by the other parties, espe-
cially the Democrats and the insurgent
Republicans, is very amusing. Berger
himself is not what one might imagine
Socialist to be. He is almost entirely
without the visions that one might ex-
pect him to have. He does not at
tempt to define socialism epigrammat-
ically, but contents himself with say
ing that it is meant to deal with pres
ent conditions. In a word. Berger be-
lieves that socialism is tbe philosophy
of the present, dealing With present
conditions.
Were Berger a Republican and liv-
ing in Philadelphia, he surely would
be a ward leader. Not only that, but
he would have his ward So well organ
lied that he would CO ifrol it abso-
lutely and would be in the councils of
the city leaders. He believes in or
ganization. It was his ability to or
ganize that made Milwaukee a Social
list stronghold.
| In Milwaukee the word of Berger is
law. His followers are as loyal to him
as brothers to the king. We're Berger
merely a dreamer. he could not COM
mand this loyalty. But he is as hard
headed a politician as you will find
y
the game backward and forward and
both ways from the middle.
He is the first Socialist who ever had
a seat in congress. Before he arrived,
the members of congress wondered
what he would be like. They expected
him to try to bring about the millen-
MUM by introducing a bill describing
heaven on earth. Instead of that, he
proceeded to get place on the COM
mittee on the District of Columbia and
started to improve certain conditions
in the district.
I asked Berger, while we were sit
ting around in the National Press Club
one evening, whether he believed in
the usual socialistic theory of the elm
nation of competition and the govern
mental control of all public utilities
and public resources.
ct never deal in the future he said,
! because the present is enough The
socialist party is dealing merely with
present conditions. For instance, I
have in conten plation a bill wiping the
| Sherman antitrust law off the statute
books and stipulating that all trusts
shall be allowed to go unchecked until
they obtain monopoly of their par
ticular product amounting to so per
cent. When they reach this point, the
government will take them over, pay
ing for the property with stocks and
bonds, and run the plants with govern
ment control
Unlike the insurgent Republicans.
| Berger does not say that everything
that exists is wrong. To him the world
really is a fine place, where many fine
things are done and where men are
trying to improve conditions. He does
not picture President Taft, for instance,
as terrible bandit who is roaming
about Alaska, handing out big blocks
of valuable lands to the Interests
| Talking to some of the insurgents.
ic mt to hat 09T7er hoe
simply gone to the dogs; that hope
hobgoblins are abroad and will catch
to Berger. on the other rand, one is apt
to think he is a pretty sensible fellow,
whose politics, if wrong at least is not
SO biased that he concludes that every
body thinking otherwise is q crook.
| Berger's idea of wipirg the Sherman
law off the statute books is the sugges-
ton of a radical socialistic experiment
that might have exceedingly dangerous
results. It has not the slightest chance
of being considered, muCc5 less passing.
Berger knows that. If he decides to
introduce the bill, 1t will be merely for
the pu<2ose of showing the end toward
which socialism is tending and how the
socialists would handle the problems
before the country.-Thnmas T. Lo-
gan, in Philadelphia Inquirer.
Deals Justice by Kicks.
Furnishing a pickpocket by kicking
him until he howled for mercy, Alder
man John F. Donohue. the Solomon of