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The Pacific Northwest Radical Press
The
Socialist Party
exerted considerable influence over Northwest
politics and within the broader labor movement during the first two decades of
the 20th century. Gary Siebel sorts out the factions and issues in an
introductory essay,
The Squabbling Socialists of
Washington State, followed by reports on four Socialist
papers published in Seattle:
Five Socialist newspapers were published
in Everett:
Two Socialist newspapers were published
in Tacoma :
The
Anarchist Movement had an active
presense in the Pacific Northwest, centered in the community of "Home" just
across the narrows from Tacoma. Founded in 1896, the anarchist colony attracted
radicals from all over, including Emma Goldman who visited twice. Residents
published several newspapers. We have reports on two:
The
People's Party briefly
dominated Washington state politics, electing a governor and many other
public officials in 1896. The populist movement was strong both in the
cities and in rural areas and laid the ground work for long-lasting
radical tendencies among farmers as well as workers. Of the many Pacific
Northwest newspapers that carried the Populist message only a few
survive. We have a report on the influential Chehalis, WA, newspaper:
Radical
journalism in the 1930s
and 1940s took new forms. The socialist-linked Seattle Labor
College launched a newspaper in 1930 which helped galvanize one of
the most effective unemployed movements in the country. By late 1931
the Unemployed Citizens League had tens of thousands of members
organized in "self help" production and barter clubs. See the report
on:
The
Communist Party initially organized competing Unemployed Councils in
Seattle but later joined the Unemployed Citizen's League, a move which
set off a struggle for leadership in that organization. Here is a report
on the CP dominated newspaper:
The
Washington Commonwealth Federation was a coalition of progressive
organizations and unions that nominated candidates for state and local
offices under the banner of the Democratic Party. Communists were
initially excluded but after 1936 played an important role in the WCF.
The Federation was a major force in Washington state politics from 1934
to 1949 and published a series of influential weekly newspapers during
that fifteen year period. Three of them are profiled here.
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