Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1906 edition. Excerpt: ... methods of socialist activity, and through their ceaseless agitation they prepared the ground for a genuine American movement of socialism. The party had the misfortune of surviving the period of its usefulness, and its remnants brought in a shrill note of dissonance in the movement, but that does not alter the fact that the men of the Socialist Labor Party did the pioneer work of modern socialism in this country, and that the present socialist movement owes its existence largely to their efforts. II.--CAREER OF THE SOCIALIST LABOR PARTY 1. Early Tr1umphs And Reverses The Socialist Labor Party commenced its career under rather favorable auspices. The extraordinary industrial activity which had developed after the close of the war was succeeded by the great financial panic of 1873. The acute stage of the panic subsided after a few months, but the financial depression continued for fully five years and caused an unprecedented degree of destitution among the population of the country. In the great industrial cities cases of death from starvation, not only of single individuals but of entire families, were reported by the police every week. During the winter of 1877, the police stations were filled every night with crowds of working men and their families seeking shelter from the cold of the streets, and the police courts were besieged by men, women, and children imploring to be committed to the workhouse. The number of the unemployed in the United States was estimated at no less than three millions. At the same time the wages of those who had employment were reduced from year to year, and in 1877 they were so low that the working men rebelled, and a series of strikes was inaugurated. The movement was quite spontaneous; it was an outbreak of...
