The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-04-17
INCREASED THEIR VOTE
Socialists at Milwaukee See Success
In Spite Of Defeat.


In Spite Of Defeat.
Milwaukee, Wis, April 1.-THE So
cialists. who have been in control OF
municipal affairs OF Milwaukee for
two years, retire from Office on Tues
day, and while defeated, their lead
ers declare that the movement is by
no means checked.
They declared that they are going
to come back" that Socialism here
and elsewhere is stronger than ever
and that the fight will go right on.
In view OF their overwhelming de-
feat. their assertions that they are
stronger than ever in Milwaukee may
seem contradictory but it is fact.
An impartial analysis of the votes
cast at the last election confirms the
fact that Socialism is growing, as II
was only a combined effort OF the
Republicans and Democrats in a non
partisan movement that made the re-
tirement of the Socialist oificehoiders
possible. Everybody here realizes
that the fight is not over.
1t is generally understood else
where, as we'll as in Milwaukee, that
the Socialist administration was
failure. The Socialists did not live
up to their campaign promises. They
were not able to measure up 10 the
standard of ability to conduct great
business like that of big municipal
| ity. They violated the civil service
laws. and, most important OF all,
made their administration the most
costly in MilwaNkee's history, spend
ing $1,0S0,000 more last year than
any other administration had ever
spent in a single year.
Now that they are defeated, so far
as the city offices are concerned, the
Socialists are frank to admit that
they have not accomplished all they
promised in their platform two years
ago. Socialism contemplates mum
cipal ownership of all public utilities
and governmental ownership OF rail
roads. telegraph and telephone com
panies, and similar public corpora
tions. In the local administrator
for the last two years this doctrine
has never been lost sight OF, but NJ
great Roadway in that respect wal
made by them.
There are good reasons for thi
failure. declare the leaders The.
say that under the capitalistic sys
tenn thai now prevails, they were no
, able to carry out in so short a tim
all their ideas about governmental
ownership of public utilities, but tina
, this will surely come about whel
they get a better foothold.
Speaking of the situation here
Representative Victor l.. Berger, tn
only Socialist Congressman in Wash
! ington and the brains of the Milwau
, kee movement, said just before he re
? turned to Washington after manae
y ing the local campaign:
! Il want it clearly understood tina
{ this has not been a Socialist admins
n tration. A Socialist administration
+ impossible as long as we have cal
italist charter and capitalist Stat
o laws | want 1t understood that thi
;. has been an administration by Soci;
q lists under the capitalist system. Blu
Q we cannot have Socialist admins
!, tration even in the cities until "
o have laws that breathe the Socialis
4 spirit and that are dictated by tn
q Socialist conscience.
= However, the Social-Democrati
I party being a modern party, natura
n ly We must first carry cities. An
y that is why we are making so stron
: an effort to hold Milwaukee for III
;. people. tell you the capitalist
q system is doomed, not only local.
!. but nationally and internationally.
~ Our showing in the last electio
70 was much more remarkable becaus
I all through the campaign the car
talist slogan was We must redee
Milwaukee from the Socialists, b
IS cause coming from a Socialist cit
drummers cannot, sell goods Tn,
made the issue-Americanism al
y the flag-meaning their graft al
he their proft-versus Socialism. Al
re they got the answer that there a
is more than 10000 men in Milwauk
e standing for Socialism.
Here is what Mayor Emil Seid
IL says of the result;
lie big business is again in the sa
r die in Milwaukee. The lines a
re more clearly drawn than ever o
ID duty, therefore, lies clearly befo
IL us. We must not chlde those tn
'y were against us. We must not qua
n rel with them But we must reas,
ne with them and show them the fol
as of fighting the cause of the worker:
T. The Socialists voting streng
Ie- shows better than anything else he
IS Socialism has grown and is st
pit growing. In 1896 the party alrea
r. had candidates in the field, but !
81 body regarded them serious
nd That time there were 430 votes ca
for them out of 42,745 in the enti
w city. The following table shows III
10 in 1898 the party began to grow, a
W while it has made Roadway ever sin