The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-11-04
Using Socialist as Protest

9th When 1t GENES to municipal politics ~ rev YORK.
for lc liberal papers there can generally be found espousins
"eIuc cause Of some opponent Of TanTany. There al
Lays is some reason for fighting the Tiger. New YORK
Corsposes OF revenues on the same scale that the federal
torpvernment does, but not with the same efficiency no:
canlder the same safeguards, and there always Is the
,,no.1r,cnt OF graft about the vast Improvement projects going
IN u daily and about the administration OF the complex
sonty government. Notorious Boss Tweed is dead and
Mrarncd to clay, but the spirit Of his malodoroas regime
so.nlrvivcs. Always there Is some vast iniquity TO smitr,
sou,rne wrong to be corrected. some call to b. made for all
sicpod men to come to the relief OF the city.
Eur Thus the cause Of reform is perennial in New York.
co1anmany is inherently cynical in this direction. When
,nsan,lc good turn to it for political bread, they invariably
hone handed a stone. Thus the good as a rule have
Dor armed to band together il those fusion movements
nal HIGH, SO far. have been the only means of throwing
acoammany out on some occasions. They elected Mayor
anfrong and Mayor Seth Low. but they never gained a
W.ermanent foothold, for reform in New York also has
bTcs feet of clay and there has been too much Phariseeisnl
!Mlld Pecksniffism about it to win the affections of the
AAaist conglomcratc Of coslnopolitanism always in a state
icne fux.
Mrs IN the impending election in New York this year there
her no fusion movement OH. The field has been left to
ma. 80 two major parties, with former Police Commissioner
mefchard Enright as a weak independent candidate, and
braorman Thomas, the brilliant parlor socialist as a can
sheidatc under that party label.
The Republican nomination was won by Fiorella La
%-uardia. the mischievous Italian congressman from the
eater city. and Tammany is running Mayor Jimmy
e-alker for reelection. It happens that there are dis
70, ,rdant elements III both parties which are dissatisfied
l,tisith the heads Of their tickets and these, having NJ
I,reision candidate to rally around, are seeking elsewhere
F'sr q man to support.
Some amazement has been created BY a drift on the
art Of these dissatisfied elements to Norman Thomas.
Sic Socialist candidate. It even has been commented that
TisniS is q healthful sign in American po!itics-that such
isoninifluential support should be headed in Thomas direc-
.TSs;,!!on and that the outlook is that he will poll a con-
Denicuously larger vote than any candidate on his ticket
iImevyer before has been accorded.
L.d The significance Of the drift to Thomas is nothing.
iiaUwever, over which to get stupendously impressed. New
IIiiun,IoFk is far from dashed into the hysteria which in the
knIast marked reform campaigns. Nor does the support Of
Isanhomas imply any fondness for socialist doctrine. The
NNtlTiiIpctalist candidate docs not even have any great reform
Motive or constructive platform to stand on. There is
Norluch Of q gesture about his candidacy, of sacrifice for
ppikeaIac sake Of keeping up a minority cause which has
PriIothing in the way Of office or cmoluments to wax
Haadon-only its principles to uphold and plead. Above
sss,osl there Is no national significance about the Thomas
-. andidacy, no dissatisfaction with national economic
s. Conditions. There are things in the New York mayor
SSssaalty campaign. however, which make the strength OF
niothomds' candidacy an encouraging sign.
mi Mayor Walker. who probably will win reelection BY
Trnnssn overwhelming vote, is ~Tammanys man and proud
WIN II. One hears little Of the new Tamnany' these
Wirays. The Tiger seems to have all OF his old stripes.
mplc reason. right there. for any Democrat refusing to
.FApport Walker.
artadc . consistent record as Q liberal. In the present
nighmpaien, however. he has been noisy. Furthermore.
~ New York Republican machine is in no way better
Alan Tammany. To put 1t in and put Tammany out
resfould simply be to continue misrule under q different
Nit oS masters.
Ney me third candidate, ex-Police Commissioners Enrigh,
wa4ither IN hs record nor his campaign utteranccs
FTensc9nOvtdes any reason why q voter DESTROYS Of restoring
Socctoh government to Manhattan should vote for him.
ton xhere Is left. therefore, Norman Thomas man Of
%B0M&&AA~lnhan nhali@u mes ora tn1irnrn eH.> rrr.u
sAon1x World and the Evening Telegram have decided that
y \ 20 Tar superior to the other three candidates that
II party affiliations can be disregardcd; and there is
pevyGsy indication that thousands of ordinary Democrats
1nS3ld Republicans are coming to the SAM conclusions.
*s2c9Y4Alf o. that, We repeat, Is Z very good sign.
&f41k y not 70 healthy . Sign 70 continue voting by rule.