The dramatic growth of the Ohio Socialist Party from an outlier to a genuine political force. The Secretary of Ohio’s Socialist Party reports on its quite modest beginnings in 1902 when the Party had around 550 dues-payers in 29 locals represented in only 28 of the state’s 88 counties, and without a single elected official. Within a year those number increased three-fold in some cases, and within a decade, by 1912, the Ohio Party counted 8,000 dues-payers, dozens of newspapers, and scores of elected officials, with Ruthenberg polling 9% for Ohio Governor, making it among the most important in the country.
‘Socialist Movement in Ohio’ by W.G. Critchlow from Appeal to Reason. No. 398. July 18, 1903.
On June 1st, 1902, the organized Socialist movement in Ohio consisted of 550 members, distributed into 29 locals and 10 branch organizations, located in 28 different counties of a total of 88 counties in the state. Today the organization has increased its strength until it consists of 1700 members, distributed into 45 locals and 36 branch organizations, located in 42 counties or nearly one-half of the total counties in the state.
At the November elections in 1900 a total of 4,659 votes were cast. One year later in the election of 1902, this was increased to 7,359, and in the fall election of 1902 this was again increased to the sum of 14,276. These figures, both in organization numbers and in the vote, show clearly the progress that has been made in the Buckeye state. Much hard and sacrificing work has been done to gain this position and the work is now being pressed forward with greater vigor than ever before. Owing to the increased numbers in organization we are enabled to carry on the work on a larger scale and it can be said with perfect safety that the ratio in the fall elections of 1903 will be fully up to the standard of the three previous elections.
Never before has the work in Ohio been carried in such a systematic manner as this season. Experience of the past campaigns has proven beyond a doubt that the regular systematic work in organization and agitation counts for far more than any spasmodic kind.
Speakers need to be used with the least possible expense and their efforts must be made before the largest audiences obtainable.
There are 21 Congressional Districts in Ohio. Each district has a member of the state committee. Each one of these districts has one or more organized locals in it so that we have a full state committee who are endeavoring to push the propaganda work in their respective districts to the best possible advantage.
The work for this fall’s campaign has already begun in earnest. There are now two speakers in the field touring constantly and the third person will be added within the next few weeks. The next move will then be to place a regular organizer at work who will do nothing but organize the unorganized territory. This will give us at the last calculation three speakers and one organizer working constantly in the state every day of the campaign. This number will be augmented later on towards the close of the campaign by several others who will take the field for tours of from one to three weeks. In addition to this we have constantly at work in the largest cities speakers of local prominence, who are almost daily expounding the Socialist philosophy from the various corners and halls Literature is being furnished the speakers for distribution at all meetings and thousands upon thousands of pieces will be sent out from state and local distributing points.
Our ticket will go upon the ballot this year by convention nomination and no petitioning is necessary. The ticket will appear in the third column from the left and will be under the emblem of the “Arm and Torch.”
We will have a full state ticket, consisting of eight nominees, the first of which is governor. Comrade Isaac Cowen of Cleveland, the nominee for Governor, is one of the best and widest-known Socialists in the state and is an able representative of the party.
Much work remains to be done in this campaign, as we are just starting to mobilize the forces for this fight. “To arms!” is the cry everywhere now. Comrades are rallying in fine shape and the forces are being put to work as rapidly as possible. The state office is being besieged with letters from the comrades in unorganized places for literature and other pertinent information. All comrades should get to work and should learn how to best work for Socialism.
Comrades! Get busy. Go to work now. If you know how, get at it. Otherwise write the State Secretary and get something to do. Make Socialists of your friends and neighbors. Distribute literature and arrange for meetings for the Socialist speakers who are touring the state. Do something for the cause. The campaign is on and there is work for all willing hands to do. We want Socialism now, not a thousand years later. Let’s go after it. Hurrah for Socialism and the Socialist Party.
There are no elected Socialists in Ohio yet.
W.G. Critchlow, State Secretary.
The Appeal to Reason was among the most important and widely read left papers in the United States. With a weekly run of over 550,000 copies by 1910, it remains the largest socialist paper in US history. Founded by utopian socialist and Ruskin Colony leader Julius Wayland it was published privately in Girard, Kansas from 1895 until 1922. The paper came from the Midwestern populist tradition to become the leading national voice in support of the Socialist Party of America in 1901. A ‘popular’ paper, the Appeal was Eugene Debs main literary outlet and saw writings by Upton Sinclair, Jack London, Mary “Mother” Jones, Helen Keller and many others.
PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/appeal-to-reason/030718-appealtoreason-w398-DEFECTIVE.pdf
