Independent American Political Groups: Christian Socialist Fellowship (1906-191x)

ORGANIZATIONAL HISTORYEarly Christian Socialist Movement in America.The Christian Socialist movement in America emerged in the late 1880s. The first Christian Socialist publication was a paper called The Dawn, edited by Rev. W.D.P. Bliss and published in Boston. Around this publication a Chrisitan Socialist League emerged, with Rev. E.D. Wheelock the group's President and Rev. Frederick D. Strickland its Secretary.

Many prominent leaders of the early Social Democratic Party and its successor, the Socialist Party of America, were Chrisitan Socialists. Among this number were included Massachusetts legislator Frederic O. McCartney; the first National Organizer of the Socialist Party, Charles Vail; educator Walter Mills; and Wisconsin Socialist leader Carl D. Thompson.
Of particular importance to the early American Socialist Party were the "Social Crusaders," a loose grouping organized by George Herron and centered around the monthly magazine The Social Crusader.


Christian Socalist Fellowship.
The Christian Socialist Fellowship emerged as a byproduct of the growth of the weekly newspaper, The Christian Socialist, edited in Danville, Illinois by Rev. E.E. Carr from January 1904.


1. 1st Annual Conference --- Louisville, KY --- June XX-18, 1906.
The 1st Annual Conference elected Rev. Lucien V. Rule of Kentucky as General Secretary and Rev. W.A. Ward of Henderson, KY as Treasurer. The meeting was occupied with addresses, sermons, and songs and adopted a very basic constitution for the organization. According to this document, the purpose of the Christian Socialist Fellowship was "to permeate churches, denominations, and other religious institutions with the social message of Jesus; to show that Socialism is the necessary economic expression of the Christian life; to end the class struggle by establishing industrial democracy; and to hasten the reign of justice and brotherhood on the earth."
Annual dues were set as "one dollar or more." An annual conference of the organization was specified in the constitution.

 
In November 1906, The Christian Socialist moved to Chicago and added a talented young Swedish-born Baptist minister named Jacob O. Bentall to the editorial staff.

 

2. 2nd Annual Conference --- Chicago, IL --- June 1-4, 1907.
The 2nd Annual Conference elected Rev. Edward J. Ward of Rochester, NY as General Secretary and re-elected Rev. W.A. Ward of Henderson, KY as Treausrer. A group of organizational plans and resolutions were adopted by the gathering.
A proposal was made to change the constitution of the Christian Socialist Fellowship to require membership in the Socialist Party of America as a condition of membership. After debate this proposal was voted down by "an overwhelming majority" of those assembled.
The 2nd Conference established a system of "District Secretaries," who would organize in geographic areas surrounding favorable urban centers. The District Offices maintained by these local officials would be supported by 50% of the dues collected and 20% of the revenue gathered for subscriptions to The Christian Socialist -- the rest of these funds to be mailed in to the General Secretary or the office of The Christian Socialist, respectively.

(fn. "The Christian Socialist Fellowship: Constitution, Plans, Resolutions, and a Brief Account of Its Origin and Progress," Christian Socialist, Aug. 15, 1907, pp. 5-6; Carr, "The Fellowship and the Parties," Christian Socialist, Sept. 1, 1907, pg. 3.)

 

3. 3rd Annual Conference --- New York, NY --- May 28-31, 1908.
According to a statement by the General Secretary of the Christian Socialist Fellowship, the group had shown great growth in 1908, its total membership jumping from just 32 on Jan. 1, 1908 to about 260 at the time of the 3rd Conference.


4. 4th Annual Conference --- Toledo, OH --- May 28-30, 1909.
The 4th Annual Conference of the Christian Socialist Fellowshp was attended by 26 delegates, representing 7 states. A roll of "over 500 members" of the Christian Socialist Fellowship was reported. Socialist mayor of Toledo Brand Whitlock addressed the gathering, joined by Dr. Long and Rev. W.A. Prosser. According to a report in The Christian Socialist, "The success of the first night's program was in no small degree owing to Prof. Moyer's inspiring Songs of Socialism [socialist songbook], and to Mrs. Dr. Pyle's entrancing vocal solos.
The second day featured an addresses on "The Socialist as a Prophet," delivered by Rev. Eliiot White and "The Moral Power of the Socialist Ideal," by Rev. Paul H. Castle, while in the evening Rev. Thomas P. Byrnes addressed a public meeting on the topic "The Social, Political, and Industrial Foundations of the Kingdom of God" and Rev. E.E. Carr spoke on "The Social Message of Jesus."
Day 3 featured an address by Rev. William A. Ward on "A People Without a Country." The evening public session included Rev. Harvey Dee Brown, speaking on "Spiritual and Economic Determinism," and Rev. John D. Long on "The Economics of Jesus."
The 4th Conference adopted a new constitution for the organization which integrated proposals made by New York and Chicago organizations. The new structure reduced the size of the governing "General Executive Committee" from 50 to a less unwieldy 25 members, and switched the organization to a monthly dues system making use of 15 cent stamps, proceeds of which were to be divided between the National Office, State Office, and Local Centers (the primary party organization of the CSF). Membership in the organization was divided into two castes, the "active" members -- who declared themselves to be both Christians and Socialists, to support the object and constitution of the organization, and to pay the 15 cent monthly dues -- and "associate" members -- who made no such claims of being Christians or Socialists, but who merely supported the general aims of the organization and paid dues. Associate members were allowed voice but not vote at the annual gatherings of the organization.
Rev. Elliot White was elected General Secretary by the Conference (a man of the Chicago faction) in a head-to-head race run against sitting CSF General Secretary, Dr. John D. Long (of the New York faction). Long refused to relinquish the post or to turn over the list of members of the Fellowship, however, and a bitter factional controversy ensued. The deposed General Secretary from New York issued a "referendum" (of dubious legality since it was not based upon a petition as specified in the CSF constitution) to the membership seeking to overturn the actions of the Toledo Conference, including the election of officers and the passage of the new constitution. Over the howls of his factional opponents, Long declared the actions of the Toledo Conference reversed and himself re-elected by his own referendum -- an action which was denounced as illegal. Long claimed to have received the votes of 143 of the CSF's 523 paid members to whom ballots were sent.

[fn. "We Told You So," Christian Socialist, Aug. 1, 1909, pg. 5].
"WE ABSOLUTELY REFUSE TO ABIDE BY THIS UNJUST, ILLEGAL, AND FRAUDULENT REFERENDUM," declared Editor Rev. E.E. Carr in the pages of the July 15, 1909 issue of The Christian Socialist. Carr received the support of Gene Debs in this factional scrimmish, with the widely respected Socialist orator writing on July 26, 1909 that "So far as I can see, your position is right; at least I can see nothing wrong with it. And in a letter to Dr. Long, in answer to one from him, I have taken occasoin to express myself accordingly."

[fn. "Debs Approves Our Position," Christian Socialist, Aug. 1, 1909, pg. 5].
Carr and his Chicago associates called upon the New York Center to declare its "referendum" to be null and void. As Elliott White had resigned the post of General Secretary rather than continue in the factional wrangle, the demand was issued to fulfill that vacancy in the constitutally-determined method, by majority vote of the General Executive Committee elected at the Toledo Conference.
A vote was subsequently held by the General Executive Committee, resulting in the election of Rev. William A. Ward of Henderson, Kentucky, a minister in the Church of Christ (Disciples), as Secretary, and Harvey P. Moyer of Chicago, a Congregational Church layman, as Treasurer. With The Christian Socialist firmly in the hands of the Chicago faction, Long and the New York Center were unable to gain traction and fairly rapidly vanished from the scene.

[fn. "New General Officers for the Christian Socialist Fellowship," Christian Socialist, Sept. 1, 1909, pg.1.

5. 5th Annual Conference --- Pittsburgh, PA --- April 21-24, 1910.