Back of the Bridgeport Victories
Lewis, Lena Morrow
Back of the Bridgeport Victories By Lena Morrow Lewis Itnt ee mm eesosa^gee Wo f their party until the masses caught the fervor of the propagandists - 1 T h e children of Bridgeport are...
...The city also recovered several thousand dollars from a bonding company...
...The third Sunday before election the party published a full-page statement in the three daily newspapers and the Sunday Herald setting forth the record and accomplishments of the Socialist administration from November, 1933, to the middle of October, 1935...
...But there.is much more in this book...
...No Favoritism The Mayor dispensed with the high powered police-manned limousine which his predecessor had used, and turned it over to the city garage, where it is used to carry the sick and unfortunate insane to the Hillside Home, where these poor unfortunates are looked after...
...This vote was a splendid demonstration that the people of Bridgeport were not afraid of the Socialists...
...But the canny Scotchman told them that the Socialists are differ.rgSt,from the old political parties "j&»V.'*We are going 'to have the books audited...
...Pikes...
...Hansson himself has pointed out that ten governments lave succeeded each other during ;he last fifteen years, r Socialism on the March Why has the Socialist governnent in Sweden been able to hold >ut so long, and why has the social Democratic Party during his period been able to strengthen ts position both from the point of •oting power and of membership...
...per McLevy, and in the recent campaign in all his speeches he told the voters that it was of no avail to elect him personally...
...And again, "What we most need is to learn at last that we should always think and act in a truly democratic manner...
...The gravity of the time pressed for cooperation, and thus it was possible to establish a democratic combination over a wide front in support of the Social Democratic government's crisis policy, to which in a great measure three parties, comprising two-thirds of the members of the Riksdag, gave their support...
...He went on to claim that tradition was not a sufficient explanation for the fact that democracy was being consolidated in some countries while it was declining in others...
...They published this document so that the citizens might have plenty of time to study it and the rival candidates reply to i t The items covered activities of all the city offices, a report of the Director of Public Works, the Department of Public Purchases, Insurance, the Police Department, the Fike Department...
...The job taxed the B J B B i and temper of the auditors, and before they finished they discovered graft and misappropriatioo of funds sufficient to indict and convict and sentence to the ' state penitentiary two former city oflkusii...
...That the citizens of Bridgeport did not get scared at this Communist bugaboo the old parties tried to flaunt in their faces is evidenced by the fact that out of 43,823 votes C?st Jasper McLevy received 24,267...
...You need not fear to use force to obtain What you want because the police will not interfere...
...It had become a ward of the B E Only one other city in New T-||iliini1 had ever been reduced to this humiliating position...
...Objections were raised that news- C men had never attended . 1 Board meetings in the "past, that it "wasn't customary,"* etc* To which the stubborn Scotchman replied, "The former administrations .are not setting any precedents for us...
...McLevy also abolished the executive, secretary to the Mayor and had the City Comptroller made "Budget Aide" to the Mayor, and in,this.capacity he reports to the Chief Executive of the city the financial status and outlook of the various departments and enterprises of the municipality...
...And when the campaign opened in October, 1935, the Socialists had a record with which to go before the voters and upon that record which we have very briefly outlined above they made their campaign...
...The City Clerk and OBflp rr were unable to find receipts and records with which to organize their offices...
...Irameiiately the car was surrounded, »nd they were in and all around it...
...There was a large ' group of children out in the street The Mayor did not get out of his car but asked me to have some one I come over to see him...
...There can be no doubt that the party's progress was, above all, due to its program for dealing with the crisis...
...For me it is part of a good parliamentary order that the government should have the lead and not allow itself to be allocated the role | of a football or of a forwarding I v...
...This quotation from a Norwegian newspaper was read and emphasized by Hansson during an address on "Northern Democracy" delivered before an audience of Danish students...
...This was the starting point for their effort, and they welcomed the declaration made at the time by the other parties that they were willing to cooperate...
...Sadie Griffin has already had much experience In welfare work, is familiar with She needs of the people, knows the ' problems of the city,' and has bean for a number of years a member of the Socialist Party...
...Again, "If one were to sum up i he nature of Labor Scandinavian- 1 sm in one word,'there ts^nothing letter than — democracy...
...As a start in straightening out the muddle, the newly elected Socialist City Xjeasurer John Sbenton advertised in'the daily papers for any bank or firm holding any of the city's jjfney to report the fact to his ofice...
...It is something which extends to all spheres of community and individual life...
...This was disconcerting to the outgoing Democratic administrationThey did not audit the Republican books when they came into B B S that was, they felt, just a iot of quite unnecessary red tape...
...c wad Election Night - ^ f j I wish I had space to tell how the children form committees to call on the Mayor whenever they think they ought to have a new playground...
...Sidelights on Swedish Socialism Socialist Premier Hansson Discusses Some Vital Problems of Socialist Statesmanship and Principle—Democracy as Foundation of Social Reconstruction—The Lessons of the Crisis—A Review of a Striking Book J'HOSE who wish to secure an insight into the position and outlook of the Socialist roofer mem in Sweden will find a rich store of material in t h e speeches and writings of Per Albin Hansson which have just been published...
...The next step then was to elect Senators and Representatives from Bridgeport to demand measures that would restore these rights...
...Health, City Yard, Street Lighting, Welfare, Libraries, Schools, Parks, Municipal Garage, etc...
...Riksdag Stands High "If the Swedish Riksdag stands so high in the people's esteem today as it actually does, it is because the p;esent government, in open cooperation with the Farmers' and the People's Party, has understood how to make Parliament into a working and not a talking organ...
...I was out last night celebrating Jasper McLevy's election— and I'm glad I was...
...Wtt SHOULD IT STOF'JUBT N O W Such, in brief, are Hansson's views on democracy...
...This conception colors his attitude towards the problems of government, and in many of his utterances we see how it has affected the aims and methods of the Socialist government of which he is the head...
...Anyone who will quietly consider things as they are, will find that there is no necessity to aro back to the old conditions of strife after the cooperation during the years of crisis...
...He has the personal respect and confidence of his entire administration...
...They won't let us, we are waiting for you," they replied...
...Throughout its pfayod of office the Socialist government has held the lead and taken the initiative...
...CAN WE ALREADY i SAY THAT BRANTING WAS i RIGHT...
...On election day they organized a parade and marched around the City Hall...
...The Social Democratic Party had no majority in the Riksdag...
...Working out a program of municipal activities which would enable the city to conduct its own business, improve its departments, etc., the Socialists went into the state campaign of 1934 with this challenge to the voters: "If you want us to carry out this program, you must elect our men to the state legislature so they can sponsor measures to restore Bridgeport its municipal rights...
...And speaking on the government's policy in the Second Chamber in 1935...
...As one of the Bridgeport papem said, the children felt that Jasper McLevy was not simply Mayor of Bridgeport, but he is their Mayor...
...The mother somewhat surprised at the interest her iaughter was taking in the campaign asked why she wanted to enow...
...This must be done "not only in the relations between one social class and another . . . but also among various groups within the lower class...
...No) since the first Armistice Day had Bridgeport ever seen such a happy crowd of citizens, and even that did not equal the enthusiasm of this election night...
...In bis view democracy is not merely a political system...
...Instead, the forces were able to unite on the solution of democratic tasks which are common to them...
...I don't move a foot p » that room unless these newspaper men go with me...
...It has, in fact, held office longer than any jther Swedish government for a generation...
...In spite of all the handicaps that beset McLevy and his administration when they came into office two years ago they began to accomplish more- than seemed possible...
...City Council Meetings " •' The public was invited to attend -the meetings of the city council...
...Fin...
...On one occasion Mr...
...Through the kindness of the Bridgeport Post, which was supporting the Socialist ticket, I was able to reply to this statement in addition to what I could do from the platform in following meetings...
...Per Albin Hansson, the successor of Hjalmar Branting as leader of the Swedish Social Democratic Labor Party, and Prime Minister since 1932, has put together a selection of his speeches and writings from the last ten years, and the party's publishing concern, Tidens Fiirlag, has published it in celebration of his fiftieth birthday (October 20, 1935...
...This government, although in a minority, has maintained itself in office since September, 1932, during a period of acute economic crisis, a period when democracy was at one time retreating over a wide front before the advance of dictatorship...
...IT MIGHT TAKE PLACE UNDER A J O I N T GOVERNMENT OF THE SOCIALISTS AND OTHER S Y M P A T H E T I C POLITICAL GROUPS, CARRYING OUT A POSITIVE PROGRAM OF RE1 FORM...
...Flower baskets, bouquets and other decorations graced the platform, •very one felt that a new day had downed for Bridgeport...
...If it had been granted the Communists said they would withdraw their ticket...
...The Socialists had a program and McLevy has always said if you have a program and the ability for putting it over and it has merit in it the people will support you...
...I had not I reached the other side of the street j before I beard the boys and girls ' all excitedly saying, "O, there's the Mayor," and some of them were even shouting, "There's Jasper," for this name is as familiar to the children of Bridgeport as 'Gene Debs was to Terre Haute...
...The city officials found their of1^1 in a state of confusion and jjiosder...
...bt& The Socialists asked to be elected on their record...
...May their tribe increase...
...The unique achievement of the Socialist party in Bridgeport is • a t if came into office for its seeded'term at this past election by * far larger majority and a •traighter vote than its previous •ection...
...Sec'y, Jack Speiser...
...Very soon some one from the beard came out and told the Mayor they were ready for him, and he replied, "I am not going in unless these reporters go in with me...
...Great care must there- i 'ore be devoted to the fostering of t lemocracy, not only a t heme and i n the school, but individually and nutually...
...Even a young grammar school boy, when' asked by his teacher if he was net ashamed for not being better prepared with his lessons the next day, said: "No, I'm not a bit ashamed...
...Back of the Bridgeport Victories By Lena Morrow Lewis Itnt ee mm eesosa^gee Wo f their party until the masses caught the fervor of the propagandists - 1 T h e children of Bridgeport are McLevy's m o s t enthusiastic supporters I P into power1 in 1933, electing & but of the 16 Ardermen, two members of the school board and J the cky offices, with the jUyor leading the ticket by a njuralii v vote...
...Her advent into the Council Chamber is hailed with appreciation by the women of Bridgeport as well as the men...
...So the boys were (hare waiting on the steps when - ttie Mayer arrived...
...No United Front The story of how the three Socialist Senators blocked all procedure until they got what they were after, deserves an article all its own...
...My first real introduction to the interest the children were taking was one night when Jasper McLevy drove me over to one of the places where I was to speak...
...3 tiji ^ E s pm tsri Invited When Mayor McLevy went to the first meeting of the School Board, where his presence was necessary for the board to conduct business, be found a group of newspaper reporters outside the . tifrrrw In previous administra~&SS*' the press and outsiders had nan excluded, but McLevy had gjven out the word that the press ^tbuMbe in on all city business transactions...
...McLevy and Children The story of the campaign and election celebration would not be complete without an account of the part the children played...
...I soon discovered that lis car was being stopped whenever he chanced to be passing a jroup of children...
...And a boy followed smkf "Yes, and he has cleaned up Ugf beaches so we can have met HJgjf to go swimming...
...democ- « acy in the people and among the r ieoples, social, political, economic, I ational, Scandinavian and international democracy...
...Chairman, Grievance Committee...
...No favoritism is shown in the...
...The Government's Program Thus the government has been able to carry out its program with the results which are already known...
...agent for what the forces alongside the government, or in opposition to it, push forward...
...And WMog added, "He made the atanM»ffiB| companies give us a five cent fare to the beach where to go to other parts of town we have to pay 10 cents...
...A Communist Bogey In my article in the Post I said, "Neither at that meetfhg or any other I have addressed in this or any other city have I ever recommended that force or violence should be used to accomplish our ends...
...As a matter of fact, I am a believer in democratic methods for securing what we want I am opposed to the Communist dictatorship and do not believe that the tactics of the Communists can ever establish Socialism...
...He is looking far ahead in his program of service for the people of Bridgeport He is supported by able officials and appointees...
...For some 35 years Jasper McLevy has been running for office in Bridgeport, soap-boxing campaign or no campaign, doing his stint as house-to-house literature distributor, studying the history of his city and state, learning what he could of government and its relation to the workers and the common people and finally arrived at the highest executive office within the city...
...Mayor Jasper McLevy is a man of vision...
...The local papers carried pictures of the1 ft*-* rade...
...If group and party interests are driven so far that workable majorities cannot be formed, then democracy loses its capacity for positive work...
...their headquarters...
...The Socialists made their legislative campaign on that issue...
...He therefore does not merely conceive democracy as a syBtem of government...
...Newspaper men are always on hand to report proceedjngs and the citizens of Bridgeport taaw more about what is going on J* municipal affairs than ever beBM in the history of their city...
...It is a pity that the book is so far only available in Swedish, because its contents are of the deepest interest not only for those who support his views but also for those who oppose them...
...record on the Treasurer's books, • P h P instance a substantial sum |gg tum on deposit in a local bank for more than twenty years...
...Af E i WE NOT PERHAPS IN THE MIDST OF THE TRANSITIOST" CAPITALIST SOCIETY IB EEL> ATIVELY YOUNG...
...The civic spirit has been greatly oeVeloped...
...In the City Engineer's office expenses have been reduced over $8,000...
...To return to office by a •rger vote and gain more power •a* evidence that the citizens of •nogeport were satisfied with the P i of administration that "Mc«evy and his gang" (as they called them two years ago) had given the city the past two years..- lr...
...BUT DEVELOPMENT HAS GONE ON ITS WAT...
...The feature of the last general lection, he says, was the progress iiade by the Social Democratic 'arty, which was accentuated by he fact that the anti-Socialist parties were shown to be a minority among the electorate...
...It had lost its right as a municipality to jgp, bonds and to conduct busi-^aa...
...Ivery move the Mayor made, or anything done by any department •r official, was promptly reported Ha the...
...One day the little iaughter of a prominent Kiwannis man came home and said to her mother, "Mama, who are you going to vote for...
...The letter was, figuratively speaking, consigned to th<' waste basket The Communists, however, insisted on getting in on the Socialist bandwagon...
...Later n the day her older brother came lome and he tackled his father in .he same way with the information ;hat the school children wanted to :ee Mayor McLevy reelected...
...i y meeting of the council since the Socialists came into office in «.eveinber,'1933, has...
...But it had the advantage that other parties had to take their responsibility more seriously than might otherwise have been the case...
...No, Mr...
...reporters, not because the •pfficials.were seeking headline pubjfcity but because they considered themselves servants of the people f*bo were entitled to know what pas going on in municipal affairs...
...HOW OFTEN HAS IT BEEN SAID: SO FAR BUT NO FARTHER...
...Goldstein, H. Lopatin, B. PolI sky, and M. Sherman...
...Brownsville Workers' Alliance Elects New Officers The Brownsville local of the Workers' Alliance, one of the largest and strongest in New York City, elected officers last week for the coming year...
...I stopped a group of boys and jirls on the street one day all •arrying McLevy pictures, and hidng my campaign button, I asked vhy they were so crazy over electng McLevy, and one little girl said, "Why, he gives 'ns/e%Bygrounds...
...Socialism and bourgeois democracy in the Northern countries have never come into hopeless opposition to each other, the bourgeois democrats have not allowed themselves to be driven by fear of Socialism from their democratic ideal, and the Social Democrats have not for fear of contamination fled from bourgeois democracy...
...Well, because I want you ;o vote for Mayor McLevy...
...Among the first things Mayor McLevy did was to demand an audit of all financial records of the .^hy...
...in reply to criticisms from the Right, he said: "If my memory does not deceive me, it was precisely the people on the Right who were accustomed to talk about strong governments, and I do not believe that anyone would be willing to accept the view that a government should merely be a messenger-boy for the Riksdag...
...The next high man on the Socialist ticket received 23,675 and the lowest city-wide candidate on our ticket polled 23,421...
...Jof^pPr/' dont you go in...
...Harry Feldman...
...3er Albin Hansson's explanation s scattered among a number of lis speeches...
...In the aldermanic contests our candidates received a majority over all votes cast in 12 out of the 16 wards, and all the rest were elected by plurality votes...
...The ward Socialist headquarters tvere continually besieged with them asking for posters and campaign matter...
...The Socialist government formed after the election felt that in seeking a solution to the question of the crisis, regard should be paid to the ^dif Acuities of other groups...
...The* inauguration of elected offcishr...
...The newly elected officers are: Chairman, Irving Ostrowsky 1st Vice-Chairman, Samuel H. Mitlro: 2nd Vice-Chairman, Louis Schultz...
...As he himself says in the pre- j face,* the collection is intended, to give a summary of his general views on social questions and at the same time an idea of Social Democratic policy...
...which heretofore had been held in the City Hall as a mere •aililia matter with few or no outsiders attending had to be transferred to the largest auditorium in fat of the high school buildings, Jfcich was not even then large enough to accommodate the crowd...
...A letter from the Communist party asking the Socialists for unity in the election...
...No one was more pleased over the election than were the c h i l d r e n of Bridgeport They crowded the yard and street out In front of the McLevy house.' 1 "CThe "hill-billies" of Bridgeport serenaded the Mayor and when finally he opened the door to rer ceive them on the front porch the demonstration of affection and joy of the youngsters was indescribable...
...Treas., Jos...
...The limited space of this article prevents giving anything like an adequate report of the way in which the city offices and departments have been organized, the efficiency with which they have been operated and the economy resulting tfterefrom...
...In the parade that followed later in the evening the children played a prominent part...
...The Republicans and Democrats insisted on making our people responsible for the coming of Earl Browder to Bridgeport shortly before election...
...So much does democracy mean to him that he '. iven devoted his first talking film (made- in 1933) to a discission of , the merits of democracy as compared with dictatorship...
...Vthe city was bankrupt...
...asked MeLevy...
...shaking hands and chatting with him...
...Rec Sec*y, E. M. Brown...
...I venture to hope," he says, "that the lessons of the hard times will not be all too quickly forgotten, and that the idea of cooperation, which contains the meaning of democracy, will have struck deep roots...
...If they wanted his program to be carried out they must elect the men to work with him...
...The strong position of democracy in the North, he said, was due to the following circumstance...
...Department of Public Works and all purchasing is on a competitive basis determined by quality and price...
...HE GOES F U R T H E R AND SAYS THAT IT IS IN SUCH COOPERATION THAT THE TRANSITION TO SOCIALISM CAN BE ACHIEVED...
...BRANTING SAID IN 1900 THAT "THE TRANSITION NEED NOT NECESSARILY TAKE THE FORM OF A CATASTROPHE...
...Republican mayoralty candidate, the Socialists have not taken over the policies of the Communist party...
...For if one thing emerges from : study of its pages it is that Hansson is a great Democrat...
...The whole town gave itself up to celebrate on election night...
...The straightforward repudiation of Communist alliances on the part of Mayor McLevy and his party made no impression whatsoever on the old party candidates, particularly former Mayor Clifford B. Wilson, Republican candidate, under whose administration graft, bridgw scandals and other scandals had developed...
...They couldn't do business without the Mayor, and the Mayor wouldn't do |h)siasis without the reporters...
...been attended by a large number of citizens and sometimes by more than the CounOl chamber could comfortably accomodate...
...f'l For the first time in the history of Bridgeport a woman has been elected a member of the Board of Aldermen...
...Democracy's constructive method is cooperation...
...Enough to say that these three Senators and two Representatives returned from Hartford with more legislation for the benefit of the common people than was ever secured in all the history of Bridgeport...
...The full State ticket of the Socialist party received a substantial majority in Bridgeport in the 1934 election...
...In all the speeches and writings it contains we are given an insight" into the 1 mentality of the man and the philosophy of the party which follows his lead...
...In all the years of his campaigning he never asked for votes for the individual man Jas...
...And a , nan's first talking film is, after all, in event in his career!^ ! Democracy Democracy, he says, belongs to 1 'the individual life, the family, the sircle of friends, the place where ,rou work, organizations, or what- i >ver form of communal life there < nay be...
...T H I S WAS THE VIEW THAT BRANTING TOOK AND HANSSON STILL HOLDS IT...
...The meeting was held at the Brownsville Labor Lyceum, 219 Sackman St...
...and so the "fourth estate" came ?Sl» its own in Bridgeport...
...His long reach for power as the result of constructive cooperative work with his comrades, his well-organised program are items well worth considering by other locals...
...ASKS HANBSON...
...It must pervade the whole of life...
...YET IT IS C O N S T A N T L Y CHANGING...
...Militants" and C o m m u n i s t - minded persons have played little part in the Socialist movement in Bridgeport...
...Per Albin Hansson says no...
...Wilson charged me with saying in addressing a Socialist rally October 23rd, "The eyes of the country- are upon Bridgeport because it^tTSs a Socialist administration...
...The Mayor saw that some legislative action would be necessary to restore municipal rights and privileges to Bridgeport...
...As a result various sums ^tre unearthed of which there was no...
...The Bridgeport and Reading victories are the most encouraging events that have happened to our party in a score of years...
...Central Committee delegates: E. Brown, L. Green, Ed...
...From this time on things began to move...
...But is the policy of cooperation one for the period of crisis alone...
...He so thoroughly impressed the citizens with this idea that the slogan of the campaign was "Pull the third lever" and elect the Socialist candidates to back up McLevy...
...The title of the book, Demokrati, is significant...
Vol. 18 • December 1935 • No. 52
