ISR sings the praises of the work and outlook of Branch No. 1, Local Portland Socialist Party, home of legendary revolutionary soap-boxer Tom J. Lewis.

‘Portland’s ‘Rough Neck’ Socialists’ from International Socialist Review. Vol. 12 No. 3. September, 1911.

A Pace-Maker—Branch No. 1, Portland, Ore.—While the doctrinaires are weaving and untangling the knotty points of bourgeois and proletaire, direct action and political action, the “Rough Necks” of Portland, Ore., are going on their accustomed way agitating, expanding, carrying the revolutionary torch into the dark places and burning out the cobwebs of superstition and economic error.

Branch 1, of Portland, made “Three-O-Nine Davis Street” famous. There the “Prowls” gathered and went forth to battle in many a period of stress and persecution. The old, dingy hall, dear to the hearts of the proletariat of the continent, has been outgrown and Branch 1, still the same fighting bunch of “Rough Necks,” as of yore, has moved into more spacious quarters at 143 ½ Fourth street. The new hall is becoming more popular, than the old and the Sunday night meetings are crowded each week with seekers after economic light. Volunteer mural decorators have painted the walls in appropriate designs and over the speakers’ platform the red sun of the Revolutionary Dawn glows in a radiant burst of color.

Accurate account of all propaganda meetings is kept and shows a gratifying result as the following summary of literature sales will show. This report does not include an item of 200,000 copies of a local campaign sheet, the Searchlight, which was distributed during the recent municipal campaign nor any other free distribution made during the period of six months covered by the report. It is a record that any organization may be proud of and the “Rough Necks” feel that they are entitled to crow a little over the good work done for it is bringing results.

Total number of propaganda meetings held, 166
Number of people addressed, about 100,000
Total literature sales, January to July $802.70
International Socialist Reviews, per month 575
Appeal to Reason, per week 300
Milwaukee Herald, per week 300
Hope, per month 300

The Coming Nation and other periodicals, besides an immense amount of miscellaneous propaganda books and pamphlets were also sold and distributed gratis. In addition the branch has given dances, excursions and entertainments, besides supporting a ball team and other methods to develop the spirit of comradeship among the people.

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/v12n03-sep-1911-ISR-gog-Corn.pdf