New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-03-10


Tr.r Condition and She Work Being Done for Them
IN the United states.
AORRIS HILLQUIT. running for
MI Mayor of New York last No.
vember on a platform adopted
By the Socialist party directly at va
rance with the present war policies of
the American people, received 1919
votes, little more than one-ffth (22.1
per cent? of all the votes cast. Candi-
dates of the Socialist party for other
Offices had corresponding votes, and
seven Socialists were elected to the
Board OF Aldermen for the first time
in the city's history.
Even in ordinary times this would
have been highly significant and i'm
portant thing. But the fact that in
this case the party had taken a position
which had led to the withdrawal OF a
large number of Socialists of American
birth and sympathies, that the plat
form was frankly opposed to the part
in the war which the nation as q whole
stances the support given the Socialist
candidates was several times that of
normal years, makes the situation one
Of compelling Importance. 1t should be
remembered that very similar condi-
tons obtained throughout the centres
Of population. though nowhere in so
striking a manner as in New York.
Where did the Socialist vote come
from? Who are the Socialists in the
present composition of that party :?
What hold has this organization on the
American population? What chance
has it Of spreading?
These are the questions propounded
to thinking Americans by the November
balloting. A careful study OF the Hill
quit vote in New York and the circum-
stances surrounding it gives for the
first time clear basis Of demon
strable fact for the answers to these
questions.
The chief facts brought out by this
Investigation are:
The Hillquit vote was packed into
certain comparatively restricted sec
tons Of the city.
The population of these sections is
predominantly alien in origin, and IN
assimilated
The chief nationalities represented in
these districts are, in order, Russian,
Austrian and German, Italian and Irish,
though, while the proportion Of natives
CT the two first named countries in the
districts where the Hillquit vote cen
tres is FAR above their proportion for
the entire city, and that of the third,
the German, is but slightly below, the
proportion for thu Irish and Italian is
less than half what it is in the city at
large. In other words, the Socialist
vote thus cast very largely follows the
Russian and Austrian immigration.
These facts seem to warrant the fol-
lowing conclusions:
That the Socialist Party to-day is an
alien organization on American soil.
no hold on native Americans or on
immigrants who have assimilated
American ideals.
That material growth Of this organi-
cation can be expected only among
alien populations in America; how
large a proportion of the aliens in
the country may be regarded as likely
subjects for its propaganda can only be
eonjectured.
And, incidentally, that the menace it
carries would be impossible to-day but
Tor our short-sighted policy of putting
10 restriction on unassimilable immi-
grants in recent years.
The matters just stated are proved
oy careful analysis Of the Hillquit vote
and Of the populations which cast it.