When 1909’s Third National Convention of the Socialist Party’s Finnish Socialist Federation was held in Hancock, Michigan, ‘Red Metal’ country, delegates represented 160 branches and 5,384 average members that year. The Finns were then, and continued to be among the largest, if not the largest, of the Language Federations, which had begun organizing in earnest after Debs’ historic 1908 run and the S.P.’s pivot to the left. The main newspapers of the Federation at the time were geographically and ideologically divided with the right-constructivist ‘Raivaaja’ published in the New England Eastern District with a circulation over 6,000, the left-wing industrialist ‘Työmies’ published in the Middle District of the Upper Great Lakes with a circulation around 12,000, and the centrist ‘Toveri’ in the Pacific Coast timber camps of the Western District with a circulation around 4,000. From the 1890s on, Finns were a backbone of the Socialist movement in the upper Great Lakes, which tended toward syndicalism and revolution, as well as parts of the East Coast, where they tended ‘Constructivist’, and certain industrial Midwestern cities, which tended to be ‘centrist.’ The Communist movement also finding large support in the Finnish mining communities of the Great Lakes and the lumber camps of the Pacific Northwest. In 1914, the Finnish Language Federation of the Socialist Party had 227 branches and a monthly average of 11,657 members for the year. Its activists published 27 Finnish-language and three English-language periodicals with tens of thousands of subscribers. Finnish-born Americans and their children constituted 400,000 people in 1920, meaning Socialism and Communism held genuine mass appeal with in portions of their community for generations.

‘Finns to Start Daily Paper’ from The Chicago Daily Socialist. Vol. 3 No. 262. September 3, 1909.

Hancock, Mich., Is Soon to Have First of Its Kind Issued in U.S.

Hancock, Mich., Sept. 3. This city is soon to have the first Finnish Socialist daily newspaper issued in the United States. The paper is known as The Tyomies, which means “The Workingman.” It is now issued three times a week. It will be made a daily as soon as the circulation has increased to 10,000 subscribers. At the present time the circulation is 7,250 and rapidly increasing.

Hancock Secures Convention

Hancock secured the recent convention of the National Finnish Socialist Organization. Here also, in the heart of the copper region, is the home of the Tyomies Publishing association, which owns the Tyomles. The Finns have two other newspapers in the United States, the Ratvaaja of Fitchburg, Mass., issued three times week, circulation about 4,200, and the Toveri of Astoria, Ore., issued twice a week, circulation about 3,000.

Taking advantage of the time and place chosen for the national convention, the Tyomies association called a stockholders’ meeting. Nearly all the convention delegates are stockholders or held proxies for organizations.

Heretofore each stockholder, regardless of the number of shares held, was entitled to but one vote. The records now show that party locals own over 63 per cent of the stock and one vote is apportioned to each share of stock in order to make more secure the control of the Institution by the party.

Machinery Represents $12,000

To tell of the starting of Tyomies is to repeat the story of the inception of all Socialist publications. It was founded in Worcester, Mass. in 1903. A year later the paper was moved Hancock. The publication office now in a rented building in the outskirts of the city, with John Nummilvouri in charge as manager, and four editors, including John Wolimaki, editor in chief.

These quarters were sufficient some time ago, with the arrangement of the press room in the basement, the composing room and manager’s department on the first floor, and the editorial rooms on the second floor. Presses, linotypes and machines, now in use, represent a value of $12,000. But Tyomles increased its circulation over two thousand in the last year. More space must be had and a faster press is to be secured at a cost of $6,500.

Seek Central Location

The stockholders’ meeting decided to move the office to the building known as the “People’s Home,” located near the center of the city. The majority of the stock of this property is owned by the Finnish local of Hancock and is valued at $14,500. A large plat of ground is included on which an auditorium will later be erected.

About twenty months ago, in order to assist the English movement, began the publication of an English weekly, entitled the Wage Slave. This publication during the last year showed a deficit of about $1,300, and the question of the continuance of the paper precipitated the warmest kind of a debate. A large majority of the stockholders expressed their opposition to the present editorial policy. The first vote resulted in a tie: the second vote showed a majority of one to cease publication, at least, for the present.

An up-to-date bindery outfit was decided upon and will be installed, to enable the association to publish books to the best advantage. The question of moving the publication office to Superior, Wis., was proposed and defeated by a vote of 106 to 25.

Daily Will Soon Be Printed

The balance sheet for the year shows that the income of the association was $32,817.23: the net profits, $1,810.36. Stock has been subscribed to the value of $10,358, and the present value or resources of the association amounts to $18,658.60.

Upon this favorable showing the board of directors was authorized to start the publication of a dally issue of the Tyomies as soon as the subscription list reaches the ten thousand mark. According to the present rate of increase the date for the advent of a daily paper in the Finnish language may not be long postponed.

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/1909/090903-chicagodailysocialist-v03n262.pdf