Chicago’s famed Arbeiter Zeitung, an anarchist paper of German-language unions began in 1879 known for its role in the Haymarket Affair, passes into the hands of Socialists as the unions change political direction.

‘Arbeiter Zeitung Becomes Daily Socialist Paper’ from The Chicago Socialist. Vol. 4 No. 186. June 1, 1910.

German Trade Unionists Take Over Former Anarchist Organ

After a long and stormy history the Arbeiter Zeitung of Chicago, the only anarchist daily in the world, has ceased to support that philosophy and will henceforth be a Socialist paper. For thirty-four years this paper has played a part in the labor movement of Chicago. It was established in the beginning as a Socialist paper. In the days of the anarchist excitement of the 80’s it was captured by the anarchists and was the central figure in the events that culminated in the hanging and imprisonment of the labor leaders who had been prominent in the eight-hour fight.

When the office of the Arbeiter Zeitung was raided by the police, following the throwing of the Haymarket bomb, Joseph Dietzgen, the Socialist philosopher and writer, now dead, took editorial charge. He was a bitter antagonist of anarchism, but felt that the paper represented an asset of value to the labor movement of Chicago that should be preserved.

After a few months he was again displaced by the anarchist influences that had gained control of the unions which owned a majority of the stock. From then until the present it has stood as the only daily paper in the world defending the principles of anarchism.

Anarchism Dies Away

Gradually the influence of anarchist sentiment in the unions controlling the paper has died away. For many years this anarchy consisted in little more than abstinence from voting. As time passed and the Socialist movement grew the old distrust in the ballot box, largely due to the force and fraud that had been practiced against the labor parties in Chicago, passed away. The union men back of the paper began to see that they were neglecting a powerful weapon by remaining away from the polls.

Then began a struggle that has continued for years between those who advised, and those who opposed, political action to gain control of the paper. At the last meeting of the stockholders the Socialists won out and those advising political action now control seventy per cent of the stock in the paper This will at once give the Socialists of Chicago another daily paper, this time in the German language. It is probable that Neues Leben, the weekly that was established by the Socialists some years ago, will now be consolidated with the Arbeiter Zeitung, making a strong German Socialist dally.

This will make four daily papers in Chicago supporting the Socialist party, as the Bohemians, Polish and English Socialists already have their own dally organs.

The result is but a reflection of the evolution that has taken place in the minds of union men In Chicago, and especially among the members of the brewers and bakers, who are the largest stockholders in the new paper. The bakers have been especially active in the fight to make the paper an organ of the Socialist movement.

Tells Paper’s Story

The Arbeiter Zeitung in its issue today publishes the following statement concerning the history of the change in editorial policy:

“At its foundation in 1876 the paper took up the battle as the daily organ of the workers’ political struggle and maintained this attitude until 1883. In the municipal election of that year, when the Socialist candidate, Stauber, was betrayed by the capitalist parties and his victory stolen, the paper turned away from the secret of political power, dropped the political struggle and fought the cause of the workers entirely upon the economic field. Times have changed and with them men. The German unions have for several years urged that the Arbeiter Zeitung should take a position for the Socialist candidates and finally a committee of representatives of the unions laid this plan before the stockholders meeting on last Friday, the twenty-seventh.

“Fundamentally the German unions were concerned with meeting the question of financing the paper. According to the report of the committee this has been accomplished. The Brewers and Maltsters’ union, local No. 18, and the Beer Bottlers’ union, local No. 248, Bakers union, local No. 2, the Cigar Makers union, and some other unions, have officially pledged the necessary financial support.

“In consideration of this support the stockholders were required to pledge themselves that the union would take up the fight for Socialist principles along with that for the economic movement, and further that a new election should be held to be composed, entirely of unionists.

“After a long debate they were all agreed that the paper should be maintained and should be made an effective fighter on the class struggle. In conclusion the following motions were adopted.

“The stockholders pledge themselves that when a guarantee is given them for the continuation of the paper that it will henceforth support both political and economic action without the paper becoming a party organ. To this motion the following amendment was added:

“That political action shall be given foremost consideration along with the economic. With the inclusion of this amendment that main motion was adopted by 219 to 23 votes. “With the adoption of this motion the Arbeiter Zeitung, as soon as the committees of the unions shall within fourteen days furnish the necessary support and a new board of directors shall be elected, will take up the political struggle and henceforth work for the victory of Socialism.”

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/1910/100601-chicagodailysocialist-v04n186.pdf