Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 18.djvu/353

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SOCIALISM. 299 SOCIALISM. parties. American socialism proper begins with the German influence. As a result of the politi- cal disorders of 1848 many men of learning and character came to this country from Germany as refugees. There were radicals among them who took the leadership in the establishment of conunimism of a new type in tliis country. Among thcni we may mention W'ilhclm Weitling (q.v. ), a German tailor, who started a German newspaper called Die RepuhUk dcr Arbciter, and organized an Arbeiter Bund. He was essentially a Utopian socialist, and had plans for the estab- lishment of a communistic settlement, and was for a time connected with one in Iowa. Nerer- theless, his thought was more in line with mod- ern socialism, eitling lived until 1871, and was at the last somewhat interested in the Interna- tionale of Marx. Next, mention may be made of the German gjTnnastic unions (Turnvereine) , which, in the early days, were avowedly Socialist. The first Socialist Turnverein was established in New York in 1850. The Turnvereine formed an organization called the Socialist Gymnastic Union (Socialistische Turner Bund), and in 1850 the name Socialist Gymnastic Union was adopted. Since the Civil War the socialistic character of the Turnvereine has very largely but not entirely disappeared. In 1857 a club of commimists was formed. In 1868 the followers of Lassalle held a meeting, the purpose of which was to establish a Social Democratic Party, and an organization was ef- fected in New York City. In 1809 the party be- came affiliated with the International Working- men's Association. Several sections of the In- ternationale were formed in this country, and in 1872 the seat of the Internationale was trans- ferred to New Y'ork City. Scattering sections existed here and there for a few years. The Na- tional Labor Union formed a party called the Labor Reform Party in 1868, and the Socialists supported this, but its life was of short dura- tion. The Socialists formed a Social Democratic Workingmen's Party at a convention held in Philadelphia in 1874, and in 1877, at a conven- tion in New Jersey, the.y adopted the name So- cialist Labor Party, which is still preserved. The party for a long time had much trouble with the anarchists. The convention of the Socialist Labor Party in 1881, in New Y'ork City, wit- nessed a rebellion of the anarcliists against the party, and one of the anarchist leaders, .Justus Schwab, started a paper called Tlie Anarchist. Johann Jlost came to this eounti-y in 1882 from London, having previously been expelled from the Social Democratic Party of Germany. The agi- tation of Most produced a crisis, and in 188.3. in the convention at Baltimore, the Socialists de- cided not to connect themselves in any way with the anarchists, who had effected an organization at Pittsburg in the same year. The next important events in the history of the Socialist Labor Party are connected with the candidacy of Henry George in 1886 for the Mayor- alty of New Y'ork City, and in 1887 for the Governorship of New York. George was nomi- nated by what was called the United Labor Party and ran against Abram S. Hewitt and Theodore Roosevelt. The votes received by the three candidates were as follows: Hewitt, 90,- 552: George. 68.110: Roosevelt. 60.4.35. The Syracuse Convention of the Union Labor Party, Vol. XVIII.— 2u. 1887, when George was nominated for the Governorship of New York, repuiliatcd social- ism. This formed an epoch in the history ot American socialism, and in 1888 the Socialist Labor Party decided to have no affiliations there- after with any- other party, but to nominate an independent ticket and vote for that without com])romise and without any bargains w'ith other parties or factions of parties. It is from this time that organized political socialism has made progress in the L'nited States. We must next take uj) the introduction of dis- tinctively American influences into political socialism in the United States. Dr. Daniel De Leon has long been one of the most influential factors in the Socialist Labor Party. Although not an American by birth, he was trained at Columbia University. Laurence Gronlund (q.v.), a Dane by birth, but naturalized in this country, wrote his Cooperative Com- monicealth in 1884, and this helped spread so- cialism among native-born Americans. Edward Bellamy (q.v.), of long American ancestry, wrote Looking Backward in 1888. Bellamy's socialism w'as, as has already been stated, called nationalism, and the clubs organized were called nationalist clubs. As a distinctive factor na- tionalism soon ceased to exist. The specific work which Bellamy accomplished was the American- ization of socialism, in the sense that he helped the American people to understand its signifi- cance, and won over a great many to its support. In 1893 the Coming Nation was established at Greensburg. Ind., by J. H. Wayland. Wayland was for a time influenced by the older so-called Utopian socialism, and helped establish Ruskin, in Tennessee, a short-lived communistic settle- ment. Later he moved to Kansas, and there established the Appeal to Reason. It is now pub- lished at Girard, in that State, claiming a cir- culation of half a million. The establishment of the American Railway Union in 1893, and the Pullman strike in the following year, are epoch- making in the history of American socialism. Early in 1897 Eugene V. Debs announced his conversion to socialism, and he and Victor L. Berger, of IMilwaukee, were largely instrumental in establishing the Social Democratic Party. After 1S99 there were dissensions in the Socialist Labor Party, terminating in a serious split. The socialists who left the old party joined forces with the rival party, and formed what i.s now known as the Socialist Party, except in Wiscon- sin and New Y'ork State, where, for legal reasons connected with the laws concerning the ballot, it is still called the Social Democratic Party. Re- cently there has been organized by Pennsylvania socialists a new Socialist Labor Party, which hopes to effect a union of all Socialist parties. It is interesting to trace the vote received by Socialist parties beginning with 1888. when an independent ticket was nominated in New York City and the resolution was adopted to form no alliances with other parties. In tliis election the vote received was 2068. In 1890 in New Y'ork State alone the party received 13.331 votes. In 1892 the socialistic vote of Connecticut. Maryland. Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New Y'ork was 21,159. In 1894 the party extended its influence to the Middle States, and in Connecticut, Iowa, Massa- chusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Penn-