Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-02-16
5CIALST GAINS
STIR CONGRESS
Representation
\ in House by Party Is
Predicted
HILLS BARE PROPAGANDA
By J. HAMPTON MOORE


eociaiism is being laid IN the United
otatss during the war period no one may
nccurately estimate, but that socialism
- making progress no one familiar with
2 recent legislative contests will deny.
Many causes contribute 90 this develop
znent, somo of them traceable directly
to tho arbtrariness of public officials
and some to the pronteers. who forget
even I'm wartimes that labor is human
ana more susceptible of discernment In
the United States perhaps than in any
0ther country.
1t Is the spirit Of greed. sometimes
covered over by ostentatlous patriotism,
that is doing as much at the present time
70 encourage the Bolshevild OF tho
X United States as any other one thing.
Representatives from the industrial dis
tracts as well as those who come mp
from the farm. both cognizant OF the
labor situation and some bringing news
Oh an increase of sabotage throughout
the country. affirm the truth of the pre-
diction that those who arc in power and
those who are at the head OF large In
: dustrial and agricultural movements
must deal cautiously. and considerably
with future labor problems and to avoid
unhappy consequences.
ORGANIZATIONS OF UNREST
The propaganda OF unrest is daily
brought 10 the attention of members OF
Congress. 1t appears in the form OF
printed matter sent in by various re-
form associations complaining of va
rfety OF alleged ills and demanding all
sdrtss of remedial legislation. 1t also
crops up through bills of one kind or
apother. sone of which get no further
t|tan committee pigconholes, but many
OF which have sympathetic advocates in
the Senate and House. The failure Of
the House to pass the New York So
ciAlist members bill looking to the pay
mint of old-age pensions induced that
member TO hold up the proceedings Of
the House by rollcalls which continued
for week. The Nonpartisau Alliance
headquarters, North Dakota, Is now get
ting tremendous amount of free adj
vertising in tho East and elsewhere for
its BILL to stake certain farmers Ia the
extent of sbo,ooo,oO to pay FOR their
seeds and harvests.
Meanwhile, the tax objectors are find
ing fault with tho revenue Legislation.
the New York Association for an Equita-
bic Federal Income Tax contending that
the existing revenue law has confirmed
the suspicion widely prevalent that our
entrance into the war upon assailabe
grounds which appeal TO every fair
minded person was to be made tho occa-
sidn. for fastening an enormous debt
upon the working people and for fabu-
lously enrching few hundred .Ameri-
cans" and the NATIONAL Single Tax
League insisting that the failure to
psss n single tax substitute has been
'.wholly in the interest OF proiiteers."
The latter association actually regards
the S5o, 900, 900 housing bill for shipyard
employees as scheme TO pay land
owners what is virtually legalized black
mill
On the other hand como such organi.
zasions as the League for National
Unity, Theodore y. Vail chairman. Sam
19l Gompers vice chairman, James NJ
\ B}el chairman executive committee and
Otto II. Kahn treasurer, insisting that
nd man shall be elected to Congress
who has any socialistic proclivities OF
who will not vote uncompromsngly fol-
war to a finish. Even the Peace So.
ci<ty, over which Andrew Carnegie pre-
sides, is beseeching Congress on similar
lines. 1t is evident that these orgap
cations, which are differed by men o.
wealth or official standing, are no
wholly oblivious of the political unres
among those who are not in eympath,
with organized capital.
tOr long time Sonic OF our own llCl
men, Amos Pirchot included, have beef
discussing the equalization Of wealth
This Is one of the cardinal planks II
the platform OF the Nonpartisan League
which Is now terrorizing certain of IN,
Congressmen in the Northwest as IL II
of the outright Socialists. II Is no
altogether n fad with the rich people
this falling in line with those who be
iisvel our resources are unequal,
divided !: 1t is more of a conviction. Can
didates for Congress and others runnin,
for Office realize the danger of this prop
aganda aud have watched it's growtl
with more concern than the CAPTAIN
of industry, who have been too busy
to follow 1t closely. Only recently hav
st they given II that consideration whicl
it's steady influence in certain section
Y Of the country warrants. They hav
been, obliged to deal with IL In shin
yards and in great industrial plants il
recent months moro than ever before
Even the influence OF Samuel Gomper
4 ras been invoked - stem the tide of un
rest. or shall we say the labor insist
ence upon recognition in affairs of gov
ernment? 1t is even limited that IN
great railroad managers welcome III
Temporary control OF railroads by th
Government in order that Director Gen
f eral McAdoo as n Government ofIicia
may be able TO face the demands n
labor, which the managers of the road
were unable or unwilling to meet
a curious phase u this broadenip
problem developed few days ap
when Colonel William B. Thon,nsoy
head Of the American Red Cross in Rus
sia, conferred with a number of Cor
gressmen in Washington, incIudIn
Meyer London, the Socialist membel
and Republicans and Democrats bitterI
Imposed to Socialism. ColoneI ,Thomr
son admitted that Lenine and TrotzL;
were dreamers but he had no unllin
words for the Bolsheyki as a class. I;
\ said he had learned 10 appreciate thes
/ peopie as patriots: men who stood std
"A Idly against autocracy in any form an
~ who failed 10 support Kerensky aft,
"A cne OF his generals, Gurko. was receive
X IN audience by Jiing George. That IN
cideut of itself. he said. knocked IL
nrops from under the Eerensky resirn
That Colonel Thompson found little syn
pathy with the most OF his auditors
though London was gratlhed---was ev
4 dent. but that he had faith In what I
4 said was attosted by the fact that
had contributed more than sl.o0e. 900
2 aid the work of the new, so-called den
N ncratic Government of Russia.
Politically speaking the Nonpartisa
&. i .sague is threatening to send a numb
N ~ ~ members to Congress, and sttir
.> - >-.>r,hers who are likely 10 be affect,