Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1911-09-09
VICTOR BERGER
GIVEN OVATION
Socialist Congressman Greet
ed by Large Audience In
Auditorium Last Night.
UNIONS ARE PRAISED
Believes Constitution of
United States Will be Chang
ed--0Id Age Pensions.

More than five hundred socialists
and union men assembled in the
Auditorium last night and gave a
rousing and hearty reception to Con-
! gresham Victor L. Berger of Mil
waukee, Wisconsin, who is the first
and only socialist to sit in the House
| OF Representatives, at Washington,
D. c. The ovation was enthusiastic
and warmly appreciated by this fam
| Gus leader of the hope of the Social
ist party, who is touring the country
and speaking in all the large cities
where the laboring class is organiz-
ed and the policies Of his party are
the most adapted.
| Mr.. Berger gave an interesting
forty minute talk following a long
but appreciated Introduction by JOS
| eph Wanope, editor of the New York
| Call, and formerely candidate for
governor of New York on the Social
| list ticket, in which he set forth the
| Introduction of socialism in Milwau-
| kee, its added strength during the
| past few years, and the many things
to be accomplished in the near fu-
ture. Mr.. Berger quickly won the
hearts of his audience and was earn
estly and loudly applauded during
his entire address.
Tells About Milwaukee.
| He spoke on the Milwaukee ad
ministratton of the past, compared
with the policies of to-day, and aptly
described the alleged graft which pre-
vailed in that famous city before the
| labor men came into their own. To-
day the popular city on Lake Micht-
gan is ruled by twenty-one aldermen,
nineteen OF which hold union cards.
| During the reign of the union man,
Mr.. Berger ayerred, the progress of
the city has been remarkable and the
valuations of exports and imports has
steadily increased.
In speaking of the instigation of
socialism in the western city, which
Is admitted to be the stronghold and
center of the Socialist party, the
| congressman pictured the disgraceful
scenes of eight years ago when 2300
city officials of Milwaukee were in
| dtcted by the grand jury for having
finger in the street railway fran
chise pie. The plums were many and
well divided, but the labor men held
mass meetings, urged action through
their weekly newspaper, and finally
were rewarded by indictments found
| by the grand jury, 1t was a great
moment for socialism in that city,
Mr.. Berger said, and actually mark
ed the beginning of its rapid strides.
But the row of the party has been,
and always will be, very hard one
to hoe, the speaker stated. The Dem
ocrats and Republicans, RED Light
Districts" leaders, gamblers, graft
ers, and contractors will always work
to defeat a labor platform. They are
uniting now in Milwaukee and are
preparing to give battle to the fast
| growing forces of socialism. Mr..
| Berger and other labor. readers be-
lieve the action of the organization
men, regardless of party, will help
the socialist cause and in time re-
suit in the complete reformation of
| the country.
Discusses McNamara's Case.
| Congressman Berger spoke but
briefly on the case of Secretary Nc
| Namara, of the International Broth
| erhood, who is now under bonds for
alleged connection with dynamite
cases In California. The Milwaukee
gentleman informed the audience
that this well-known labor man
would never have been kidnapped"
in Milwaukee.
| Mr.. Berger has introduced num-
| Der of bills in the lower house at
| Washington. He favors the insti-
tuition of the pension system, where
| by every man or wo--an over sixty
years old would receive 81 90 a week
from the municipality in which they
lived, while a married couple would
| be pensioned at $500 per week, He
believes it viii come, as he does
change in the Constitution of the
United States. Regardless Of the fact
this document, around which the
wheel of the government moves, can
only be amended by two thirds vote
of the states, Mr.. Berger is of the
opinion an entire new constitution
will be adopted within the next ten
years.
| Jesse Davis, of this city, president
of the Middlesex County Trades
| Council, presided last night and pre-
sented the speakers to the audience.
| Others on the platform were: Hans
Henricksen, William Warren and
| Robert Brizell, representing the car
penters' local; Morris Bourstein, re-
presenting the painters local, and
William Zellers, of the machinists'
local.
A collection was taken towards Sc
curing funds for a daily Socialist
paper in Milwaukee. An admission
| fee was charged to defray the visit
ors' expenses. Following was the ar
rangement committee: l. Levinson, l.
Rubin, A. Goldman, D. Levinson, S
Altschuler, S. Kaufman and S. Gold
farb.