The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1911-11-09


Glat we have here The first -of5seyeral
the writer makes short shrift,
the large towns on the discomfort
lot factory populations Out of sew
enty-eight communities which elecs-
! ed Socialists TO office, agriculture
was a predominant element in
~thirty-fve. MIR EfoNie deduces from
iARGUS-GALLY THREE :. !.
such figures that Socialism, While
turtherest advanced in the Middle
West. IS not confined TO any section
OF the country; that, on the on
trarS, lit is most markedly per
~vasive, its widespread in
dicating that beneath the surface 1t
is a force d~eveioping throughout tbs
country"
If We are tempted to look for The
ultimate cause of Socialist progress
in this country, our author warns
us that there is no single and all
inclusive cause. Socialist victories
have been Won on local issues as
well is on general issues. Socialism,
has profted by the general unrest
under economic and political condi-
lions, by the revolt against munici
pal corruption. by trade-union sup
port, and Won on moderate plat,
forms as on ultra-theoretical,
Observation-Disclosures" platforms-the
latter. oddly enough, In small asri-
cultural communities, with Il pre-
.dominantly native population. So
cialists have beef elected in sud
den upwelling Of Indignant protest
against the old political parties, or
only after years of painful agitation
and organization. 1t is a tenet Of
the old Mayian Socialism that the
Trusts must bring Socialism,: to a
certain extent they have done so,
II not i'll the way the theorists
anticipated. Instead of being well
coined by the community and trans
formed into organs OF Il Sociallstic
state, the Trusts have been driv-
ing voters into the Socialist party
as = party OF protest against things
as they are. That may be called a
permanent II general factor. But
there are also local and temporary
industrial conditions. A labor
strike may become the starting
point of a successful Socialist prop
uganda. Or a Drotracted state OF
labor warfare may produce the same
result. Such Socialist may
be temporary, but they furnish the
soil for the seeds of radical Social
ism. Mr.. Hoxie declares that it Is
the Otises, the Posts, .ne Parrys,
the Van CIeaves. and the Kirbys
who are o active in raising up
revolutionary Socialism in this coun-
try
But, after all, the situation is not
really so complicated as Mr.. HoXle
it. In his search for causes.
he has over-analyzed. Out of his
account it is possible to deGucc,
ii not one all-inclusivc reason for
the spread of Socialism,, then a pair
OF reasons, which, working in har-
mony, would ccoun for the esulr.
And these two causes arc ORGANIZE
ton and discomfort. Socialist or
ganization in this country has beer,
tremendously developed during the
last few years. The new party has
taken Il leaf out of the books of the
older parties and has recognized
That h preaching OF the gospel OF
Socialism from the platform must be
supplemented by yeomau work OF :,
sort. We use practical
u Organization in n broad
sense, so as to include all tactical
effort, from Selling upon 4 local in
iuStrial crisis as an opportunity for
Socialist agitation, to the building
up OF 4 mere local machinery OF AS
Sonlbly and electoral districts for
the purpose Of getting out the
vote n successful Mayoralty
campaign in Milwaukee IS said to
have been the result of one Of the
Q thorough Observation-Disclosures
asses ever carried out. The Drl-