Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-01-01
DECLINE SHOWN
| IN SOCIALISM
Local Organization Falls
From 70 to "a Members;
Re-elect Officers.

The election OF officers and discus
sion of plans for the next year, which
includes a course of study of the aims
and purposes of socialism to be held
weekly for those who care to parti-
cipate in it, were the features of the
meeting yesterday afternoon of the
local socialists held in M. w. A. hall.
The election resulted in Andrew
Johnson being chosen chairman; w.
H. Bussing, financial secretary; Mrs.
w. Fl. Bussing, recording secretary,
and Miss Nellie V. Richards, organizer.
All of these officers were reelected for
the ensuing six months as the term of
Office in the local Is semi-annual.
The organizer, Miss Richards, refer
ring today to the meeting and the
plans for the future discussed there,
said: 'The action of the government
In taking over the railroads is but the
application of one of the principles of
socialism which teaches collective
ownership. This matter was discus
sed as was also the proposal to take
up course of studies for the enlight-
enment of the people generally on the
things that socialism believes and
teaches.
ARE PRACTICAL HUMANiTARIANS
I'VE regard ourselves as practical
will not say Christians but rather as
practical humanitarians. We believe
in collective ownership in public mat
ters such as railroads, postoffie and
schools and discussed yesterday the
taking up of course of studies to
spread the purpose and aims of social
lists. We are regarded as anarchists,
l. w. w. and kindred other seditious
persons by many, but this is wrong.
It is not our doctrine. We believe in
humanity. 1t is not determined wheth-
er the study classes will be taken up
or not, but If they are, the plan is to
have them every Sunday afternoon for
We now meet every Sunday"
DROPS FROM 70 to 81 MEMBERS.
There, were few present at the meet.
ms, ssiiong LIEN a Courier rep oIIer,
but these few were fearless and out
spoken in their adherence to social
ism and its aims and purposes. Sew
eral things were discussed but no ac-
ton taken on anything save the cleo
tion of the officers and this was a re-
election of the present staff. An an
was made by the secre-
tary that the local membership has
fallen off considerably. from seventy
nine in July to twenty-four at present.
OF the latter figure but seven Of the
faithful were present at the meeting.
MOONEY APPEALS FOR AID.
The meeting opened with the read.
ing of the petition Of Thomas Mooney
asking the support and active help Of
the socialist party in the United States
"to aid him in his hour of need, else
he would most certainly hang a vic
tim to the organized efforts, backed
by the chamber of commerce of San
Francisco, to crush socialism and
labor for all time in California" Z"
Mooney was the man who was cor.
vic>ed of throwing a bomb into the
parade in San Francisco
July %, 1915. killing six and wounding
nearly twenty.
No action was taken on the question
of giving Mooney active support.
though the sentiment of the audience
was with him.
TO EvADE POSTAL RULING.
Mention was made of the postoffice
that had refused to handle
Of the socialist propa-
ganda, "tyrannical despotism" it was
called. To eyade this postoffice rul-
ing shipment of the new socialist
paper, the first issue of which will
come out January Z, will be made.