Series IV: The American Socialist Party

For the period before World War I there is some Connecticut SP material; minutes of the State Convention at New Haven, 1906; state constitutions of 1906 and 1909; letters, platforms, and bulletins concerning the elections of 1906, 1910, 1912, and 1913; and newspaper clippings concerning the Socialists in office.

For the 1920's there are news clippings concerning relations between the Socialist Party and the Conference for Progressive Political Action; miscellaneous National Convention Papers for 1924 and 1928; and the Twenty first Anniversary Convention Book, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, 1922.

In the years between 1930 and 1933 two groups within the Party organized themselves into loose but identifiable factions: the "Militants," a coalition surrounding Norman Thomas, composed of younger and, in the main, more radical Socialists, and the "Old Guard," a group associated with Morris HilIquit and the New York Socialist establishment. The early stages of the party schism are reflected here in correspondence concerning the dispute between The New Leaderand The American Guardian; in a statement by Jack Altman to the "Militant" group in 1933; in letters from Sidney Yellin, Ohio S. P., and Birch Wilson, Pennsylvania SP, concerning disagreements with the National Office, 1933; and in policy statements concerning a proposed united front with the Communist Party. In addition to the factional material, this section includes proposals submitted to the City Convention of New York, 1930; miscellaneous National Convention Papers for 1932; minutes of the National Executive Committee for December 1932; presidential election material, 1932; instructions from the Socialist Speakers Service; and statements, propaganda, and letters of the Continental Congress of Workers and Farmers, 1933.

The Young People's Socialist League (YPSL) material comes from a variety of chapters, although New York City groups are best represented. It includes minutes and reports from groups in Wisconsin, Ohio, Illinois, and New York; miscellaneous National Convention Papers; and some of the minutes and office releases of the National Executive Committee. There are also letters and statements concerning issues of importance to the YPSL: the George Smerkin affair, relations with the Young Communist League, unity with the Social Democratic Federation, and the ultimately consuming problem of world war. Like its parent body, YPSL suffered from factional disputes that are reflected in statements and circulars put out by the "Militants," the "Old Guard," the "Clarity" caucus, and the "Appeal" group. And finally, there are representative periodicals interfiled with the other material in chronological order.

After 1934 the "Militant" - "Old Guard" conflict became more intense. The National Convention Papers of 1934, particularly the Declaration of Principles adopted at the Convention and the majority and minority reports of the American delegates to the Labor and Socialist International, reveal some aspects of the feud. These are supplemented by letters, statements, and pamphlets from both factions and analyses of the Socialist Party published by other "left wing" groups.

The ""Old Guard" left the Socialist Party to form the Social Democratic Federation in 1936. Letters and statements of the "Militants," the "Old Guard," and the Committee for Unity in the Socialist Party illuminate the parting. For 1936 we also have statements and resolutions on the question of the united front, miscellaneous National Convention Papers, and election propaganda.

The exit of the "Old Guard" did not end factional dispute within the Party. No sooner was the schism accomplished than the "Militants" split into two new factions, the "Old Militants" and the "Clarity" caucus, and shortly thereafter a third group was added, the "Appeal" group, which consisted of former members of the Trotskyist Workers Party who joined the SP en masse toward the end of 1936. Accordingly, 1937 was characterized by internal party feuds, and the letters, statements, and resolutions of the three factions form the bulk of the material. There are also letters and statements concerning the Spanish Civil War, the American Committee for the Defense of Leon Trotsky, and miscellaneous minutes of the National Executive Committee, the National Action Committee, the New York City Executive Committee, and the New York City Central Committee.

The "Appeal" group was expelled from the Socialist Party at the end of 1937, but they did not leave a harmonious party behind them. Letters, statements, and reports concerning the election of delegates to the 1938 National Convention reveal continuing dissension. To some extent this dissension can be attributed to disagreements concerning unity with the Social Democratic Federation, the socialist attitude toward war, and political tactics, in particular the relationship of the SP to the American Labor Party. These disagreements are reflected in letters and notes of the various groups, in the literature of the American Commonwealth Federation and the Keep America Out of War Congress; and in the minutes of the National Executive Committee, the National Action Committee, the National Labor Committee, the State Executive Committee of New York, and the City Central Committee, New York, for 1939, which are included here.

The Socialist Party actively participated in the formation and the early struggles of the UAW Some appreciation of this activity can be gained from the Socialist Auto League materials in this section: bulletins and reports for 1938 and 1939, minutes of the National Steering Committee, 1938, and reports of the National Action Committee, 1938. These are supplemented by the correspondence of Arthur McDowell, Ben Fisher, Gerry Allard, Roy Burt, and Norman Thomas concerning the UAW, 1937-1939, and SP policy statements, reports and miscellaneous bulletins on the situation, 1937-1941.

The SP's militant antiwar position proved intolerable, not only to much of the Party's rank and file, but also to such leading socialists as Alfred Baker Lewis, Paul Porter, Arthur McDowell, and Jack Altman. Party statements, miscellaneous minutes of the National Executive Committee and the National Action Committee, and antiwar propaganda, including the text of Norman Thomas's speech at Madison Square Garden (May 24, 1941), explaining the official position. The opposition is represented by statements, resignations, and correspondence, particularly the correspondence of Arthur McDowell, who fought unsuccessfully to change the Party's position.

This section includes a variety of materials: National Convention Papers and election propaganda from the 1940's; bulletins issued by "left wing" tendencies within the party; Hammer and Tongs, 1940-1946 (incomplete); literature of the Conference of American Progressives, 1946, the National Educational Committee for a New Party, 1946-1947, and the North Dakota Non Partisan League; minutes of the National Executive Committee, 1943-1945, and of the National Action Committee, 1943-1946; and SP statements on the war and the Marshall Plan. A few files are devoted to articles and notes on Norman Thomas.

Articles, clippings and publications concerning Social Democratic Parties and Social Democratic influence in the labor movement since World War II. Some background information on the first and second Internationals, and the roots of socialism in England and France. The emphasis is on Europe, particularly England, France, Germany and Austria, but there is also information on Asia, Africa and the Middle East.