Elmore County Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1910-1915, 1912-11-16
INCOMPETENCE
OF SOCIALISTS

Characterizing the late experiment
of Socialist municipal government in
Wisconsin as a failure, and declaring
that Seidel's administration was
strewn with the wrecks of broken
promises, incompetence and even
worse, David Goldstein Of Boston, the
noted anti-Socialist lecturer who will
speak at the Pinney theatre tonight,
gave a graphic portrayal last even
ing of the fall and rise Of Socialism
in Milwaukee and told Of the events
leading up to the overwhelming de
feat of Victor l.. Berger for re-elec-
ton to congress.
Having taken part in three cam
paigns in Wisconsin," said Mr.. Gold
stein, II was enabled to observe clos
ly the Socialist municipal experiment
in Milwaukee and can say without re
servation that 1t was not only a fail
ure, but was marked by gross extrav
agance, incompetence and far from
being what the Socialists claim as
their guiding principles-the will OF
the people-Was characterized by
many instances of the Socialist poll
ticians running counter to the will OF
the people.
The Socialists in all sections OF
the country have played their admin
istration of Milwaukee to the limit,
and through ignorance OF the real
conditions there, many votes have
been won to the Socialist cause, when
as matter OF fact, If persons became
acquainted with the real condition
which existed there under Socialist
domination Socialism would wane
even faster than it has. At the first
election at which Seidel defeated for
mer Mayor Rose, the Socialists elect
ed 20 members of the board OF alder
men as well as securing absolute con
troll of majority of the municipal Of
fices, so that their failure cannot by
any means be laid to any cause other
than their own incompetence ind III
:, h;litx, to e,ounrn n oifv
In the winter following the So
cialist's victory the number of unem.
ployed in the city of Milwaukee great
ly outnumbered that during any pre-
vious winter, and this despite the So
cialists claims that their election
was a panacea for all the ills of the
unemployed. One thing for which the
administration was notable was cut.
ting down the hours of the working
day for men employed ON municipl
work to six hours at a corresponding
lower days wage.
Berger at that time was an alder
man at large and one ofthethings
he proposed to do was to build a ST.
100000 river park for which this i'm
mense sum was to he expended for
the ground alone. He insisted upon
taking an option on the site at this
figure, but the minority forced an in
vestigation, during which it was
found that the price Berger proposed
to pay was $250,O00 more than the
property was worth. They proposed
to build an immense terminal station,
a municipal home and a number OF
municipal lodging houses as we'll as
other things, but as matter of faci
the only permanent improvement Civ.
en- to Milwaukee during the Social.
list regime is a municipal lavatory
and comfort station. for which $13,.
900 was spent, and this in the face
of the fact that the Socialist admin
istration cost the city $1,000. 200
more than any previous administra.
tion.
1T has been proven that some SAL,
900 was actually spent illegally. Fol-
instance the Socialists purchased
mop handles, napkins, paper towels
and incidentals in quantities large
enough to supply the town for In.
finity. They purchased 20 garbage
wagons, which were afterward found
to be too heavy to use and are CON
sequently useless. They could not
even sell the wagons on account Of
their excessive weight.
But the browning achievement Of
the Socialist administration, and the
thing which brought matters to a
head was the paving system they In
augurated. A school teacher was