NEWS
HOW DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS
MOVED THE CITY FORWARD ONE STEP AT A TIME
By David Luhrssen
M
y father’s first job in Amer-
Although Milwaukee never elected
contributions to Milwaukee was the
ica was delivering milk
another Socialist since then, the party’s
tradition of clean, honest government.
and butter to the mayor of
pragmatic progressive legacy remains
Instead of the flagrant corruption
Milwaukee. Frank Zeidler (1912-2006),
visible. Milwaukee has one of Ameri-
that characterized many big cities in
Milwaukee’s final Socialist mayor, lived
ca’s most extensive public park sys-
20th-century America, including Mil-
in a modest home along the inner-city
tems, spurred by the Socialists’ belief
waukee when the century began, the
route where my father drove his delivery
that green space and fresh air should
city’s Socialists promoted cost-con-
truck. Years later, he recalled Zeidler
be available to everyone. They raised
scious civic-mindedness and public
as friendly and unassuming, eager for
the minimum wage and promoted the
responsibility.
a short chat in the kitchen on politics
eight-hour workday and the two-day
before leaving to catch the streetcar to
weekend against the objections of
Landslide Victory
his office in City Hall. Zeidler declined
corporate interests. They strengthened
Milwaukee’s Socialists were swept
to seek a fourth term in 1960, partly be-
the city’s health department and sent
into power by the 1910 municipal and
cause of a racist campaign that derided
inspectors into schools, factories and
county election through campaigning
him as sympathetic to Milwaukee’s black
restaurants. They helped establish
against a corrupt, self-serving admin-
population and accused him of actively
Milwaukee Area Technical College, a
istration. The Socialist small-business
recruiting black migrants to the city.
vocational training school for the mass-
owner Emil Seidel led the field and be-
es. They pushed for goals that would
came mayor. Socialist candidates won
later be achieved nationwide, including
21 of the city’s 35 aldermanic seats,
Social Security and women’s suffrage.
10 of 16 county supervisor seats and took two benches in the county court system. Charles B. Whitnall, who later
Milwaukee has one of America’s most extensive public park systems, spurred by the Socialists’ belief that green space and fresh air should be available to everyone.
spearheaded the growth of the park system, became city treasurer. Daniel Hoan was elected city attorney. The leader of the city’s Social Democratic Party, Victor Berger, took a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was a rarity on Capitol Hill in those years as a third-party congressman and a Jew. According to historian John Gurda, whose 2006 PBS series “The Making of Milwaukee” earned an Emmy for Best Documentary, “A potent combination
Frank P. Zeidler. Photo courtesy of the Milwaukee County Historical Society.
10 | Shepherd Express
Perhaps one of their most important
of factors made Milwaukee a Socialist stronghold: intellectual currents that
