A look at the first few years of Socialist Party organizing in Oregon from Portland-based J.D. Stevens. In 1904 the Socialist Party in Oregon had 462 members and Debs received 8.45% of votes, in 1908; 924 and 6.62%, in 1912; 2,205 and 9.74%. The membership figures do not include the Language Federations, including the large Oregon Finnish Federation.

‘Socialism in Oregon’ by J.D. Stevens from The Worker (New York). Vol. 13 No. 40. January 3, 1904.

Sketch of the Growth of the Party in Its Four Years’ Life in that State and of Its Present Condition and Prospects.

PORTLAND, Ore., Dec. 20. As we have no Socialist paper in Oregon and as we have two elections in 1904 and expect to be heard from with a good vote, The Worker may be willing to give us space to tell our comrades in other parts of Rockefeller’s country how we are progressing here.

In August of 1900 five Socialists got together under the spreading branches of a large maple tree during the “full dinner pail” recess and organized the Social Democratic Party of Oregon. Five, just enough to fill the offices. There was no Socialist Party in the state known to us at the time, though we afterward learned that the S.L.P. was in existence. The writer was elected organizer, corresponding secretary, and general manager.

The following spring and fall, there being two elections, June and November, the result of our labors was about 3,000 votes, many so-called Socialists voting for Bryan, thinking that he was considerable of a comrade and not wanting to “throw their votes away.” Our strength lay mostly in the city, but the country comrades did noble work, in a few precincts their vote being a close second to the Republican. The Portland Branch, as it was then known, contributed between $200 and $300 for campaign purposes, the country comrades confining their work to the distribution of literature.

Immediately after the 1900 presidential election, the Albany “People’s Press,” Comrade Hale, editor, came over to the party and continued doing good service till last year, when he sold the “Press” to Comrades Latimer and Fowler, who started the “Liberator,” which had a short existence–not quite a year.

The election of 1902, when Governor, Congressmen, and other officials were to be chosen, gave us about 6,000 votes, an increase of 100 per cent., and we are sure the coming elections of June and November, 1904, will give us very nearly another hundred per cent. increase.

In the meantime we have no paper and are not overly well organized. Populist ideas still cling to a great many comrades, who imagine that a benign philanthropic spirit will possess the Oregon capitalists and, as one comrade expressed it, “they will give us Socialism when they see it will benefit themselves as well as the wage-workers.” But the workers are recovering from that delusion and by next June will have discovered that if they want their rights they must vote for them.

The S.L.P. cuts no figure here. There were a half-dozen S.L.P. men a year or more ago, but as a party they have gone out of business. The Democrats are making an effort to round up the “faithful” and will try the “Jeffersonian simplicity” dodge in the coming campaigns. Already they are advertising 50-cent dinners on Jackson’s Day, Jan. 8. It won’t amount to much, as the voters who quit either of the old parties will go with the Socialists.

Industrial conditions here are very bad. The logging mills and shingle and lumber mills are many of them closing down, throwing many men out of work. The “Oregonian” in yesterday’s issue has the scare headlines, “Long on Labor–Seattle Is Crowded with Idle Men–Many Laborers, Few Jobs.” But the same is true of Portland and, in fact, of all Pacific Coast and Rocky Mountain cities.

The Portland comrades are doing great work. Though we will undoubtedly poll from 1,500 to 2,000 votes next year, we have not over seventy-five members of the local in good standing. and probably one-fifth of these actually support the cause here. We have a hall where every Sunday evening we have propaganda and every Tuesday business meetings, with entertainments and balls about every six weeks, all well attended. Our street meetings are always interesting and the speakers are accorded the best attention, so much so that the Salvation Army is anything but pleased at our SUCCESS. We have sent invitations to any and all lawyers, preachers, editors, college professors, and politicians who oppose Socialism to meet us in debate, either on the street or in the halls of the city. None have responded, of course. We have an excellent State Secretary in the person of W.S. Richards, who is also Treasurer. He is an all ’round mechanic and a levelheaded Socialist. He has done noble work for the cause, which will bear fruit in the coming year. We hope to have an early state convention, say in March, and gather our forces for the June election. Whether we shall have another paper in the state remains to be seen. Better be without one than not be able to support it properly. Fortunately, we have not had any “differences” in the party yet, as in some other states, and we hope to have none. We may honestly differ on many minor proposals, but the main issue, the elevation of the worker to the direction, operation, management, and government of political, social, and industrial affairs, we are. pretty much agreed on.

In conclusion, the farmer will play the most important part in political affairs in this state. Those who wish to make him the side-show or fifth wheel to the Socialist band-wagon will be greatly disappointed. His numbers and usefulness in society will entitle him to a large share of public attention.

On the whole, then, after looking over the situation in this state, I think we may congratulate ourselves on having done as well as other states. Our future is as bright and the outlook as good as we could expect. Comrade Brown, who takes the place of Ben Hanford, will be here in January, and we have arranged three meetings for him in Portland. He will get a rousing reception. The Carpenters’ Union will turn out to a man. No doubt his reception in other parts of the state will be satisfactory. We have soured on the big-priced speakers. Good mechanics wages with necessary hotel and traveling expenses are sufficient for any good Socialist speaker and we don’t want any poor ones.

I circulate the copies of The Worker which I receive weekly and all agree It’s “the best ever.” Long life to you and speed the “Daily Globe.”

J. D. STEVENS.

The Worker, and its predecessor The People, emerged from the 1899 split in the Socialist Labor Party of America led by Henry Slobodin and Morris Hillquit, who published their own edition of the SLP’s paper in Springfield, Massachusetts. Their ‘The People’ had the same banner, format, and numbering as their rival De Leon’s. The new group emerged as the Social Democratic Party and with a Chicago group of the same name these two Social Democratic Parties would become the Socialist Party of America at a 1901 conference. That same year the paper’s name was changed from The People to The Worker with publishing moved to New York City. The Worker continued as a weekly until December 1908 when it was folded into the socialist daily, The New York Call.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/the-people-the-worker/040103-worker-v13n40.pdf