1881 DOCUMENT DOWNLOADS

"The Social Revolutionists," by Philip Van Patten [circa January 20, 1881] With the anarchist movement gaining size and strength in the early 1880s, centered in the city of Chicago, electorally-oriented members of the Socialist Labor Party began to make inquiry as to whether adherents of so-called "Social Revolutionism" was compatible with party membership. With regards to a specific January 17 question from Philadelphia whether membership in the "Socialist Revolutionary Club" was permitted of SLP members, the NEC replies here that "Members of our Party have a perfect right to belong to any association, of whatever nature, provided that the principles, public declarations, official actions, and the Constitution of such association do not conflict with the Platform, Constitution, and Resolutions of the Socialistic Labor Party." As for the inquiry at hand, "whether or not the so-called Socialist Revolutionary Club is an organization hostile to our Party, we are not prepared to positively state." Van Patten notes that such organizations in New York and Philadelphia had "favored military organization and the study of revolutionary tactics, as opposed political action" and therefore indicated "a tendency contrary to the policy of our Party." But decisive action against subversion by the forces of anarchism was not forthcoming, with Van Patten declaring that "Not having seen the platform or constitution of either club, we have not the official information to justify decisive action by our Committee." Despite this inaction, Van Patten intimates that the "capitalistic enemies" were engaged installing extremist provocateurs within the ranks of the SLP "to shout revolution and clamor for blood."