New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-08-07
THE NEW SOCIALISM,

II his speech yesterday before the Ma
tional Progressive Convention Colonel
Roosevelt put in no disclaimer Ia
President Taft'S recent charge THAI
both M and Governor Wilson. III
( their attacks upon existing conditions
and iu their attempt 10 satisfy TIE
p popular unrest 10y promising OF rome
dies. are. al least unoonsaouslY,
embracing socialism" 80 far Is
Colonel Roosevelt Is concerned. The
socinlistic character II the remedies
which hc offers is concealed only 10
fhr extent n substituting one deScrip-
J tive uhrase for another and calling his
programme moi one Of socialism hut OF
social justice" All his suggestions
( Tor legislative reforms run in the di-
rectiun OF limitations on individual
: rights and the weakening of The poii'i-
Ia institutions which have served
most effectively o. protect liberty and
property.
l. essariu. 10 convert our present
system oI representative government
into ID pure democracy and in assau-
ing the independence of the judiciary
tho last barrier against hasty and
oppressive action Oh the part ~ q
,femporary majority COionci Roosevelt
is logically clearing the way for the
introduction Of system of state SO
ciallsm. adumbrationS Of which ar
near in his recommendations Of fed
-crel regulation of oil interstate huSi-
ness. the fixing Of q minimum wage
RATE and pubic conro. 81 practi-
cslly all the conditions under which
labor must be offered or paid for.
Whatever the proponents Of such doc
crimes may prefer 10 call them they are
essentially Socialistic.
II is not eXtTayaCant 20 say. there
fore that the new party ia process OF
creation at Chicago is more danger
Ously sOcialistic than the Socialist
marty. which has been with rs for q
c0uple II decades. The Socialist party
was never destined 10 rapid or pc-ma
ucut growth. because it has beeu
exotic ia lis methods and management
II Is q close corporation. every mem
. her of which i'm order 10 remain in
good standing +, obliged 10 pay due
with which % keep the organization
solvent. It's controlling membership
has therefore. been small and OF it>
vote ~ national elections two-thirds
or jhree-fourth> has been contributed
by outsiders VINO have bad no voice
IL its councils. such 81 ,cAeue ~ or
@auizatiOn Is alien 10 American ideas
and has prevented tlr spread OF iu,
.parry's influence Moreover. ifs lead
ers have been Theoretical extremists
who 10 not work for immediate politi
cal results. but have their gaze bent
comfortably on the distant future
The new Roosevelt party will I've
more formidable agency Of socialism
than the party Of Debs. because il vii
.verk for immediate political results
j will 20 one mile ryvo miles or ter
i1ules along the road toward socialism
las inc exigencies Of each situation
fwarrant. and win gradually accustou
The unthinking 10 sOcialistic schemes
bv labelling them schemes Tor the
realization of social justice. II tie
Progressive parry can make the court,
subyervient 10 the opinion Of ten
DOf9ry majority and can undertake
1.-The regulation Of commerce industry
land wages 81 will soon be in position
30 root UP the old system OF individual
rights ana balances. and, as President
Taft put il. 10 pass laws which lead
directly 70 the appropriation Of what
belongs 70 one man 20 another.
The new socialism will be harder II
night than the old socialism, because
n will be oppOrtunist instead Of I'M
compromising. The very radicalism Of
the Progressive platform Will be likely
70 appeal 10 the spirit OF popular Un-
rest more successfully than the Demo
cratic national platform does. and as a
bidder for socialistic or semi-sOcialistc
support the new party will not have n
encounter the difficulty which the
democratic party under Governor VII
Z sons leadership will probably en-
= counter There is in the Democratic
party a powerful minority utterly Op
posed 10 the Baltimore platform, and
Governor Wilson may lose the Demo
cratic radicals If he attempts 10 con-
ciliste that minority either openly OF
by underground methods. The new
socialism Is therefore, a peril to Amer.
can institutions which must he reck
(. oned with. The best way TO reckon
with II is for ali friends OF our consti
tutional system TO rally to the support
of the Presidential candidates of the
only party whose loyalty to representa-
tive government and an independent ju
3 dietary has been established beyond
any possibIesdou