We must next take up 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 monwealth 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 was, 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, lnd., by J. 11. 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, 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 Milwaukee, were largely instrumental in establishing the Social Democratic Party. After 1899 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 is now known as the Socialist Party, except in Wiscon sin and New York 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 this election the vote received was 206S. In 1S90 in New York State alone the party received 13,331 votes. In 1892 the socialistic vote of Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York 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 sylvania, and Rhode Island received 33,133 votes. In 1896 the number of votes was 36,564. In 1898, in eighteen States, the Socialist Labor Party received 82,204 votes, and the Social Demo cratic Party, which was organized in 1S97, 9545 votes, largely in Massaphusetts, making a total of 91,749. In the Presidential elections of 1900 the Socialist Party received 97,730 votes and the Socialist Labor Party 33,450, making a total of 131,180. In 1902 State and Congressional elec tions the Socialist Party received 229,762, and the Socialist Labor Party received 53,763, mak ing a total of 283,525.
The Socialists have not succeeded in electing any member of Congress. They have. however,
met with some success in State and local elec tions, in 1898 electing John C. Chase Mayor of Haverhill, Mass., and James T. Carey and Louis M. States to seats in the Massaclu lature. In 1903 three representatives of the Socialist Party were members of the Massa chusetts Legislature. In the same year the Mayor of Haverhill, Mass., Parkman B. Flanders, and several of the municipal officers were Socialists. In Brockton, Mass., Charles F. Coulter was re elected Mayor. The greatest victories of the Socialists were won in the April local elections of 1903. Socialists were elected to office in at least twenty cities; in five, mayors were elected; in several a considerable proportion of the other municipal officers. The city of Anaconda, Mont., was carried by the Socialists.
It may be mentioned that W. D. P. Bliss estab lished an American Fabian Society at Boston in 1895. This society published the American Fa bian, which continued to exist for several years, but has disappeared. The 'Society of Christian Socialists,' also under the leadership of Bliss more than any other loan, was organized in Boston, April 15, 1889. The tendency in re cent years has been for the Socialist Party to absorb all these minor organizations. Recently there has been organized a Collectivist Society in New York City. The aim of this society is evidently to do a work like that of the Fabian Society in England.
It is noteworthy that American socialism is probably more Marxian than the socialism of the other great countries of the world. There is also a tendency to lay less emphasis upon the `immediate demands' or the reforms which can be accomplished while the framework of the existing order is retained. The 'immediate de mands' were dropped altogether from the plat form of the Socialist Labor Party at the con vention held in New York City in 1900.
Political socialism has little influence upon organized labor in the United States, but here also the influence is growing rapidly. The Knights of Labor (q.v.) were in so far soeial istically inclined that some of the planks in their platform were in general line with socialist thought. So far as there was socialism in the rank and file of the Knights of Labor it was sentimental and impulsive rather than the re sult of deliberate thought. Doubtless, however, the agitation which the Knights of Labor have conducted helped to prepare the soil in this country for socialism.
Most significant is the attitude of the Ameri can Labor iTnion (q.v.), which is avowedly and unreservedly committed to political socialism.
The Socialists have the support of a large and increasing number of periodicals. The num ber in June, 1903, was probably about one hun dred. The Socialist Labor Party press consists chiefly of the daily, weekly, and monthly People, of New York City. The newly organized Penn sylvania branch of the Socialist Labor Party has as its organ the Socialist Standard of Pittsburg. The principal newspapers supporting the Social ist Party are The Worker, The Comrade, and the Folkzeitung of New Yo•k City; the Cleveland Citizen, of Cleveland, Ohio: the American Labor Union Journal, of Butte, Mont.; the Social Democratic Herald, of Milwaukee, Wis.; the Coming 'Nation, of Rich Hill, Mo.; the Appeal to Reason, of Girard, Kan.: and the Chicago Social ist. Especially noteworthy is the In-ternational Socialist Review, which is the organ of scientific socialism in this country.