AMERICAN SOCIALISM.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1365, 16 February 1912, Page 6

AMERICAN SOCIALISM.

A GIGANTIC EXPERIMENT AND FAILURE.

THE EXI'ERIFACE OF MILWAUKEE,

A year ago tho Socialists gained their fir.--l important, victory in tho l.'nited States. They captured the great city of Milwaukee—a beautiful and immensely iii:h tov.ii of over HOtI.OOO inhabitants.

"Comrade" Kmil Seidel was elected Mayor, "Comrade" Victor J. liergor was sent to Congress, and fourteen members of tho State Legislature aud nil the county officials belong to the party of the lied Flag.

.Everywhere through the world, says the "Express," this Socialistic, triumph was liuiUiil with joy by revolutionary parties and newspapers, and the Milwaukee elections wore taken as a sign that at last the American, proletariat was rising against a triumphant capitalism. The victory, like most considerable victories, was the result of long and careful preparation. Fur fifteen years the "Social Democrat Herald" and the "Voice of tho People" had been distributed gratis, and just before last year's elections as many as •400,000 copies of this last print were placed every week in the homos of tho people by a voluntary army of 1200 distributors.

To this careful distribution of literature, far more than to excited speeches, <W'H Milwaukee owe its present governin tint.

Socialism eloquently presented us heaven upon earth mny altract; and Indued doos attract, the unthinking and the fluffy-minded, but Socialism in practice lii'-s always been a colossal failure, and after twelve months of the administration of "Comrade" Scidel, Milwaukee is offering the world a striking object-lesson of what Socialism, really is when its doctrines are. applied' to the practical world. Mr. Seidel, when ho began his term of office, announced I hat he was to be "the people's Mayor," accessible at all times by all sorts and conditions of men. Today ho is the typical bureaucrat; more difficult to reach than any of his capitalist ic predecessors has ever been. Thi! Socialists gained support outside their own ranks by their attack on partisan officialism and by their demand for experts in the various city department?. To-day all the city officials belong to the. Socialist party, and there is not one nonpartisan expert to the found. Moreover, iii the. grossest: manner, public positions have been rilled bv the brothers, nephews, ami cousins.of the Socialist administra. fors, who had boen elected by the people because they promised pure 'government. Milwaukee in the old days was an "open" oily, and the Socialists beguiled tlie religious public by promising that the old iniquities should be wiped away, and that the city should be cleansed and made virtuous. Doubtless the intentions of Mr. Seidel and his colleagues wers admirable, but after twelve months there' arji nioi't! gambling hells than ever in Milwaukee; and, moreover, they are no longer under police supervision and inspection. The consequence is that with the Rod Flag flying over the city hall Milwaukee has become ;i very paralyse for "crooks."

Immorality flourishes, illegal "hotels," as they are called, are to be found in scores, and "the. municipal dances" organised by the Socialist corporation havo had to bo brought to an end, since (hey wore openly and flagrantly used as a meeting placo for vicious men and women.

Tho cost of tho city administration in wages and salaries alone has been enormously increased. The lowest wages paid are S-. a. day, and for the current year it is expected that the rates will 'rise quite 50 per cent. :

The municipality lias promoted more than forty bills in the State Legislature Hiking for authority to establish various municipal enterprises, which, even if (hey were passed into law—which is very, doubtful—the luilliorilics cannot carry out, since they have already borrowed as much money us they are legally entitled to borrow.

lu every branch of the business side of the administration there is muddle and loss, but it is characteristic of Iho Socialists that they never learn by experience, and the. fact that thero'havo been huge losses in faddist schemes docs not prevent them from seeking further powers for new enterprises, uew experiments, and further failures.

Incompetent Socialist enthusiasts havo been placed in responsible positions, for which they are entirely unfitted. A teacher in a trade school earning .£3OO a year was appointed Commissioner of Public Works at a salary of ,£IOOO a. year. The Socialist town clerk is a retired minister, and spends most of his time delivering Socialist lectures, and it is alleged that ho was in his office, only forty days during the first nine month's of -his appointment. Tho City Health Commissioner is not a recognised member of tho medical profession nt all. According to tho Milwaukee doctors, he does not even know how to writo out a prescription. Of course, he is a good .Socialist.