A valuable look at the lost world of the Ohio Socialist Party, among the largest and most left wing in the country, from 1911. With sketches of Locals in Columbus, Mansfield, Cincinnati, Hamilton, East Liverpool, Canton, Akron, and one of the most dynamic Locals in the whole of the Socialist Party, Cleveland, it also includes portraits of local leaders. That year the Party had over 200 locals, around 8000 dues-paying members, dozens of elected officials, and nearly twenty Socialist newspapers. Revolutionary Socialist C.E. Ruthenberg of Cleveland, future leader of the Communist Party, received a very respectable 8.5% of the State’s vote for Governor a year after this was printed, winning 90,000 votes.

‘Ohio Socialists in Action’ from International Socialist Review. Vol. 12 No. 4. October, 1911.

The paid-up membership is three times greater than one year ago, and 22 new locals were organized during August—altogether over 200 locals are carrying the red flag of revolt at the head of their columns. Twenty-eight thousand five hundred and seventy-three votes in 1908; 60,637 in 1910—but best of all is the fact that many locals are agitating for industrial as well as political action.

Columbus, Ohio- Every REVIEW reader remembers the splendid solidarity shown by the working class of Columbus A.C. EBY. during the strike of the street car workers one year ago. For weeks the workers walked to and from work. One third of the police force rebelled against protecting the company’s scabs. Terrible Teddy was imported and you recall his words: “A policeman who refuses to do his DUTY stands lower than a soldier who deserts.”

But the Columbus comrades certainly made Socialists while the strike lasted. Many meetings were held; hundreds of copies of the REVIEW were sold, and that the comrades have had their working clothes on ever since, the following facts will show:

The local has grown from 100 or more members to over 1,800. Their paper, The Socialist, is becoming more red each issue and is one of the livest sheets put out by any local in the country.

Comrade A.C. Eby, a mechanical draughtsman, heads the party ticket. A clean-cut platform was adopted and an aggressive campaign has been started. Comrade Frank Bohn, Associate Editor of the REVIEW, will get in the game to help October 7th to 10th, and many other able speakers have been arranged for. Comrade Slayton, Allen Cook and Ella Reeves Bloor are already occupying the soap box. William D. Haywood will speak for them on Saturday night, November 4th, at New Memorial hall, which seats 7,000 people.

The “Overall band,” composed of thirty comrades, will also be “heard from,” and Comrade Taylor, the hustling literature agent, is always on the’ job. Go to it, Comrades. Close up the ranks and raise hell with the capitalist system in Columbus.

Local Akron- has a full ticket in the field with George P. Smith heading the list as the mayoralty candidate. The whole town concedes that the socialists will elect several of their men and the Local comrades are putting every effort to talk socialism at meetings between now and election. Comrade Margaret Prevey and Fred T. Childs are both doing splendid work, as of old. The Summit County Socialist, Akron’s city paper, is reaching people that would not be accessible any other way. The wards are all organized and the boys and women comrades say they are fighting “to win.” The use of a large tent, which seats 2,000 people, has been donated the local for the fall campaign. Haywood will speak for us on October first.

Local Canton- The Socialists of Canton, Ohio, have an excellent chance of electing their city and township tickets this fall, and they are certainly on the job with both feet, as the following facts show: Five thousand copies of The Social Revolutionist are distributed in Canton every week. This is a “live” paper published by the local organization, which is composed of active and energetic members. Meetings are held every night in some part of the city, as well as noon hour talks at the factories. Comrades Allen Cook, Geo. McCloskey, J.F. Eaton and Harry S. Schilling keep the soap-box warm, and more agitation work is being done than ever before.

Comrade Harry S. Schilling, candidate for mayor, has been a member oi the Typographical union for sixteen years, and a Socialist for nine years. In 1900 he graduated from the National Law School in Washington, D.C., and was admitted to the bar in the state of Indiana. For some time past he has been working on the Social Revolutionist.

All the candidates are competent for the positions for which they were chosen, whereas the old parties are so disgusted with their candidates that they are talking of putting up an independent candidate for mayor. From present indications the comrades will elect their entire ticket.

Local Cincinnati- has put up a working class ticket, with Lawrence A. Zitt running for mayor, and the Socialist campaign is arousing every working man and woman in the city. It is an inspiring thing to hear the speeches of the Socialist party candidates after the bunk Boss Cox and his servants have been dishing out the past few years.

Judging from the Socialist candidates, they must be having a hot educational campaign and an extremely class-conscious one, for nobody is advocating public ownership of the Town Pump or any other capitalist reforms. As Comrade Zitt writes, “we believe here in Cincinnati that our backwardness is largely due to the fact that we have never wandered one step from the program of the WHOLE PIE, although you will notice from our platform that we also demand and intend to secure as many slices as possible, whether large or small.” Pie adds that the party in Cincinnati is working to place itself in a position to handle the ever-growing socialist sentiment immediately it is created by outside forces of a capitalist nature and not give it an opportunity to be side-tracked by some wishy-washy reform movement that happens along.”

Good for Cincinnati! When you build upon the rock of Education, you build permanently. This is the only way to make a real socialist movement anywhere. The Cincinnati Platform is clear and to the point: “The Socialist Party is pledged to secure to the workers the full social value of the product of their toil” is the backbone of it and this is the heart and soul of Socialism.

Cleveland, Ohio- The Cleveland comrades have been so well organized for years that nobody was surprised to learn that they are taking such an active part in the garment workers’ strike. In writing up a recent monster public demonstration of the strikers the capitalist press has this to say:

“Judged by the recent reception tendered Ruthenberg, he will be Cleveland’s next mayor.” Comrade C.E. Ruthenberg is the Socialist candidate and is at present organizer of Local Cleveland. He knows how to do big things. On Labor day they organized a selling squad of “live ones” and disposed of, 2,000 copies of the Fighting Magazine for-the benefit of the strikers.

We quote from a letter received from that veteran fighter, Tom Clifford: “The movement in Ohio looks mighty good. In Cleveland we expect to elect three councilmen, your humble servant among the number. We certainly have the old party politicians up in the air and we are going to keep them there.”

Comrade Theodore Lockwood, a blacklisted machinist and literature agent, helps carry on an aggressive educational campaign three hundred and sixty-five days in the year. During the past twelve months he has placed over 4,000 copies of the Fighting Magazine in the shops. He has regular routes and receives hearty co-operation of the comrades in his work.

Comrade Frank Bohn, who spoke in Cleveland on the 16th, reports unprecedented enthusiasm and splendid meetings. Where the educational side of the work is carried on as faithfully as it is in Cleveland, a sound, class-conscious Socialist will be found behind every vote cast. There is no yellow streak in the Cleveland Local.

East Liverpool- The Socialist movement of East Liverpool, which selected Henry O. Schreiber to head the municipal ticket at the November election, is one with the usual militant membership required to make a movement successful. Last November the vote for Socialism went to 602 from 245 the previous November, and if indications are any value to judge from, the educational work which has been done will place the Socialists in charge of the city government next election.

Comrade Henry O. Schreiber is a clerk in a grocery, having graduated to that position from the clay bench of a pottery. His wife, an ex-school teacher, has been selected for the school board, and her chances for election are even better than those of her husband.

Last October the Free Press was launched, and each week since that time a free distribution of 10,000 copies has been “religiously” placed over the city and the adjacent towns of Wellsville, Ohio; Newell, W. Va., and Chester, W. Va. A great number have also filtered into the country and the result is that Socialism has made immense strides amongst the farmers.

To show the political situation here it might be well to tell of a politician who went into a pottery to canvass for himself for the approaching primaries. He was told by a comrade that it would be useless to do so owing to the workers all being Socialists. He said he would take the chance, however, and on his return remarked, “I found one who is going to vote for me.” When asked who it was he replied, “I won’t tell for you might get him also.”

Not the least of the many things done by this organization was the picnic they held at Rock Springs, a picnic ground just across the river. Over 300,000 pieces of advertising matter were distributed over the picnic zone, special trains were arranged for and 5,000 people were expected. It can be imagined how the workers, who labored for the picnic’s success, viewed the situation when trainload after trainload was dumped ‘ into the grounds until fully 15,000 red ribbon wearers were spread over the grounds. It was the big thing of the movement in this part of the world, and arrangements are now under way to make it even a bigger thing next year. Nothing less than the nominee for president will do for the main attraction.

Comrade Vernia adds, “Frank Bohn has just closed a series of open air meetings and they were good ones, and he surely added to a “live” movement. It looks like we are going to carry this village. If we don’t we will have a lot of fun scaring the old party barnacles.”

Local Hamilton- Local Hamilton, composed of 286 members in good standing, with headquarters on the principal street of the city, has the old capitalist parties on the defensive this fall. They are publishing their own propaganda paper, The Hamilton Searchlight. During the campaign they are putting one of these papers into every home every week, and they are engaging all the best speakers available. Wm. D. Haywood will speak for them October 27th in the Coliseum, which holds 2,000 people.

The comrades have a full ticket in the field, with Comrade Joseph Felblinger at the head of the ticket. Comrade Felblinger was born and educated in Weiller, Germany, and came to America in 1892. He is one of the oldest fighters in the local movement, is married and has four children. He is a member of the Machinists union, No. 241, being a machinist by trade, and is heart and soul on the side of the working class. Comrade Hinkel writes us that the old party politicians admit the strength of the Socialists and know they are a force to be hereafter reckoned with. “Our vote last fall was 1,900, giving us second place, with the Republicans third.

Local Mansfield- Local Mansfield makes up in enthusiasm what it lacks in numbers. The comrades are concentrating their efforts on pulling off a few rousing big meetings rather than holding many small ones. Comrade Debs is booked for October 4th and William D. Haywood will close the campaign on November 5th. Comrade A. J. Roth, who heads the ticket, is a railway man who stands steadfast for the interests of his class and is well known among the workers. Now is the time for the workingmen of Mansfield to show the stuff they are made of by backing up a straight working class ticket at the ballot box.’

The International Socialist Review (ISR) was published monthly in Chicago from 1900 until 1918 by Charles H. Kerr and critically loyal to the Socialist Party of America. It is one of the essential publications in U.S. left history. During the editorship of A.M. Simons it was largely theoretical and moderate. In 1908, Charles H. Kerr took over as editor with strong influence from Mary E Marcy. The magazine became the foremost proponent of the SP’s left wing growing to tens of thousands of subscribers. It remained revolutionary in outlook and anti-militarist during World War One. It liberally used photographs and images, with news, theory, arts and organizing in its pages. It articles, reports and essays are an invaluable record of the U.S. class struggle and the development of Marxism in the decades before the Soviet experience. It was closed down in government repression in 1918.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/isr/v12n04-oct-1911-ISR-riaz-ocr.pdf