The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1917-11-17
LOSING Q ''|I| THEIR / /: ! !. GRIP i

r. 80 y aot .+ -
(From the Bloomington search1ight.)
The result. Of the mayoralitys cleo.
ton in New York is sure indication
that the kept newspapers are losing
their grip, and are becoming less a
source of influence in public affairs,
and it all comes from the simple fact
that the people have quit believing
what they read in such papers-that
they are realizing more and more
that their editorial expression is keyed
to the needs of commercialism, and
; that it in no sense represents honest
conviction or real patriotic opinion,
but is colored and kept in tone with
; the demands Of the advertising de-
partment.
; Both Hillquit, the Socialist candi-
date, and Hylan, who was elected as
! the candidate of fusionists allied with
Tammany Hall, were the victims of
Wanton and reckless charges Of dis
loyalty by the great majority of the
newspapers in New York-charges
which both candidates vigorously and
! sincerely denied. Now that Hylan
has been elected, however, these same
newspapers will take it all back. and
! OcCAoIo IA11I VIC clcCLlOu VI 11yldn Is
: not blow to patriotism.
Hylan himself, Immediately his
election was assured, declared:
II want to make it plain to the
; world that there was no issue of AM
ericanism or loyalty involved so far
: rs I am concerned. There could be
none, for I am as good an American
as any man, as loyal to my flag, as
loyal to my country, and as firm ana
determined in support of every act Of
the government in this war as any
; man.
The great popularity Of Hillquit,
which caused many to predict his cleo
ton, came from the fact that he had
been heart and soul with the work.
ers and the many 3 beneficent and
! vocated for the common people
caused thousands outside tie Socialist
party earnestly to work and fervently
to pray for his election. For years he
had acted as attorney for the United
Garment Workers, composed Of thou
sands Of the poorer working girls Of
New York, without asking any sort Of
compensation; but the kept press
held him up to public view as 1.-The
| rich Mr.. Hillquit," and "the corpora
ton lawyer" Regarding the charges
of disloyalty, Hillquit himself, in his
argument before the postal authori-
ties in behalf Of the New York Call
| said:
1.-THE Socialists would, be the last
class Of people to advise our govern
ment to withdraw from the war, now
| that it is in it, and to feave the rest Of
the nations in Europe to their own
destinies. Socialism is not narrow
! nationalist movement. What we do
| say is that we want speedy and gen.
eral peace, a negotiated peace. and
we maintain our belief that the wis.,
est policy for our government at this
time, as we'll as the most effective pol
icy of the government, would be to
take the first move in the direction Of
such peace"
But while, during the campaign, the
kept press declared that the election
Of Hi1lquit would mean a declaration
of disloyalty on the part of the peo-
pie of New York, If he had been
elected, these same papers would have
faced about and declared that his per-
sonality and other elements were the
deciding factors and that no question
| of loyalty or disloyalty was involved.
Regarding Mayor Mitchell, who ran
next to Hylan in the race, and who
was the favored candidate of the kept
press, it may be safely asserted that
he owes his downfall to that same
kept press and the elements which
| seemed to dominate him. Mitchell
himself is believed to have been hon.
! est: but he was judged by the COM
pany he kept, and his tendency to