 Berger's group was part of the turner movement — a network of social and gymnastic organizations established in America by emigrants from Germany.On October 9, 1893, with a city election in Milwaukee less than a month away, members of the Sozialistischer Verein and Fabian Society gathered with individuals associated with the Socialist Labor Party of America, the People's Party ("Populists"), and unaffiliated trade unionists to decide upon a common plan of action.A committee of 15 was elected, who managed to hammer out the differing views of the various participating organizations into a coherent platform behind a set of nominees called the "Cooperative Ticket."