Socialists Convene

In hard-boiled U. S. politics, Socialists generally rate as soft-boiled academics. Only a few, like Dan Hoan, who managed to hold Milwaukee for 24 years (see p. 22), have had any truck with practical politics. Persistently idealistic, the Socialist Party has become largely a wastebasket for disgruntled liberals to throw away their votes.

One other function the Party has served: as a more or less accurate gauge of the country's fevers. In 1912, when the U. S. was beset by restless Labor, debt-ridden farmers and a discontented West, the vote for a Socialist for President shot up. Up it shot again in 1932, with the persistent depression. In periods of complacency (1928, 1936), the Socialists are nowhere. Last week, as the U. S. shivered with war chills, ached with unemployment, the Socialist Party convened to adopt a platform, nominate a President, take the U. S. temperature for 1940.

First Socialist act was to turn down a motion approving U. S. economic assistance to the Allies as the quickest and surest way to prevent war's spread to this country. Instead, the delegates adopted a plank of strict isolation. Other chief concern of the delegates was unemployment. Keynoted Maynard C. Krueger (rhymes with eager) of the University of Chicago: "We Socialists are not interested in trying to make the Capitalist system work. Hoover and Roosevelt have tried that and proved that it can't be done." Private business representing production for profit instead of production for use, said he, has failed. The people must assume the responsibility of running the economic system. There is no law, declared Mr. Krueger, that we must wander for 40 years in the wilderness. "Many still cast their eyes backward and long for the 'good old days' when Capitalist industry still provided opportunity and an increased standard of living." Comparing back-lookers to dachshunds, he quoted: There was a little dachshund once So long he had no notion How long it took to notify His tail of his emotion And thus it was that while his eyes Were filled with woe and sadness His little tail kept wagging on Because of previous gladness. Nominated without opposition, resoundingly applauded were: for President, scholarly, perennial Norman Thomas, who had consented to be "drafted"; for Vice President, dachshund-quoting Maynard C. Krueger.

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