The Washington herald., 1913-05-18
One Thing Berger Says He Learned While in Con-
gress and that Is that the President of United
States Has More Power Than Any Ruler on
Earth Except the Gar of Russia
How He Became Socialist.

warm. The city editor and I couldn't.
We would run up and down the Office be-
tween paragraphs stamping our feet and
waving our arms. The business mana
ger. Louie. was also advertising solicit
tor, circulation agent. eashier-when
there was any cash-bookkeeper and jan
itor. We thought, maybe. that he didn't
know how to get advertising and SO we.
hired an Irishman. We had no fire the
first morning he came to the office. and
1t was horribly cold day. He looked
at the stove. The coal is on the way
said. When he went out I gave Louie
cents and sent him down the street for
a basket of wood. He Unexpectedly came
back just as Louie returned and was en-
t--ing the door. Well. sir. he looked at
me and at Louie and then hurried out
into the street. That was the last We
ever saw of him.
II can laugh now. yes, but II seemed
a tragedy in those days. Our circula-
ton had dwindled to LOO in 1896. We
co-operated that year with the Peoples
party but kept up our own organiza-
ton ana retained our independence. /
couldn't stomach free silver and said
so. My editorial was translated and
printed in large English dailies. The
Republican manager in Milwaukee.
German. too. by the way, offered me
cents apiece, or s6.0Os. for 100000
copies of the issue containing the edi-
toriaL He wanted to send some of the
papers to Mark Hanna in Chicago.
why He Refused to Take $4,000.
81 called a meeting of our directors.
Two voted to accept the offer. Two
voted to turn II down. II was up to
me, as the fifth director. l voted
against the proposition 1t would be
qualification / said, to accept money
from either of the old parties Oh, how
We needed the money. You are a mis-
cradle fool the Republican manager
yelled when he called to get our deci-
sion, and will die in the gutter His
cheerful prediction almost came true.
We suspended the daily but kept the
weekly going. An English afternoon
paper was developed in time out OF the
weekly. l am its editor but not its
proprietor. / hope l can keep the place
as long as I live"
is it true that there are hfty-seven
varieties of Socialists" I inquired.
You must have been talking with
Sam Gompers," Mr.. Berger replied.
There are only two kinds of Social
ists-the impossibilists and the con-
structionists. The former think that
Socialism can be established right of.
Constructionists believe that the So
cialization of the country must come
through the processes of evolution.
Feudalism gradually became capital
ism and capitalism, we assert, will
gradually become Socialism.
Thus Socialism will be brought
about so quietly and naturally that
no man can tell when or how 1t began.
1t is coming indeed. IL is far on its
way II fifty Socialists were in Con-
gress the movement would soon be in
full swing. They would propose legis-
lation and Democrats and Republicans
would break their necks in their Gag
erness to vote the legislation into the
statute books of the nation-they
would be afraid. you see, of the people
at home"
Copyright. 1913 By James B. Morrowl