San Francisco’s radical tradition on display in 1912.

‘May Day in San Francisco, Red Flag is the Symbol’ from Revolt. Vol. 3 No. 53. May 11, 1912.

The most inspiring spectacle in the city of San Francisco was witnessed on May Day, 1912. Promptly at seven o’clock working men and working women gathered at the corner of Grant avenue and Market street, ready to participate in the demonstration signifying labor’s solidarity. Many of those who appeared were as yet garbed in their attire of slavery; many had only partially washed off the dirt that they had acquired as their property in their day’s labor. Some were finishing their supper, all were anxious, ambitious and filled with a joyousness that is only appreciated by the militants in the ranks of the present revolutionary movement. A band of twelve pieces, led and trained by Comrade Shaffer, played the inspiring Internationale as a serenade on the corner. With the Red Flag carried by one of the stalwart comrades in the lead, there fell in line over two thousand men and women, four abreast, marching and singing they went through the streets of San Francisco; red banners there were in plenty, and not the symbol of American wage-slavery, the Stars and Stripes. No other flag but the flag of revolution was the emblem at this occasion. Up Market street, through Duboce avenue, thence to Fillmore, up Fillmore to the magnificent Auditorium we marched.

There were old men, there were young men, old women and young women, and one tiny little boy, eight years old, walked four miles carrying a beautiful red flag with Y. S. embroidered in white letters on it, symbolizing that he was a member of the Young Socialist organization. One old man over sixty-five was overheard to remark at the end of the four-mile march, “I was sick and tired, but this march has done my heart good.” Into the hall the myriads of labor poured. Over three thousand non-marchers, besides the two thousand marchers, crowded around the speakers’ stand. The platform was literally decked with red banners from the different Socialist bodies of San Francisco.

When the working men’s and working women’s German singing societies filled the stage a hush o’er powered the densely packed crowd and when the first notes of the Internationale in German were heard a short yell of joy was emitted from five thousand voices, then a hush, then again a stillness, and when the last notes of this tremendous song were ended the cheers must have been heard for blocks and blocks. The Revolution was in the air, Revolution was the inspiration, International Solidarity was the force. Then came the chairman, young in years, old in activity. He being our good Comrade Jausitus, president of International May Day Federation, called the assemblage to order and after a few well chosen remarks introduced the veteran of the revolutionary movement of the Pacific Coast, Comrade Austin Lewis. Lewis’ speech was concise and effective. He rapidly reviewed the history of the labor struggles in the past year, he emphasized the necessity of Industrial and Political class action. Amid cheers for International Labor Day of the Toilers he completed his speech. And when the huge band struck up its music everybody that could grabbed a partner and started to dance.

Way on into the early hours of the morning words of inspiration were transmitted from Comrade to Comrade, the aged and the youth danced joyously, all the heaviness of capitalism was cast aside. These May Days are inspiring, they are different from the “Labor Day” that the Capitalists give us in the Fall of the year. May Day is not a day where sects can be discerned, there are no nations, there is no religion, there is no flag that separates us, we, the world’s workers, are one. As this demonstration was twice as large as the preceding one of a year ago we feel sure that the demonstration of next year will again be twice the size of 1912. San Francisco is one town where the working class dared and will continue to march on May Day with the Red Flag as the symbol of universal unity.

Revolt ‘The Voice Of The Militant Worker’ was a short-lived revolutionary weekly newspaper published by Left Wingers in the Socialist Party in 1911 and 1912 and closely associated with Tom Mooney. The legendary activists and political prisoner Thomas J. Mooney had recently left the I.W.W. and settled in the Bay. He would join with the SP Left in the Bay Area, like Austin Lewis, William McDevitt, Nathan Greist, and Cloudseley Johns to produce The Revolt. The paper ran around 1500 copies weekly, but financial problems ended its run after one year. Mooney was also embroiled in constant legal battles for his role in the Pacific Gas and Electric Strike of the time. The paper epitomizes the revolutionary Left of the SP before World War One with its mix of Marxist orthodoxy, industrial unionism, and counter-cultural attitude. To that it adds some of the best writers in the movement; it deserved a much longer run.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/revolt/v3-w53-may-11-1912-Revolt.pdf