Election of Standing Committee Members at the Emergency National Convention of the Socialist Party of America, Chicago — Sept

Election of Convention Committee Members at Chicago [Sept. 1-2, 1919] 1

Election of Standing Committee Members at the Emergency National Convention of the Socialist Party of America, Chicago — Sept. 1, 1919.

From the uncorrected Proceedings of the National Convention of the Socialist Party at Machinists’ Hall, 113 S. Ashland Blvd., Chicago, IL. State Historical Society of Wisconsin, micro 2094, reel 1, pp. 397-431.

[Third Day.] Rubenstein, of Michigan; [Jacob] Salutsky, of New York; [Victor] Annalla, of Massachusetts. Monday, September 1, 1919. On motion made, the nominations were closed. 8 o’clock pm. The following comrades declined the nominations: Comrades Karlin, Kruse, Tennyson, Haller, Salut- The convention was called to order by Chairman sky, Germer, and Annalla. [Daniel] Hoan [WI]. Comrade Salutsky: I want to know by what au- Comrade [Seymour] Stedman [IL]: I think, by thority and in whose behalf the typewritten sheet with the expedition of business, we could proceed this a slate of the membership for every committee to be evening to nominate and elect the members of the elected is being distributed right here? This was handed various committees, and it will be less fatiguing and to me by a delegate. I wish to know it for the reason less exhausting than taking up, perhaps, one or two of that, in the course of the proceedings this forenoon the reports. For that reason, I wish to make the mo- and this afternoon, in speaking on the foreign federation that we proceed to nominate and elect a commit- tions, one of the most important things discussed was tee on platform and constitution and finance, as far as the question of just such a slate of delegates. we can go in a reasonable length of time. Chairman Hoan: Who handed it to you? Seconded. Comrade Salutsky: Comrade Germer. Motion carried. Chairman Hoan: Did you ask him? Chairman Hoan: The first order is the election Comrade Salutsky: I am asking the Chairman, of a Committee on Constitution. is this part of business? The following comrades were nominated to serve Chairman Hoan: No, it is not. on the Committee on Constitution: Comrade Salutsky: I would like the Chair to Comrades [Birch] Wilson, of Pennsylvania; [Milo] announce that no part of the convention or any con- Jones, of New Jersey; [Harry] Edlin, of Connecticut; stituted part of this convention has anything to do [William] Karlin, of New York; [Julius] Gerber, of New with this slate business. We condemned the slate busi- York; [Charles] Noonan, of New York; [William] Brandt, ness very definitely in the course of our discussion this of Missouri; [Louis] Marcus, of Massachusetts; [Ida] afternoon. Beloof, of Kansas; [John] Doerfler, of Wisconsin; [Will- A comrade: A point of order. There is nothing iam] Kruse, of Illinois; [W.K.] Tennyson, of Arkansas; before the house. [Frederick] Haller, of Maryland; [M.] Shadid, of Okla- Comrade Kruse: I want to ask one question: homa; [Oliver] Wilson, of Illinois; [Adolph] Germer, of whether it is a fact that the National Office stenogra- Illinois; [Mrs. E.S.] Cohen, of Washington, DC; [A.] phers were used in the typewriting of that slate that 1 2 Election of Convention Committee Members at Chicago [Sept. 1-2, 1919] was handed out. slate as proposed by the committee be unanimously Comrade [Alexander] Braunstein [NY]: A elected, because they will be elected anyway. point of order. Chairman Hoan: Is there any objection to the Comrade [John] Block [NY]: I want to know reading of a telegram which the delegate desires to send? whether the Jewish Federation ever heard of slates in Comrade [Alexander] Trachtenberg [NY]: I the Jewish Federation. have the following telegram to be sent to L.A. Mar- A comrade: I move that this slate be read to the tens, representative of the Russian Soviet Government: delegates. The Socialist Party of America in National Emergency Comrade Stedman: I object. Hand it to the del- Convention assembled sends you fraternal greetings and egates, and let them read it themselves. wishes you success in your endeavors to establish friendly relations between the peoples of the United States and Comrade [James] Oneal [NY]: I protest, be- Soviet Russia, of which you are an accredited representative. cause I am included in the slate. May I withdraw from We may assure you that the Socialist Party will do all in its that? power to rally the support of the American workers to the aid of the proletarian republic which is an inspiration to the A comrade: I would like the delegates to repu- Socialist movement of the world. diate every name on this slate. Socialist Party of America. Comrade [Victor] Berger [WI]: Point of order. Let’s vote. Comrade Trachtenberg: I move that we send Chairman Hoan: There are 13 names, and you the telegram. will vote for 11. I will appoint Comrades [William] Seconded. Carried. Coleman, of Wisconsin; [Charles] Solomon, of New Comrade [William] Van Essen [PA]: I move York; and [Edward] Haydon, of Pennsylvania, as tell- that any ballot that does not contain the vote for 11 ers. be cast out. (Cries of “No!”) Comrade [Abraham] Shiplacoff [NY]: Does the Chairman Hoan: Every delegate has a right to rule passed yesterday that we sign our name on the vote for less than 11, if he so desires. outside of the ballots count tonight? Comrade [Theresa] Malkiel [NY]: In regard to Chairman Hoan: Sign your ballot anywhere, this slate, I happened to be at the meeting when the but sign them. matter was discussed, and I think I can clear the whole Comrade Berger: Sign them on the back. matter up. I would like to be heard on this matter of Comrade Block: We have several committees to the slate. elect. I think we ought to make provision on these Chairman Hoan: I will declare the ballots ballots so that we may right down the names of all the closed. One of the comrades wants the floor with ref- committees, and vote for those one after the other, erence to the slate. What is the pleasure of this con- and then let the tellers go out and count them. Other- vention? wise, you will be here until I don’t know when on this Comrade [Louis] Waldman [NY]: I move that question of electing members of committees. she be granted the floor. Comrade Berger: That can be done tonight. Seconded. Carried. When the Chairman said you can sign them wherever Comrade [Algernon] Lee [NY]: When the com- you pleased, you will mix all the signatures with the rade over here [Salutsky] first raised the question, I names of the candidates. I suggest that the names be tried to get the floor. The question was asked, who signed on the back of the ballots. was responsible for sending lists of names yesterday Chairman Hoan: All in favor of signing them for nomination and election to the committees to be on the back of these ballots, will so manifest by saying made. I want to say that I was about [sic.] one person “aye.” responsible. I estimate that there was about a hundred Motion carried. persons who attended an open meeting at which vari- Chairman Hoan: See that you do it, or your ous questions of the convention were openly discussed. ballot will be thrown out. I don’t know of anyone who wasn’t there, or who Comrade [Rose] Weiss [NJ]: I move that the [hasn’t] been present in some of the meetings. Election of Convention Committee Members at Chicago [Sept. 1-2, 1919] 3

Chairman Hoan: Persons or delegates? Chairman Hoan: I will rule the motion out of Comrade Lee: Delegates. I suppose every del- order. egate in this convention, if he ever attended any con- Comrade Kruse: I appeal from the decision of vention — state, national, or any other convention in the Chair. the party — but what he has participated in such a Chairman Hoan: The next order of business thing. I would say it [would be] the height of folly if, before this convention is the election of a Committee whenever we have a convention, we should think we on Resolutions and Party Principles. There are 15 will not go into it as an organized body, that we should members to be elected, and nominations are now in not think and think together, and think in such groups order. as we can, and exchange ideas and come as far as we Comrade Kruse: I appeal from the decision of can to a plan of action. You will understand that no the Chair. delegate surrenders his right of independent judgment. Comrade Waldman: Had there not been any- If I thought, as an individual member of the conven- thing on the paper distributed [to] some 70 delegates, tion, when the time came that such a decision was one I might not have said anything in making the nomi- that would be injurious to the interests of the party, I nation I am going to make. would by no means consider myself bound. I suppose Comrade [George] Goebel [NEC]: Will New that is the attitude of every sincere and genuine social- York sit down and allow us to nominate our commit- ist. On the other hand, I by no means think that we tees? can come into our seats and act absolutely and indi- Comrade Waldman: I want to make a nomina- vidually upon the spur of the moment, when the oc- tion and, in view of the statement, I feel that if that casion arises. For my own part, and I think I can speak nomination is to meet with any success, I must say a for several of you who were there, I haven’t any apol- few words on him before placing his name. I am not ogy to make at all. going to enter into a controversy about the slate. Suffice Chairman Hoan: The convention permitted us it to say, the slate is not official. It does not come from to let one delegate here speak. any official committee, but that a private group of Comrade Stedman: A point of order. There is comrades got together and decided upon it. Whether no motion. I think we ought to proceed with the elec- it is right or wrong, it is up to all of you to decide. tion. There was a certain [moment] in this convention when Comrade Weiss: I move that the entire slate sug- a slate was absolutely necessary, if the convention was gested by the committee be elected, because they will to be saved for the Socialist Party; just as at this time I be elected anyway. feel that a slate is absolutely unnecessary and inimical Comrade Stedman: I second the motion, and I to the interests of the Socialist Party of America. Let’s think it might save time. make individual protests as individual delegates. I place Comrade [William] Kruse [IL]: I want to speak in nomination the name of a comrade who is compe- on that motion. tent to prepare resolutions on international relations, Comrade [Jacob] Panken [NY]: I rise to a point and who knows international and national problems of order. The motion reads that this convention pro- of Socialism. I nominate Comrade Salutsky, of New ceed to the election of a list of delegates appearing on York. some slip presented by the committee. There is no such Other nominations on the Committee on Resolu- committee nominated or designated or authorized by tions, Party Principles, and Pan-American and Interna- this convention. Hence, this motion is out of order. I tional Affairs were as follows: want a ruling on that. Comrades Berger, of Wisconsin; Panken, of New A comrade: It was intended as a joke, wasn’t it? York; [Louis] Engdahl, of Illinois; Lee, of New York; Comrade Weiss: My motion isn’t a joke. I make [David] Berenberg, of New York; Cohen, of Pennsylva- this motion in all seriousness. nia; [Gus] Hoehn, of Missouri; [Samuel] Neistadt, of Comrade Panken: I make my point of order in Maryland; [Martin] Plunkett, of Connecticut; Block, of all seriousness. New York; [George] Roewer, of Massachusetts; [William] 4 Election of Convention Committee Members at Chicago [Sept. 1-2, 1919]

Henry, of Indiana; Hoan, of Wisconsin; [E.L.] Moore, of terday that the rules of this convention adopted could Oklahoma; Oneal, of New York; Stedman, of Illinois; always be amended. It may take two-thirds vote. Kruse, of Illinois; [Benjamin] Glassberg, of New York; Comrade Stedman: Any rules of procedure, you Weiss, of New Jersey; Trachtenberg, of New York. may; but this is not a rule of procedure. This is a rule On motion, the nominations were closed. which designates the number of a committee. You will Comrade [Charles] Sehl [PA]: A point of in- have to reconsider it or table it. formation. I understand no delegate is allowed to serve Comrade [Joseph] Bearak [MA]: I move that on more than one committee. we reconsider it. Chairman Hoan: One standing committee, and Comrade Karlin: You can’t reconsider while on the Committee on Contests has been ruled not to be a actual business. standing committee. Chairman Hoan: The point is well taken. Pro- Comrade Sehl: These are standing committees. ceed to ballot. We have just nominated 13 on that ﬁrst committee. If Comrade Wilson: I think you should announce you proceed with the nomination and election of all again that they should sign their names on the back of these committees, there are 3 on the ﬁrst that will not the ballots. have a chance, in case they are defeated, of being nomi- Chairman Hoan: Sign your names on the back, nated or elected on any other committee. or they will not be counted. Chairman Hoan: The rule says that if he is Comrade Weiss: I am not a candidate. elected on two, he must decide which to go on. I will A comrade: It’s too late. appoint as tellers in this case— Comrade Weiss: I protest. I announced at the Comrade [Benjamin] Orr [NY]: Appoint the time that I declined. same tellers for all of these committees.; If you ap- The convention proceeded to ballot. point 3 tellers for each committee, eventually the en- Comrade [James] Battistoni [NY]: I have a tele- tire body will be out as tellers. gram that I ask to be sent to the Socialist Party in Italy: Chairman Hoan: The comrade is out of order. I appoint as tellers for this ballot [Walter] Cook, of The Socialist Party of the United States in National Convention assembled sends you greetings and wishes to New York; [Ross] Brown, of Indiana; and [Oliver] manifest its earnest appreciation of your noble stand against Wilson, of Illinois. the world war and against the junkerdom in Italy. The following comrades declined the nomination: Comrades Salutsky and Weiss. Comrade Karlin: I move that it be referred to Comrade [James] Sheahan [NY]: There are 20 the Resolutions Committee for revision. names on the list. There is likely to be 4 subdivisions It was moved and carried that the Secretary send of the committee. I move that we place in nomination the telegram. and elect the 20 members, and allow 4 or 5 for each Chairman Hoan: The next committee is the one subdivision. on Finance, consisting of 11 members. Seconded. The following comrades were nominated: Chairman Hoan: The rules provide for 15 mem- [John] McCarthy, of Connecticut; [Victor] bers. You can’t set it aside. Annalla, of Massachusetts; [K.L.] DeSombre, of Wis- Comrade Panken: I then move to suspend the consin; [Fred] Sanders, of New York; [Wilhelmus] rules. Robinson, of New York; [Fred] Chase, of New Hamp- Seconded. shire; [Elmer] Young, of Pennsylvania; [Robert] Howe, Chairman Hoan: It is in order to amend the of Illinois; [Harry] Victerson, of Massachusetts; rules. [Henry] Schlegel, of Pennsylvania; [Oliver] Wilson, Comrade Gerber: He said to suspend the rules. of Illinois; [Valentine] Bausch, of New Jersey; [Olive] Comrade Stedman: You can change the order Stauber, of Oklahoma. by suspension, but you can never change the context. On motion, the nominations were closed. Chairman Hoan: It was ruled by the Chair yes- The following comrades declined the nomination: Election of Convention Committee Members at Chicago [Sept. 1-2, 1919] 5

Comrades Victerson and Bausch. If you elect the comrade from Minnesota, he will serve Comrade Weiss: Howe is on the slate. He is all on that committee. right. Comrade Kruse: Has he a vote in the commit- Comrade Bearak: Is Howe here? tee? Comrade Stedman: How is out having charge Comrade Friedman: Minnesota is confronted of the Labor Day picnic. That’s why he is not here. with a very serious proposition on economic organi- Chairman Hoan: Will the lady from Pennsyl- zation, and that is the reason that [we] wish to be placed vania please stop talking? If you want to make a speech, on there, so that I can go before the committee. It is come on up here, but stop making a nuisance. very serious over in that section of the country. A comrade: She is not from Pennsylvania.† The following comrades declined the nominations: Chairman Hoan: As tellers, I will appoint 3 Comrades Bircher (who left for home), Cohen of comrades from Minnesota: [Charles] Wells, [Samuel] DC, Glassberg, Waldman, and Bausch. Friedman, and [George] Hoffman. Chairman Hoan: I will appoint as tellers Com- Comrade Braunstein: There only being 11, I rades Wells, Hoffman, and [Andrew] Hanson, of Minne- move that they stand as the committee. sota. Seconded. The convention proceeded to ballot. Chairman Hoan: The motion is made that the Chairman Hoan: The next is the Committee Secretary be instructed to cast the ballot of the con- on Press and Publicity. vention for the 11. The following comrades were placed in nomina- Carried. tion: A comrade: Is the Minnesota delegation allowed Salutsky, of New York; [Eugene] Wood, of New York; to take part in the nominations? [Oscar] Ameringer, of Wisconsin; Solomon, of New York; Chairman Hoan: No; but if there is no objec- [August] Claessens, of New York. tion, all right, go ahead. The next is the Committee On motion, the nominations were closed. on Economic Organization, 11 members. [The following comrades declined the nominations:] The following comrades were nominated: Comrades Salutsky and Claessens. Shiplacoff, of New York; Coleman, of Wisconsin; On motion, the remaining 3 were to remain as the Sehl, of Pennsylvania; [Stephen] Bircher, of New Jersey; committee. Beckerman, of New York; Malkiel, of New York; Cohen, Chairman Hoan: The last committee is the of Washington, DC; Haller, of New Jersey; [Henry] Committee on Propaganda and Organization, 11 Stumpf, of Pennsylvania; Glassberg, of New York; [J.W.] members. Dennis, of New York; Kruse, of Illinois; [Lazarus] Davi- The following comrades were placed in nomina- dow, of Michigan; [Jacob] Goldberg, of Massachusetts; tion: [Patrick] Quinlan, of New Jersey; [John] Jensen, of Wis- Bearak, of Massachusetts; Smith, of Oklahoma; consin; Waldman, of New York; [J.E.] Bartos, of Okla- [Edmund] Melms, of Wisconsin; Claessens, of New York; homa; Bausch, of New Jersey; Friedman, of Minnesota; Braunstein, of New York; Sheahan, of New York; Battis- Victerson, of Massachusetts; [Charles] Selleman, of Penn- toni, of New York; Lulow, of New York; Haydon, of Penn- sylvania; [Andrew] Laﬁn, of Illinois. sylvania; Jones, of New Jersey; Cook, of New York; Weiss, Comrade Kruse: How can the man from Min- of New Jersey; Bausch, of New Jersey; Hanson, of Minne- nesota act upon the committee, when he hasn’t a vote sota; Brown, of Indiana; Noonan, of New York; [Lilith] in the house? Martin, of Indiana; [Oliver] Crawford, of Pennsylva- Comrade Germer: He has got a voice. nia; [George] Peck, of Iowa. Chairman Hoan: I rule that this convention has The following comrades declined the nominations: a right to place any delegate from Minnesota on that Battistoni, Claessens, Bausch, Weiss, Noonan, and committee, if it so desires. He has a voice but no vote. Crawford.

†- This remark was clearly directed at Rose Weiss of New Jersey. 6 Election of Convention Committee Members at Chicago [Sept. 1-2, 1919]

Chairman Hoan: I will appoint as tellers Beck- The committee is as follows, and in the order: erman, Claessens, and Goldberg. Wilson, of Pennsylvania; Jones, of New Jersey; The convention proceeded to ballot. Brandt, of Missouri; Beloof, of Kansas; Shadid, of Comrade Stedman: I move that we adjourn un- Oklahoma; Gerber, of New York; Marcus, of Massa- til tomorrow morning at 10 o’clock. chusetts; Edlin, of Connecticut; Noonan, of New York; Comrade Block: I want to move that we send Cohen, of DC; Doerfler, of Wisconsin. the following telegram to one who was our candidate Chairman Hoan: You heard the report of the for Vice President in 1892, and our candidate for Presi- committee. Shall the report of the committee be ac- dent in 1896, Charles H. Matchett,† now living in cepted? Boston, and now very, very ill: Report adopted. On motion, duly seconded, the convention ad- The Socialist Party in National Convention assembled journed until tomorrow morning [Sept. 2, 1919] at 10 at Chicago sends to you, once our standard bearer in a Presidential election and always a loyal Socialist, our o’clock, it now being 10 o’clock pm. fraternal greetings and our earnest wish that you will soon recover good health. • • • • •

On motion, the same was ordered sent. Fourth Day. Chairman Hoan: I trust that the comrades will leave those slips handed to them today at the door, Tuesday, September 2, 1919. and those who haven’t secured them will get a copy. 10 o’clock am. Comrade Stedman: I want to move that we adjourn until 10 o’clock tomorrow morning, at which The convention was called to order by Chairman time the tellers will be able to report. Hoan. Comrade Brandt: I want to ask the delegate who Chairman Hoan: The ﬁrst thing in order is the made that motion to hold it for just a minute. I desire reading of the minutes, according to your rules. If you to offer a motion now that 30 minutes after the con- care to dispense with the reading of the minutes, a vention convenes tomorrow morning the roll call be motion is in order. taken and all of those delegates who have participated Comrade Panken: I move that the reading of or are participating in the other convention [of the the minutes be dispensed with. Left Wing] be dropped from our roll. Seconded. Carried. Seconded. Carried. The following telegrams were received and read: Chairman Hoan: One committee is ready to re- New York City, Sept. 1, 1919. port. Delegation of Local NY, Comrade Solomon: This is the report of the tell- Socialist Convention, ers on the Committee on Constitution. The vote was Chicago, Ill. as follows: Greetings from Circle 7 Yipsels to the Local New York Wilson [of Pennsylvania], 93; Jones, 89; Ruben- delegation. Hope that you will act to put the Yipsel movement stein, 47; Edlin, 78; Gerber, 81; Noonan, 77, Shadid, on a more solid foundation.

84; Wilson of Illinois, 65; Brandt, 89; Marcus, 79; Yours for the Yipsel Movement, Beloof, 88; Doerfler, 66; Cohen of DC, 69. M. Novik, Org.

†- Charles Horatio Matchett (1843-1919) was born in Needham, Massachusetts (now part of Wellesley), a descendant of New Englanders dating their roots in America back to 1630s. Matchett went to sea at age 16 and circumnavigated the Horn in a windjammer, later working at various times as a US Navy sailor, clerk, carpenter, inventor, beer bottler, and electrician. Matchett moved to Brooklyn in middle 1880s and became active in the Nationalist Party, before becoming engaged in the Henry George movement. Matchett was the Socialist Labor Party candidate for VP in its ﬁrst national ticket, 1892. He was organizer of American Branch No. 1, SLP (NYC), 1892 and candidate for Governor of New York in 1894. Matchett was the SLP candidate for President in 1896 and ran a number of times thereafter as a Socialist Party candidate for assembly and alderman. Matchett died in Allston, MA on October 23, 1919. Election of Convention Committee Members at Chicago [Sept. 1-2, 1919] 7

New York City, NY. to wait until the tellers’ reports on the election of the Socialist Party Convention. various committees is in, so that we may eliminate Hearty congratulations. We hope that a strong and those who are on a committee? fighting Socialist Party will emerge from your deliberations. Chairman Hoan: There is no motion before the Jewish Branch, SP 8th A.D., house. S. Leibowitz, Org. Comrade Braunstein: I move so. Seconded. Carried. New York City. Comrade Wells: I should like to report on the Socialist Party Convention. Committee on Economic Organization. Circle 7 Yipsel of Manhattan sends you its fraternal Chairman Hoan: I shall call them in their or- greetings. We sincerely hope that the convention will once der. We will first hear from the tellers on the Commit- again unite the party into a firm, faithful, and revolutionary organization. May your deliberations be of the highest. tee on Resolutions and Party Principles. Comrade Cook: We met and counted. There Yours for the Yipsel Movement, were 96 ballots cast. I will call the names — the names M. Novik, Org. receiving the highest vote — and give the vote as we go down: Saranac Lake, NY, Henry, 83; Lee, 81; Stedman, 80; Cohen, of Sept. 1, 1919 Convention of the Socialist Party. Pennsylvania, 79; Engdahl, 77; Roewer, 72; Plunkett, 71; Hoehn, 69; Neistadt, 69; Berger, 69; Moore, 67; My comrades, I am touched and cheered beyond expression by your inspiring message of comradeship and Block, 65; Berenberg, 62; Panken, 59; Hoan, 45; wish I could be with you. In this dawning era of proletarian Kruse, 44; Oneal, 40; Weiss, 39; Trachtenberg, 29; world revolution a Socialist convention is of deeper historic Glassberg, 22; Rubenstein, 17. value than all ephemeral peace conferences of the capitalist government. The Emergency Convention of 1919 will give There was a scattering vote: Salutsky, 2; Brown, a powerful impulse to the Socialist movement of America, 1; Quinlan, 1; Wilson, 1. and leave behind it a reinvigorated party solid in the self- The elections are as follows: You remember there denying devotion of its members, strong in its uncompromising adherence to the principles of internation- was only to be not more than 3 on the committee al Socialism, and invincible in the firm conviction in the early from any one state. Therefore, Panken, having the least triumph of our great cause. Good cheer and loving greetings, vote of the 4 candidates from New York, he is not on comrades. the committee, and the committee stands, so far as Morris Hillquit. the committee is able to report, as follows: Henry, Lee, Stedman, Cohen, Engdahl, Roewer, Chairman Hoan: Our worthy Secretary [Julius Plunkett, Hoehn, Neistadt, Berger, Moore, Block, Gerber] has lost his voice, and desires to have you se- Berenberg, Hoan, and Kruse. lect someone to take his place. He has been elected Chairman Hoan: I have before me credential and accepted a position on the Constitution Com- for the alternate, certifying that David Siegel, of 698 mittee also, and desires to take part in their delibera- Read St., Pittsburgh, organizer Jewish Federation, has tions. been duly elected as alternate delegate to the Socialist The following comrades were nominated to act as Convention, to be seated in place of Comrade Van Secretary: Essen. Glassberg, of New York; Orr, of New York; Hoehn, On motion, he was seated. of Missouri (but is on a committee, and name withdrawn); Comrade Wells: The tellers on the vote on the Bausch, of New Jersey; Engdahl, of Illinois (but is on a Committee on Economic Organization reports as fol- committee, and name withdrawn); Wilson, of Illinois. lows: The following declined: There were 93 ballots cast. Shiplacoff, 84; Sehl, Comrades Glassberg, Orr, Bausch, and Wilson. 72; Beckerman, 66; Coleman, 65; Stumpf, 65; Jensen, Comrade Braunstein: Suppose some of the 59; Victerson, 57; Quinlan, 57; Malkiel, 55; Fried- names are placed on committees? Wouldn’t it be wise man, 52; Bartos, 48; Kruse, 35; Selleman, 27; Haller, 8 Election of Convention Committee Members at Chicago [Sept. 1-2, 1919]

21; Lafin, 21; Dennis, 18; Cohen, 19; Davidow, 13; Seconded. Goldberg, 12; Bircher, 5. Chairman Hoan: The Chair will understand Those elected were: Shiplacoff, Sehl, Beckerman, this motion to mean that Comrade Brown, being the Coleman, Stumpf, Jensen, Victerson, Quinlan, Secretary, will come here and fill out his credential Malkiel, Friedman, and Bartos. before being seated. Those in favor of accepting him Chairman Hoan: Unless there is objection, the when that is filed, will so manifest. report of the committee is received, and those an- Carried. nounced declared elected as the Committee on Eco- Comrade Block: Comrade Gerber hasn’t much nomic Organization. speech left. He has something to say. I suggest that he Comrade Claessens: The report on the Com- repeat it to the Chairman, and the Chairman repeat it mittee on Propaganda and Organization is as follows: to the convention. The following delegates were elected: Bearak, 59; Chairman Hoan: He simply wants to make sure Smith, 66; Melms, 61; Sheahan, 60; Haydon, 61; that the credential is filled out according to procedure. Cook, 69; Peck, 51; Brown, 58; Martin, 53; Braun- I informed the Secretary [Gerber] that the motion we stein, 39; Jones, 47. passed was the acceptance of this man as a delegate Those are the 11 highest. Then: Lulow, 33; Han- under condition that he filled out his credential. Nomi- son, 35; Owen, 9; Bausch, 8; Weiss, 1; Askeli, 1; Noon- nations are now in order for Secretary. an, 2; Battistoni, 2, Claessens, 2; Marcus, 1. Comrade [Cora] Bixler of Pennsylvania was nomi- Chairman Hoan: Unless there is objection, the nated, but declined. report will be accepted. The rule provides that no man Comrade Glassberg was again placed in nomina- can serve on two standing committees. If anyone has tion; also, Comrade Davidow, of Michigan. been elected to two standing committees, they must A vote being taken, Glassberg received 43 votes and announce on which committee they wish to serve. Davidow received 28 votes. Comrade Jones: I prefer to serve on the Organi- Chairman Hoan: It is now 30 minutes after this zation Committee, and resign on the Constitution convention has convened. A motion last night was Committee. passed that at this moment the roll call shall be had to Chairman Hoan: Unless there is objection, the account for the absentee delegates, and those who are man receiving the next highest vote will serve. not accounted for shall be dropped from the roll and Comrade Wilson, of Illinois, received the next high- excluded. I will ask Comrade [Adolph] Germer to call est vote, and was therefore declared elected to serve on the the roll. He has a good voice. Committee on Constitution. Comrade Bearak: You must have an Assistant Chairman Hoan: Comrade Oneal cannot serve Secretary. I was going to suggest Davidow. on the Constitution Committee, if he is a New York Chairman Hoan: You are out of order. delegate. There are already 3. Comrade Bearak: Is there any rule regarding Roll Call. that? Chairman Hoan: Yes. The next highest man is Arkansas Mrs. Fannie Crowell Went home. Braunstein. He will take his place on the Constitution W.M. Tennyson Present. Committee. Colorado Fred Underhill Comrade Bearak: I understand there is a com- H. Interman rade here from Tennessee. I understand they haven’t Connecticut Harry L. Edlin Present. 150 members in the state, but that the charter has never John P. McCarthy Present. been withdrawn from the state organization. Com- Charles T. Peach Gone home. rade Brown has traveled 14 hours to come here, and Martin F. Plunkett Present. would like to be seated. I move you that he be recog- Delaware Beatrice M. Sedgwick Downstairs. nized as a delegate to this convention, representing (Left Wing) the state of Tennessee. Election of Convention Committee Members at Chicago [Sept. 1-2, 1919] 9

District of Columbia Mrs. E.S. Cohen Present. Jacob Goldberg Present. Lewis Victor Present. Illinois Robert H. Howe Present. Peter Kastoff Present. N. Juel Christensen Victor Annalla Present. Joseph Bearak Present. Comrade Wilson: He has resigned and is not Abraham Boxer Present. Louis Marcus Present. present. George E. Roewer, Jr. Present.

Illinois Seymour Stedman Present. Michigan Nestor Anderson Was not in attendance. Oliver C. Wilson Present. C.C. Taylor Present. John Louis Engdahl Present. Lazarus Davidow Present. Andrew Laﬁn I. Finkelstein Present. T.H. Coxe Did not attend. Comrade Wilson: He is absent, but will be back. A. Rubenstein Present. Comrade Askeli is acting in his place. Missouri E.J. Wilcox

Illinois Charles Krumbein Comrade Brandt: Wilcox took part in our convention the ﬁrst two days, but yesterday went down- Comrade Wilson: He is downstairs. stairs and came up again, and we told him that he Illinois Adolph Germer Present. could not take part in two conventions, so he left the Karl F.M. Sandberg Downstairs. city last evening. You have a credential in there for the William F. Kruse Present. next highest alternate, who is here and I suggest that F.W. Wenschoff Present. L.K. England Downstairs. he be seated, Caleb Lipscomb. W.G. Hammond Present. On motion, Comrade Lipscomb was seated. O.J. Brown, M.D. Downstairs. Perry H. Shipman Missouri Jacob Kasener Present. O. Alfred Olson Downstairs. G.A. Hoehn Present. Edgar Owens Downstairs. William Brandt Present. William Lugge Downstairs. William Stoffels Never attended. Montana A.H. Floaten Present. Dan Slinger Never attended. Ross D. Brown Present. New Hampshire Francis T. Butler Present. Fred B. Chase Present. Indiana George A. Cameron Downstairs. Morris K. Friedman Downstairs. New Jersey Frederick Krafft Present. William H. Henry Present. Valentine Bausch Present. Lilith Martin Present. Patrick L. Quinlan Present. Joseph Zimmerman Downstairs. Milo C. Jones Present. Rose Weiss Present. Iowa C.A. Morrow Gone home. Louis F. Wolff Downstairs. George J. Peck Present. Henry Petzilt Downstairs. Stephen Bircher Gone home. Kansas Ida A. Beloof Present. Gertrude Harmon Downstairs. Chairman † Roewer: I suggest that Comrade Kentucky Emil Von Allmen Downstairs. [Fred] Harwood be seated instead of Comrade Bircher. E.B. Austin, Jr. Downstairs. Comrade Oneal: I talked with Comrade Maine William W. Ayer Never in attendance. Harwood, and I am trying to induce him to come into the convention this morning. He said he was dis- Maryland Frederick Haller Present. satisﬁed with the convention, and he was going back Samuel M. Neistadt Present. to New Jersey and straighten out his books and get Massachusetts George Makela Present. out of the Socialist movement. Harry H. Victerson Present. Chairman Roewer: I suggest Comrade Goebel †- Note that George Roewer of Massachusetts was apparently elected Chairman for the Day for Sept. 2, despite this fact not being incorporated in the stenographic record. 10 Election of Convention Committee Members at Chicago [Sept. 1-2, 1919] be seated as a delegate from New Jersey. Louis Waldman Present. Comrade Bausch: I hope this convention will H.D. Wilcox Present. not seat Goebel as a delegate from that state. We would Oklahoma J.E. Bartos Present. rather do without any delegate in the place of M. Shadid Present. E.L. Moore Present. Harwood. If you want to unseat the membership of P.S. Nagle Present. New Jersey, you seat Goebel as a delegate today.† Clara Smith Present. Comrade Shiplacoff: I am getting tired of lis- Olive Stauber Present. tening to this business. Pennsylvania J. Auerbach Present. Chairman Roewer: Comrade Goebel retires. He Cora M. Bixler Present. does not care to have this position. (Cries of “No!”) Joseph E. Cohen Present. Oliver G. Crawford Present. Comrade Shiplacoff: Mr. Chairman— James Downs Present. Chairman Roewer: You are out of order. William Euler Present. Comrade Shiplacoff: You gave me the floor. Edward W. Haydon Present. John G. Means Present. Chairman Roewer: You are out of order. Henry W. Schlegal Present. Charles Sehl Present. New York Abraham Beckerman Present. Charles Selleman Present. David P. Berenberg Present. J. Henry Stumpf Present. S. John Block Present. David Siegel Present. August Claessens Present. (Seated in place of Comrade William J. Van Essen, Walter M. Cook Present. who went home.) J.W. Dennis Present. Birch Wilson Present. Max Lulow Present. William J. Wright Present. Julius Gerber Present. Elmer H. Young Present. Benjamin Glassberg Present. Alex Braunstein Present. Rhode Island Joseph Coldwell Downstairs. Wilho Hedman Present. James P. Reid Downstairs. William Karlin Present. A. Trachtenberg Present. Texas D.H. Lauderdale Present. (occupying Matilda Lee’s seat) Algernon Lee Present. West Virginia J.H. Snider Present. Anita C. Block Present. (An alternate, and occupied a seat Wisconsin Oscar Ameringer Present. for one or two days, but yielded to Victor L. Berger Present. Comrade Lulow, who arrived.) William Coleman Went home, but Bertha H. Mailly Present. will be back. Theresa Malkiel Present. John Doerfler, Jr. Present. Charles W. Noonan Present. Martin Georgensen Not Present. James Oneal Present. Daniel W. Hoan Present. Samuel Orr Present. John P. Jensen Present. Jacob Panken Present. Herman P. Marth Present. Dr. Wilhelmus B. Robinson Present. Edmund T. Melms Present. A.G. Breckenridge Present. John H. Sims Absent, but Charles H. Roth Present. will be back. J.B. Salutsky Present. K.L. DeSombre Present. Fred Sander Present. James C. Sheahan Present. Wyoming D.A. Hastings Did not attend. A.l. Shiplacoff Present. Charles Solomon Present. Oregon H. Tolbert Downstairs James Battestoni Present. (In place of Joseph Collumb)

†- NEC member George Goebel was long a stalwart of the Socialist Party’s Right Wing and an active participant in the 1919 purge of the SPA Left and thus was an anathmatic ﬁgure to the Leftist New Jersey delegation. Fred Harwood was the New Jersey State Secretary at the time and his departure from the convention and decision to leave the organization foreshadowed the deep and irreconcilable nature of the ﬁssure between the ruling Center-Right coalition headed by Germer and Oneal and those remaining Left Wing elements, represented at the convention by the New Jersey delegation and a radical segment of the Illinois caucus that did not bolt (Engdahl, Kruse, etc.). Election of Convention Committee Members at Chicago [Sept. 1-2, 1919] 11

Comrade Germer: I was told by one of the Or- Comrade: I am convinced that there is a mis- egon delegation that three of the delegates were down- take about the Scandinavian Federation. Christensen, stairs. who is Translator-Secretary of the federation, happened to be one of the delegates from Illinois, and he went Oregon V. Saulit Downstairs. down as a delegate from Illinois, and not as a repre- H.S. Warren Downstairs. L. Moilanen Downstairs. sentative of his federation. I would like to get that clear. I don’t know whether Holm went downstairs also, but Nebraska J.E. Rutledge Downstairs. I would like for the convention to be clear on that C.C. Mickey Present. question. Utah R.E. Richardson Downstairs. Chairman Roewer: If there is any doubt, the E.F. Hyde Downstairs. Secretary won’t strike off the name, but, where it is Minnesota Charles S. Wells Present. announced deﬁnitely he will strike them off. Andrew Hansen Present. Comrade Shiplacoff: I move the same proce- T.E. Latimer Had to go home. dure be done with the German case that is being done George Hoffman Present. S. Friedman Present. with the Scandinavian case. H.L. Kramerman Present. Comrade: The Scandinavian representative went downstairs. German Federation Ludwig Lore Comrade Goebel: He went as an Illinois delegate. Comrade Panken: I saw Comrade Lore this morning. He said he would not take his seat, that he Jewish Federation J. Mill Present. was leaving the German Federation unrepresented. Comrade Bearak: I move that the German Fed- Slovak Federation Charles Korenich Present. eration be notiﬁed of the action of lore in this convention. Chairman Roewer: The Secretary will now read Seconded. Carried. the names of those who were reported downstairs, so that corrections can be made. Italian Federation John LaDuca Present. * * * Finnish Federation Y.H. Halonen Present.

Bohemian Federation Charles Kolarik Present.

Scandinavian Federation N.F. Holm Present.

Edited with footnotes by Tim Davenport. Published by 1000 Flowers Publishing, Corvallis, OR, 2008. • Non-commercial reproduction permitted.

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