Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-10-31
GERMANISM ISSUE
AT READING POLLS
."American Party" Opposes
Socialists on Clean-Cut
Patriotic Program
LOCAL MATTERS IGNORED
BY VAN vEcHTEN HosTETTER

ine's municipal campaign. the last and de-
elslve battle of which will be fought at the
nolls November 8.
Four Socialists are fighting two Demo-
Gratis and two Republicans for places in
City Council. The pro-Germans are de-
clared to be behind the Socialists.
Municipal elections in Reading are sup
posed to be nonpartisan. Party designa-
tlons do not appear on the municipal pri-
mary or election ballots, but the voters
know the politics of all the candidates and
they vote according to their political be-
iefs and sentiments.
SO It is that while the issues might have
been purely local. they are not The So
cialists made Americanism against pro-
Germanism the issue by injecting the
question of peace into the campaign. "a
Vote for Socialism is q Vote for Peace and
Real Democracy" is their slogan. SO most
of the voters in Reading who want peace
Mt whatever cost will vote for the Social
lists despite the fact that the Reading City
Council has no power to bring peace. And
BY the same token, all the pro-Germans in
Reading will vote for the Socialists
Some reader may say, That's theorizing.
want to know the facts"
Well, here is a fact one of the leaders
of the Socialist party IN Reading told a
representative of the EVENING LEDGER
that hundreds of pro-Germans were going to
vote for the four Socialist candidates and
that hundreds of men employed by pro-
Germans were going to do the same thing.
Were going to elect all four of them,"
he said. I'VE might do IL without the Ger
mans but we're sure to do it with them"
The issues have been Joined The line is
sharply drawn. The situation is not com.
Ill NA1 Go s., Ta.-I- la.
The candidates in Reading are:
SOCIALIST PARTY
.. HENRY STUMP, cigarmaker. member of the
Commonwealth Cooperative Association, an
Federated Trades Council Of Reading
county fSsr IfasGe OIL me@bef Sng efrSf Sf
ths so.cailed Peoples Council which, after
S %Ss e. sTdz II G2fo n PSST he
and associate editor of the Reading Labor
Advocate
CHARLES. F. SANDS. -machinist.
deht o NE MSscahs GnoR 69nRF o ReadGg
AMERICAN PARTY
and superintendent Of the 5S Department OF
Accounts and Finance. and head OF q paint
JOHN k sTAUFFER, Republican, newspaper
PETER s. HoLI Democrat cooper. who for
years has been in politics holding office most
JACoB II, MCCONNELL. Democrat. dealer in
lime and other building materials
The'commisson form of government was
adopted by Reading four years ago. Under
II Mayor and four Commissioners or
Councilmen are elected. This year the
four Councimanic posts /are to be filled.
Mcconnell, Holl and Ruth were elected at
the first election under the new form Nc
Connell and Holl failed of reelection. In
the recent primaries Ruth's three associates
In Council were defeated, Ruth being re-
nominated and Holl. Mcconnell, Stauffer
and the three Socialists being nominated.
At tie election November each voter
will vote for four men. Socialists declare
they will elect all their candidates and as
sert the pro-German support makes as
suranee doubly sure. John A. Merkel,
treasurer and one of the managers of the
American. party campaign, is frank enough
to admit that the American party ticket is
In danger. Mr.. Ruth will have a particu
larly hard fight, because he has taken an
Independent stand in many matters and
many politicians are dissatisfied with him.
He and Stauffer are the men most likely to
be beaten If the Socialists succeed.
At the very beginning of their campaign
before the primary-the Socialists declared
for early peace without annexations and
without punitive indemnities and through
out the campaign they have preached
against war. The local issues have been
almost forgot.
The answer to the Socialists was the
organization of the American party. The
Socialists seek to make much of the fact
that the first organization meeting of the
American party was held at "Waldheim,"
the summer home of the Harmony Manner
chor, one of the German singing societies
of Reading. Their references to this fact
gives the impression that the American
party is not SO American as it seems-but
the impression is false. The singing society
increases its income by renting "Waldheim"
for all sorts of meetings. and any person
who has the money may rent it, providing
the purpose for which 1t Is wanted Is not
Illegal. The meeting that organized the
American party was not under the auspices
OF the German society.
Men of German blood helped form the
party, however. They are Reading men
who loyal to the United States.
The local issues are little discussed. The
principal one raised by the Socialists is that
of taxation. They propose an entire re-
vision of the tax assessment scheme and
declare their plan is borrowed from the
Single Takers
The Socialists declare they would not
bond the city for general improvements,
but would pay for such improvements out
of money raised by taxation, which they
maintain would be sufficient II the assess
ments were scientifically" made.
They also advocate union wages and
Conditions and the eight-hour day on all
public work; more laws dor protection of
men, women and children In mercantile,
domestic and Industrial pursuits, municipal
factory inspection, a free municipal en-
ployment bureau. the abolition Of city con-
tract work and the performance of the
work by the city whenever possible, free
legal advice for all citizens, municipal own
ership of all public utilities and no use
OF the police to break strikes.
But the Socialist speeches are always
about the war and the rich and the Read
ing Labor Advocate, which is the Socialist
organ, hammers away against war and
against the rich. The Labor Advocate Is
owned by Charles A. Maurer brother Of
representative James II. Maurer, boss Of
the Socialist party of eading.
The attitude Of the Labor Advocate may
oe shown by reproducing few headlines