ABSTRACT
The old major parties of America have been correctly compared with giant trusts that control such vast capital and dominate so exclusively all areas of supply and sale that any competition against them by third parties is out of the question. They would unite for a short time so that together they may defeat their foolhardy rival in battle. The history of third parties in America is therefore a sad story of continual defeats that leaves little hope for the future. A quick glance at the vain attempts that have so far been made to break the monopoly of the old parties will confirm the correctness of what has been said. This chapter presents an overview of the better-known parties that have been founded. To give an exhaustive account of the reasons that until now have stopped the growth of Socialism in the United States, we need to delve more deeply into the problem and trace the hidden cause.
