An informative article on the history and divisions of the U.S. Polish Socialist movement, their relations with parties in Poland, the Socialist Party here, their numbers and locations, newspapers, and leading figures.

‘Polish Wing of Party Making Great Strides’ from The Chicago Daily Socialists. Vol. 6 No. 50. December 22, 1911.

Unity of All Socialists of That Nationality Now Planned.

The fight of the Poles for the spread of the Socialist propaganda among the Polish people of the United States is an inspiring one. The organization is growing by leaps and bounds.

Three years ago, in December of 1908, the first national Polish Socialist organization was effected at a meeting held in Chicago. This national organization then consisted of twenty-six Polish locals, scattered over the country.

Work of Polish Socialists

Immediately the national organization had been effected there was new life in the national Polish Socialist movement. In 1908 an organizer was in the field for two months, while another organizer was put to work in 1909 for the same length of time.

A national Polish socialist convention was held at Cleveland, Ohio, in December, 1910. The Polish movement then claimed sixty branches, with between 700 and 800 members in good standing. These locals were to be found for the most part in Chicago, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

After the 1910 convention the work of the Polish movement was continued with an even greater force and success than before. The national Socialist congress had been held in May, 1910, and national translator-secretaries had been provided for. Hipolit Gluski was made the national translator-secretary of the Polish organization, starting his work at the national office of the Socialist party in Chicago on April 17 of this year.

The Cleveland convention also provided for two organizers, one for three months and one for four months. This work was aided by the national Socialist office with an appropriation of $180.

The organizers chosen were Adam Olszewski, who toured Massachusetts and Connecticut, and Henry Cieszewski, who spent his time in Pennsylvania. In addition to this during 1910 John Kochanowisz, formerly editor of the Dziennik Ludowy, the Chicago Polish daily, toured the country as a special lecturer along the lines laid down by the National Socialist Lyceum Bureau.

Polish Lecturer in Field

Kochanowicz, who is now in Europe lecturing, is considered one of the best speakers in the Polish Socialist movement in the United States. He will return to this country in the spring.

The 118 branches of the national Polish organization are now distributed as follows: Connecticut, 7; Delaware,1, at Wilmington; Illinois, 10, 9 being in Chicago and vicinity; Indiana, 4; Maryland, 1, at Baltimore; Massachusetts, 10; Michigan, 7; Minnesota, one at St. Paul: New Hampshire, 1, at Manchester: New Jersey, 9; New York, 19, two of these being in New York city and four in Brooklyn; Ohio, 7; Pennsylvania, 32; Rhode Island, 1, at Woonsocket; Wisconsin, 6, four being at Milwaukee and one each at Kenosha and Racine, and in Wyoming, 2.

There is but one woman’s organization among the Poles. It is in Milwaukee. Klementyna Kavalska is the secretary. The Polish women of Chicago did have an organization but it disbanded and the women joined the regular Polish organizations.

There is little literature for Polish women in the field at the present time, but this will be remedied immediately, the national office having been asked and it consent given to the translation of some English leaflets for women into the Polish. There are about 200 dues-paying women in the Polish national organization.

Polish Convention Next December.

Adam Olszewski has been a regular Polish organizer since October. He has just finished a short tour of New York, at Syracuse, going to Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts. He will then return to New York state, continuing his work in Pennsylvania. According to their constitution the Polish organization will hold its next convention during December, 1912. This convention may be put off, however, until the early part of 1913.

It is expected that the near future will see the amalgamation of all the Polish Socialist forces in the United States with the of the National Polish Alliance with the National Polish section of the Socialist party.

The National Polish Socialist Alliance was organized about twenty years ago, outside of the Socialist party, its object being to help the Socialist movement in Poland. It is devoting much of its energy in that direction at the present time. The rapid growth of the National Polish section of the Socialist party inside of the Socialist organization started the National Polish Socialist Alliance, and at its convention in November, 1910, at Bridgeport, Conn., this matter was taken up. The convention, was attended by John Spargo and Morris Hillquit, on behalf of the Socialist party. This move resulted in the National Polish Socialist Alliance joining the Socialist party as a body in June of this year. The Alliance buys its dues direct from the national office.

Union Is Planned.

The task now is to unite the National Polish section of the Socialist party and the National Polish Socialist Alliance. Where the two organizations have hitherto been very hostile to each other, the belief that the two organizations ought to be one is now becoming very strong.

It is being fostered by the two publications of the two organizations, the Dziennik Ludowy, the Polish Socialist dally in Chicago, and the Robatnik Polski, the weekly publication of the National Alliance. The Alliance has fewer branches than the Polish section, but most of them are larger in membership. Their power is centered in New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts.

The question of uniting the two organizations was presented to the national executive committee of the Socialist party at its November meeting in New York city, Z. Bonka representing National Polish Alliance, and Wael Chotkowski, representing the Polish section of the Socialist party. The entire situation was gone over in detail by these two representatives and by John Spargo on behalf of the national executive committee. This recommended a joint committee on unity. The next step is to call the joint convention of the two organizations to complete the amalgamation.

The two organizations have differed somewhat in their efforts to aid the Socialist movement in the old country. At the present time there are four Socialist parties in Russian Poland, which is in need of the greatest aid in its fight on the Czar.

Four Socialist Parties in Poland

These parties are the Polish Social-Democratic party, the Polish Socialist party, the Polish Socialist Revolutionary party and the Polish Socialist party proletariat.

The Polish National Socialist Alliance in this country has directed its support to the Polish Socialist revolutionary party, while the Polish section of the Socialist party in this country has given support to all the socialist organizations in the mother country, making no discrimination.

In Austrian-Poland and German-Poland the Socialist movement is a part of the Social-Democratic parties of these two countries, which give them all the support needed.

The National Alliance showed an inclination to join the Socialist party several years ago, but complained about the dues demanded by the Socialist party.

In addition to the two publications already named the Polish Socialist section also issues a weekly called Bicz Bozy. It is a humorous publication.

The Polish section was represented at the Socialist congress of 1910 by John Kochanowicz and Ignacy Klavier. According to the constitution at the present time it will be entitled to one delegate at the Oklahoma City convention in May. He will be appointed by the Polish executive committee.

The Chicago Socialist, sometimes daily sometimes weekly, was published from 1902 until 1912 as the paper of the Chicago Socialist Party. The roots of the paper lie with Workers Call, published from 1899 as a Socialist Labor Party publication, becoming a voice of the Springfield Social Democratic Party after splitting with De Leon in July, 1901. It became the Chicago Socialist Party paper with the SDP’s adherence and changed its name to the Chicago Socialist in March, 1902. In 1906 it became a daily and published until 1912 by Local Cook County of the Socialist Party and was edited by A.M. Simons if the International Socialist Review. A cornucopia of historical information on the Chicago workers movements lies within its pages.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/chicago-daily-socialist/1911/111222-chicagodailysocialist-v06n050.pdf