The Jackson County Socialists met in this city last Saturday and organized a County Central Committee and also nominated a ticket for the coming June election. J. W. Wiley was chosen as chairman of the County Central Committee and Walter Scott as Secretary. After endorsing the state and national platforms they nominated the following county ticket:
    J. W. Wiley, of Medford, Senator.
    C. P. Snell and J. A. Thomas, of Medford, Representatives.
    D. M. Brower, of Ashland, Joint Representative.
    Grant Rawlings, of Central Point, Sheriff.
    Wm. Abbott, of Phoenix, Clerk.
    M. L. Hartley, of Medford, Recorder.
    J. A. Smith, of Medford, Treasurer.
    H. Richardson, of Trail, County Commissioner.
Medford Mail, March 14, 1902, page 6


    C. P. Snell, the attorney, who is a Socialist candidate for representative, has gone to Portland to attend the state convention of his party.
"Medford Squibs," Democratic Times, Jacksonville, March 20, 1902, page 5


    Rev. Carl D. Thompson, Socialist, of the Social Crusade, will speak in the Academy hall on Tuesday evening, May 13th, at 7:30 o'clock. His subject will be "Freedom and Fraternity: Home and Humanity--A More Abundant Life for All." An invitation is extended to all to attend.
"City Happenings," Medford Mail, May 9, 1902, page 7


    The Socialist vote cast in Jackson County June 2nd was less than 250. The Prohibition vote may reach 150.
"Local Notes," Democratic Times, Jacksonville, June 12, 1902, page 5


EDITOR OF MEDFORD MAIL:--
    We, the leaders of the Socialist Party, are annoyed a great deal by questions asked by ignorant people, who want to know how we are going to run things and how we are going to take over the railroads, the factories, the mines, the mills and the farms; and how we are going to manage the work. Now, MR. EDITOR, if you will allow me a small space in your capitalist paper, I will explain just how we will run things, when we get control of the government and elect a President.
    O, yes; we will have a President, but he won't get any higher wages, or any better grub to eat than Jerry does, who works on the section.
    Well, to the first question: How are we going to take over this property. Horace Greeley once said that the way to resume specie payment was to just "resume," and the way we will take over this property is "just take." Some of our members are getting so enthusiastic that they have commenced taking some little things already, but we don't intend to take the big things until we get full control of the government. As to management of the work. As everybody must work--we will have no drones--and as some kinds of work are harder and dirtier than other kinds, we will have to shift the men every day, so that each man will do his turn at the hard work and the light.
    In order to do that the country will be divided into districts, say about like road districts, and every morning every man in the district will assemble at headquarters and elect a boss for that day--a sort of an orderly sergeant--who will make the detail for that day and keep a record of each man and the kind of work he is assigned, and hand this report over to the boss that is elected the next morning.
    One of those morning orders will be something like this:
    Saw wood for railroad engine--L. G. Porter, John D. Rockefeller, Oley Olson, One Lung Sing Sing.
    Hitch up the mules and go to Big Sticky and plow--Buck Gillin, J. Pierpont Morgan, Carl Skijunski, Horace Nicholson.
    Teach school--Jack Montgomery.
    Grub chaparral--Prof. Narregan.
    Shear the Bybee goats--Billie Isaacs, Jesse Enyart.
    Tend bar at the corner saloon, and don't forget to put a nickel in the box every time you take a drink--Ed. Robertson.
    You had a hard job yesterday so you can go and stand in front of a cigar store--E. D. Elwood.
    Get out those paramount issues and sun them, they are beginning to smell musty--W. J. Bryan, Chas. Nickell.
    We will have to have some entertainments and amusements and we want to have a circus next week, but it takes a capitalist to get up a circus, but we will get up a circus of our own.
    Go over to that straw pile and turn somersaults--George Merriman, W. S. Crowell, Grover Cleveland, Sam Murray.
    Can practice hanging from a horizontal bar by his eyebrows--Nat Langell.
    Ringmaster--Shorty Hamilton.
    Work on the section--Peter Applegate, Hosteler Johnston, Court Hall, H. C. Mackey.
    Run the post office--Olaf Beauregard.
    Work on irrigation ditch--W. I. Vawter, Marmaduke Jenkins, Con. Leever.
    And so on through the list until every man is assigned to work. There will also be a detail made to run the stores, shops, hotels, saloons, and all the money that is taken in through the day will be taken to headquarters at night and dumped into a box and then taken to the county headquarters, and at the end of every month it will be divided and every man will get an equal share.
    P.S.--I have been informed that there is a certain dentist in Medford that has been buying scab-made shakes. Therefore I have ordered a boycott, and the members of our union will walk to Grants Pass to get a tooth pulled before we would let him pull it.
Medford Mail, January 15, 1904, page 4

Editor Real Issue.
    Acting on your suggestion I write concerning my ideas about what would be best for the success of the Socialist Party concerning a party platform etc. I will scratch down the following. It should be one that would bring us the largest number of followers at the same time adhering firmly to Revolutionary Socialism. As the Christian Church requires as a test of fellowship only that he or she believes Jesus Christ is the son of God so let our platform invite to party membership and comradeship all who openly avow their advocacy and belief in an industrial democracy or commonwealth. Let us make it perfectly clear that socialism is not workable in a political government, that the best we can do at present is to guard what liberty we have by sustaining the free working of the initiative and referendum amendment and the adoption of the same form of government to our municipalities and by electing conscientious men with intelligence enough to be socialists to the to the various offices. On national issues we should insist on all our national domain being either state or territorial. That paternalism through our class laws be withdrawn as rapidly as safety to our finance and commerce will permit.
    The platform should cater to no class; should encourage brotherhood and not antagonism. Fraternalism and not hatred. It should be such a platform that is clear-cut without ambiguity. So that those who run may read that what the socialists want is industrialism, i.e., an industrial government giving to both sexes an industrial citizenship, and giving to all industrial liberty and equality.
    All Trade Union resolutions and perhaps all other resolutions had best be left out. They smack too much of old-time populism. The platform should be clear that we support the constitutional right of private or corporate ownership of industrial property until we get or establish an industrial government whose constitution eliminates this right of ownership and places the ownership of industrial property in the collectivity the same as our educational property is now owned by the collectivity.

Ed. Real Issue.
    Acting on your invitation I write for the Good of the Cause. The first thing a convert to Socialism should do is to espouse the cause of Socialism, and his espousal should be of the kind that all and everybody knows he is a Socialist and then to so inform himself that he can intelligently give a reason for the desire in his heart for an industrial democracy. Knowing the terror of land-lord-ism he should persuade men to turn to industrialism as a form of government which will constitutionally eliminate the landlord and the politicians.
    The relegation of these two classes of men to innocuous desuetude would surely be a great blessing to the common people.
    The industrialist in trying to convert his acquaintance to the Socialist philosophy should avoid profanity. Let the other fellow swear. Oaths and falsehoods are about the only argument the opposition has. The Socialist if he is posted in his cause needs neither and he will do his cause more good by avoiding both. For the Good of the Cause the Socialist should be willing to suffer persecution. All good things come to men out of the womb of suffering. Malice, envy, spite and lies have ever followed those who would help humanity.
    Last but not least a membership in a Socialist local and prompt payment of dues and a willingness to do and dare much to get others to see the light are helps to those who are anxious to see the dawning of a better day. The day when political government will be no more and Industrialism will be all in all as a government among men.

    MEDFORD, Or., April 20.--(Special.)--The Socialist party of Jackson County has nominated a full ticket for county offices and adopted its platform, which follows the national platform of that party. The nominees are to make their campaign here on measures demanding a full assessment of property with a $500 exemption law. The levying of a special tax for building roads, construction of electric roads, an eight-hour-day law, enforcement of the child labor law and the enfranchisement of women are demanded.
Morning Oregonian, Portland, April 21, 1908, page 8

    The city coffer will undoubtedly be enriched to some extent Monday because of the fact that E. J. Lewis, state organizer for the Socialist Party, and attorney E. E. Kelly engaged in a fistic encounter on the Hotel Nash corner last night.
    Mr. Lewis was speaking from a box on the street corner and, as we are told, during his talk asked if there was an attorney in the crowd, to which Mr. Kelly made answer that he was one, whereupon Mr. Lewis hurled some caustic remarks in his direction, to which Mr. Kelly, who is a Democrat, took exceptions. After an exchange of compliments (?)  Mr. Lewis intimated that Mr. Kelly get on the box--and that is what Mr. Kelly proceeded to do. It was then that Mr. Kelly hurled a few full-strength caustic remarks in the direction of Mr. Lewis-and about this time the gentlemen commenced a mixup.
    Both were arrested by Officer Cole, and they gave bonds in the sum of $20 each for their appearance before Judge Collins tomorrow morning.
Excerpt, Medford Mail, October 23, 1908, page 2

    The Socialists of Medford met last night in convention and nominated a ticket for the city election, with the exception of a councilman for the second ward, which will be filled by a committee appointed for that purpose. At the meeting the following resolutions were adopted:
    "We, the Socialists of Medford, in convention assembled, again endorse the principles of international socialism. We call the attention of the people of Medford to the fact that all governments are essentially class governments, and that all legislation is primarily class legislation. Taking this for a starting point, it is unreasonable to expect the profit-taking employing class to legislate against their own interest and in the interest of the wage-earner.
    "If the producing class are to receive any benefits from legislation they must organize politically in order that they may elect their own representatives to city, county or state legislative bodies. This is the essence of class consciousness which our President [Theodore Roosevelt] so much deplores.
    "Realizing this truth, we come before the voters of this city in the interest of the working class. And if it should be our good fortune to be elected to any office we shall be found working for the interest of the working class.
    "As measures to the immediate interest of the workers, we offer the following:
    "First--The abolition of all private contracts on public work. Men to be hired direct by the city, thereby doing away with the large profits to wealthy contractors, which should go to the wage-earner in increased wages.
    "Second--We demand the eight-hour workday on all public work, and that union wages be paid.
    "Third--We demand that the city establish a public bathhouse, gymnasium and billiard room, so that men will have a place to go other than the saloon.
    "Fourth--We demand that the property clauses in the city charter be stricken out. It is unconstitutional for property to be made the basis for the holding of office. It is also class legislation.
    "Fifth--We favor the establishing of a city electric and power plant, and furnish consumers with light, heat and power at cost of production. But we call your attention that public ownership can only be a success when its friends are behind it.
    "Sixth--We demand that all street crossings on the Southern Pacific track be thrown open.
    "If you favor these measures there is only one way to get them--that is by voting for Socialist candidates."
Medford Mail, December 25, 1908, page 1

    One significant result of the recent election is the great growth of the socialist party, which cast a million votes in Tuesday's election.
    Socialists have now elected their first congressman. He is Victor Berger and hails from Milwaukee, which has already elected a socialist mayor, who, by the way, is "making good."
    Socialists this year also elected the mayor of another large city--Minneapolis. Both Milwaukee and Minneapolis have a large population of foreign birth or descent, and it is among this element that the socialist party grows fastest.
    New York and other eastern states, Illinois and the Middle West, cast a large socialist vote. Nearly 50,000 votes were cast in California for socialist candidates, and to their defection is blamed the defeat of Bell.
    In Jackson County the socialists cast an average vote of over 650. In some instances socialist candidates polled a much larger vote, but the strength of the party can be placed at this figure.
Medford Mail Tribune, November 13, 1910, page 4


    Local socialists met Tuesday evening at the hall on North Grape Street and placed a complete city ticket in the field for the coming election. Inasmuch as the socialists polled over 200 votes in the Medford precincts at the last election, they have become quite a factor in local politics.
    To head their ticket, the socialists have named Ernest E. Wolters, secretary of the carpenters' union. Mr. Wolters has for several years past been a resident of Medford and has a large circle of friends.
    In the first ward, W. P. Gould was nominated for the city council, W. J. Dunnhill in the second ward and George H. Millar in the third. The socialists are preparing their platform, which they will submit to the public.
    The socialists state that as Mr. Wolters is actively identified with organized labor that he will poll a heavy union vote.
Medford Mail Tribune, December 7, 1910, page 1