Sewer Socialism was a term, originally more or less
pejorativePejoratives are terms which have a negative connotation. Sometimes a term may begin as a pejorative word and eventually be adopted in a non-pejorative sense...
, for the
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
socialist movement that centered in
Milwaukee, WisconsinMilwaukee is the largest city in Wisconsin and 23rd largest in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. Its estimated 2008 population was 604,477. Milwaukee is the main cultural and economic center of the...
, and existed from around 1892 to 1960. The term purportedly was coined by
Morris HillquitMorris Hillquit was a founder and leader of the Socialist Party of America, as well as a prominent labor lawyer in New York City's Lower East Side during the early 20th century.-Early years:...
at the 1932 Milwaukee convention of the
Socialist Party of AmericaThe Socialist Party of America was a democratic socialist political party in the United States, formed in 1901 by a merger between the three-year-old Social Democratic Party of America and disaffected elements of the Socialist Labor Party which had split from the main organization in 1899.In the...
, as an ironic commentary on the Milwaukee socialists and their perpetual boasting about the excellent public
sewer systemA sanitary sewer is a type of underground carriage system, , for transporting sewage from houses or industry to treatment or disposal...
in the city.
With the creation of the
Socialist Party of AmericaThe Socialist Party of America was a democratic socialist political party in the United States, formed in 1901 by a merger between the three-year-old Social Democratic Party of America and disaffected elements of the Socialist Labor Party which had split from the main organization in 1899.In the...
, this group formed the core of an element which favored
Democratic socialismDemocratic socialism is a description used by various socialist movements and organizations, to emphasize the democratic character of their political orientation...
over
Orthodox MarxismOrthodox Marxism, or Kautskyism, is the term used to describe the version of Marxism which emerged after the death of Karl Marx and acted as the official philosophy of the Second International up to the First World War and of the Third International thereafter...
, deemphasizing
social theorySocial theory is the use of theoretical frameworks to study and interpret social structures and phenomena within a particular school of thought....
and revolutionary rhetoric and in favor of honest government and efforts to improve
public healthPublic health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals." It is concerned with threats to the overall health of a community based...
.
Sewer Socialism was a term, originally more or less
pejorativePejoratives are terms which have a negative connotation. Sometimes a term may begin as a pejorative word and eventually be adopted in a non-pejorative sense...
, for the
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
socialist movement that centered in
Milwaukee, WisconsinMilwaukee is the largest city in Wisconsin and 23rd largest in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. Its estimated 2008 population was 604,477. Milwaukee is the main cultural and economic center of the...
, and existed from around 1892 to 1960. The term purportedly was coined by
Morris HillquitMorris Hillquit was a founder and leader of the Socialist Party of America, as well as a prominent labor lawyer in New York City's Lower East Side during the early 20th century.-Early years:...
at the 1932 Milwaukee convention of the
Socialist Party of AmericaThe Socialist Party of America was a democratic socialist political party in the United States, formed in 1901 by a merger between the three-year-old Social Democratic Party of America and disaffected elements of the Socialist Labor Party which had split from the main organization in 1899.In the...
, as an ironic commentary on the Milwaukee socialists and their perpetual boasting about the excellent public
sewer systemA sanitary sewer is a type of underground carriage system, , for transporting sewage from houses or industry to treatment or disposal...
in the city.
Ideology
With the creation of the
Socialist Party of AmericaThe Socialist Party of America was a democratic socialist political party in the United States, formed in 1901 by a merger between the three-year-old Social Democratic Party of America and disaffected elements of the Socialist Labor Party which had split from the main organization in 1899.In the...
, this group formed the core of an element which favored
Democratic socialismDemocratic socialism is a description used by various socialist movements and organizations, to emphasize the democratic character of their political orientation...
over
Orthodox MarxismOrthodox Marxism, or Kautskyism, is the term used to describe the version of Marxism which emerged after the death of Karl Marx and acted as the official philosophy of the Second International up to the First World War and of the Third International thereafter...
, deemphasizing
social theorySocial theory is the use of theoretical frameworks to study and interpret social structures and phenomena within a particular school of thought....
and revolutionary rhetoric and in favor of honest government and efforts to improve
public healthPublic health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals." It is concerned with threats to the overall health of a community based...
. The Sewer Socialists fought to clean up what they saw as "the dirty and polluted legacy of the
Industrial RevolutionThe Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, and transport had a profound effect on the socioeconomic and cultural conditions in the United Kingdom. The changes subsequently spread throughout Europe, North...
," cleaning up neighborhoods and factories with new
sanitationSanitation is the hygienic means of promoting health through prevention of human contact with the hazards of wastes. Hazards can be either physical, microbiological, biological or chemical agents of disease. Wastes that can cause health problems are human and animal feces, solid wastes, domestic...
systems, city-owned water and power systems, and improved education. The movement has its origins in the organization of the
Social Democratic PartyThe Social Democratic Party of America was a short-lived political party in the United States and a predecessor to the Socialist Party of America.-Forerunners:...
, a precursor to the Socialist Party of America.
Victor Berger
Victor Berger is seen as the manifestation of Sewer Socialism, often compared to Robert La Follette and his representation of
ProgressivismProgressivism is a political and social term for ideologies and movements favoring or advocating changes or reform, usually in a statist or egalitarian direction for economic policies and liberal direction for social policies...
. He was an
Austrian JewishThe Jews of Austria are an ancient Jewish community likely originating in an exodus from the Roman occupation of Israel. During the course of many centuries, the political status of the community rose and fell many times: during certain periods, the Jewish community prospered and enjoyed political...
immigrant, who published
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that developed in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. As a result of the military, economic, scientific, political, and cultural influence of the British Empire during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, and of the United States since the mid 20th century,...
and
GermanGerman is a West Germanic language, thus related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. It is one of the world's major languages and the most widely spoken first language in the European Union. Around the world, German is spoken by approximately 105 million native speakers and also by...
daily
newspaperA newspaper is a publication containing news, information, and advertising. General-interest newspapers often feature articles on political events, crime, business, art/entertainment, society and sports. Most traditional papers also feature an editorial page containing columns that express the...
s.and distributed free copies to every household in Milwaukee before elections. He was the best-known local leader of this tendency. In 1910 he became the first of two Socialists elected to the
United States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives, commonly referred to as the "House," is the lower house of the bicameral United States Congress, the upper house being the United States Senate. The composition and powers of the House and the Senate are established in Article One of the Constitution...
representing
Wisconsin's 5th congressional districtWisconsin's 5th congressional district is a congressional district of the United States House of Representatives in Wisconsin, covering Ozaukee County and Washington County as well as portions of Milwaukee County, Waukesha County, and Jefferson County. The district includes the northern Milwaukee...
(The second was
Meyer LondonMeyer London was an American politician from New York City who was one of only two members of the Socialist Party of America elected to the United States Congress.-Biography:...
of ew York (state)|New York.) Berger was reelected in 1918, but was barred from his seat in the House due to his trial and conviction under the 1917 Espionage Act for his public remarks opposing U.S. intervention in the First World War. A special election was called, in which Berger again emerged victorious, but he was denied the seat and it was declared vacant. Berger served the 5th district again from 1923 until 1929, and during his tenure introduced proposals for numerous programs that were subsequently adopted, such as old age pensions, unemployment insurance, and
public housingPublic housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is owned by a government authority, which may be central or local. Social housing is an umbrella term referring to rental housing which may be owned and managed by the state, by not-for-profit organizations, or by a combination of...
.
Electoral history
In 1910, the Socialists won most of the seats in the Milwaukee city council and county board. This included the first Socialist mayor in the United States,
Emil SeidelEmil Seidel was the mayor of Milwaukee from 1910 to 1912. He was the first socialist mayor of a major city in the United States, and ran as the Vice Presidential candidate for the Socialist Party of America in the 1912 presidential election.Seidel was born in Ashland, Pennsylvania, USA. His family...
, who also received the nomination for Vice-President on the Socialist Party ticket in the
1912 electionThe United States presidential election of 1912 was fought among three major candidates, two of whom were presidents. Incumbent President William Howard Taft was renominated by the Republican Party with the support of the conservative wing of the party...
, when the Socialists netted 6% of the vote, their highest-ever percentage. Seidel and Berger both lost their campaigns in 1912, but in 1916, a new Socialist mayor was elected,
Daniel HoanDaniel Webster "Dan" Hoan was a United States politician. He became the second socialist mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and his tenure is generally considered to be the longest continuous socialist administration in U.S. history. He was the second-longest serving mayor of Milwaukee.-Biography:Hoan...
, who remained in office until 1940. Socialists never regained total control over the local government as they did in 1910, but continued to show major influence until the defeat of Daniel Hoan in 1940. The Sewer Socialists elected one more mayor in Milwaukee,
Frank P. ZeidlerFrank P. Zeidler was an American politician and Socialist Party of America mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, serving three terms from 1948 to 1960. He was the most recent Socialist mayor of any major American city....
, who served for three full terms (1948-1960). A Socialist has not been elected mayor of a major American city since the end of Zeidler's tenure.
Relationship with the Progressives
Although the Sewer Socialists had many ideas superficially similar to those of the
La Follette ProgressivesThe Wisconsin Progressive Party , was a third party which briefly held a dominant role in Wisconsin politics. The Party was the brainchild of Philip La Follette and Robert M. La Follette, Jr., the sons of the famous Wisconsin Governor and Senator Robert M. La Follette, Sr....
, they still had numerous tensions, primarily due to differences in underlying ideology. They rarely cooperated on elections (one notable exception was the
1924 Presidential campaignThe United States presidential election of 1924 was won by incumbent President Calvin Coolidge, the Republican candidate. Coolidge became president in 1923 following the death of then-incumbent president, Warren G. Harding. Coolidge was given credit for a booming economy at home and no visible...
of
Robert M. La Follette, Sr.Robert Marion La Follette, Sr. nicknamed "Fighting Bob" La Follette was an American politician who served as a U.S. Congressman, the 20th Governor of Wisconsin , and Republican Senator from Wisconsin...
, who was endorsed by the Socialist Party of America), although as a rule the Progressives and Socialists did not run candidates against each other in Milwaukee. The Socialists wanted nothing to do with the
RepublicansThe Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the Grand Old Party or the GOP, despite being the younger of the two major parties. In the U.S...
, while the Progressives sometimes worked with their parent party.
Further Reading
- Beck, Elmer A. The Sewer Socialists: A History of the Socialist Party of Wisconsin, 1897–1940. Fennimore, WI: Westburg Associates, 1982.
- Bekken, Jon. "'No Weapon So Powerful': Working-Class Newspapers in the United States," Journal of Communication Inquiry, Vol. 12, No. 2, pp. 104-119 (1988)
- Miller, Sally M. Race, Ethnicity, and Gender in Early Twentieth-Century American Socialism. Garland Reference Library of Social Science, vol. 880. New York and London: Garland Publishing, 1996.
- Zeidler, Frank P. A Liberal in City Government: My Experiences as Mayor of Milwaukee. Milwaukee: Milwaukee Publishers, 2005.