The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-02-20
The Socialist Loss
tRy Gustavus Myers in The Nation,

l (by GuStaVuS myers IN Tne NattOn)
| The chagrin Of the Socialist Organization in the
United States over the precipitate decline Of its
vote is uncommonly keen. Immediately after the
recent presidential election enthusiastic So
cialists jubilantly claimed 100000 votes Had
their claim been borne out. there would have been
large increase over the s01. votes received In
1912. The sorry situation presently developed that
Notwithstanding Years of the most active propa-
ganda the Socialist vote fell much more than one
| third of what it had been four years previously.
The total vote of the Socialist party in 1916 was
ss016e Nominally, this Is less than a one third
| decrease from the 1912 vote. But when it is con-
sidered that the 1916 vote includes approximately
10000 women's votes in new suffrage states the
| actual diminution can be reckoned at more than
one third.
For years. In fact, there has been cankering decay
in the Socialist organization party Boosting of
its democracy was SO far behind what it sneered at
as bourgeois movements" that it did not even toll
crate proposal for minority representation in its
own ranks! The forms of democracy were out
wardly observed in respects, It is true but the
actual operation in the hands Of a bureaucracy
ntolerant Of opposition.
1t is instructive therefore, to find that some of
| the Socialists who part of that bu-
reaucracy are coming forward with the plant
that the party is not the exalted organizato that
they thought it. These critics happen to be essen
TALLY wriers not political leaders, vet it is not the
long fostering effects of mental and spiritual dstor
ton that prompt their structures much the OBJ
vions loss OF political prestige Prodding into the
superficial Of decay. they vary their find
ings. but all nave burst into print though they
had made new discoveries. One of them laments
NJ off in no licfp iS
much restricted. while two others have gone so far
as to say-one outright, the other by inference
that the mob spirit often surges through the organ
izaton. and that, to judge by copious precedent
the mechanism Of discipline will be stringently
applied and the long line OF suspensions and expul
sons upon pretext will be increased: since to criti-
cze is ito play into the hands OF the capitalist
class"
The Socialist party prefers to indulge the flatter-
ing sensation that it is movement peculiarly dis
tnct from all that have preceded 1t is superior to
the ignorances, passions, bigotres and corruptions
signalling so many other historic movements, each
Of which by the way made in its own time the same
grandose pretension. The Socialist organization,
its leaders would have us believe, is the only one
which has been established upon an Intelligent study
of conditions and a clear grasp Of remedies In
the very act Of proclaming this, Socialists fail to
comprehend that overdone materialism--the real
basis Of their philosophy-breeds the most vicious
kinds of bigotry since it excludes any true under
standing of the mental and spiritual depths of man.
Theological bigotry has had it's terrors, but unmiti-
gated economic bgotry threatens greater. THE
real trouble with party" declares critic in n
Socialist publication ''s that it lacks ideas" He
demands "a vision but this is as far as he
gets. Although he the insufficiency if not the
emptiness. of the party 1t is, the materialistc
concepts have been so drummed into him that he is
unable to get glimpse of what that vision might be-
Most of the ideasts who have quit the Socialist
party altr,iists. They devoted to ideas.
and were not swayed by the indiscrmniate aim for
practical power" Their concern was for the dis
semination of right and firm understanding of
conditions. An inflated growth based upon ex
pedency and the lure Of office holding did not APP
peal to them Their attitude was open to revision
facts dictated. Often at much sacrifice Of their
own material interests they joined the Socialist
party, led into believing that 1t the worlds
| great worthy humanitarian movement. 1t was they
who impaired earnestness, disinterested enthusiasm
fire. and vitality to the organization. Not for its
| own sake. but for their idea of what 1t promised
| dogma. Their vision was of a state of society in
| which, if guarantees of good subsistence were at
forded to everybody, the human race relieved of it's
sordid worries and conflicts. would ascend to noble
heights OF attainment and brotherhood
The entrance of such men into the party was
widely heralded, particularly of those having wealth
or reputation Now came the astonishing sight Of
a party in professed rebellion against wealth and
it's standards revealing itself worshipper of
wealth and trucker to it. Shortly after their adj
mission some of these rich elected by this
"proletaran party" to the national executive COM
mittee the highest Of its functioning bodies. One
Of them. finding himself thus suddenly exalted, was
| so amazed and disillusioned that he soon betook
himself out of the party. Far from deprecating
such display of sycophancy. certain elements
among what We're called "the parlor Socialists
demonstrated by their conduct that no one can be