A. Polish and Polish American Socialists [exhorted to unite the workers of the world, the leadership remained hopeless divided even among the Poles] Most Socialists were workers who belonged to unions so movements intertwined.
A. Est coelum Nobilitorum (Heaven is for the
Nobility)
Paradisus Iudeorum (Paradise is for the
Jews)
Et Infernum Rusticorum (Hell is for the
peasants)
Lore from Medieval Poland
B. Typical Life of Peasants:"Pray, Pay, and
Obey"
B. In the Russian sector of Poland, the Polska
Partia Socalistyczna Polish Socialists in the U.S.A.
1. The socialist organization,
"Rownosc (Equality)," founded in New York in 1886 is also mentioned as having a
similar group founded in Detroit but no date had been verified. Short-lived
newspapers, like Czyn (The Action) published by Stanislaw Osada, while
Stanislaw Nowakowski served as the editor. The Detroit Gazeta
was the first Polish radical-socialist periodical in the USA (my
emphasis). AThis group included
the first members of the Great Proletariat, notably Jozef Zawisza, former
student of the Vienna Polytechnic, a co-defendant at the Cracow trial of Ludwik
Warynski in 1880. Hieronim Derdowski wrote for this paper, which Anthony A.
Paryski set the type, his first job on a newspaper. AFor Your Freedom and Ours (1863 cry)@ To the people in America. Speakers included
writers as Aleksander Debski (1857-1935), N.Y.; Dr. A. Zajaczkowski, Brooklyn; Bronislaw Slawinski,
Chicago [ed of Robotnik]; J. Kozakiewicz, Detroit. They created a Polish
Revolutionary Fund to collect monies for Poland during the Russian revolt of
1905.
2. Zwiazek Socjalistow Polskich
(ZPS). Although the ZPS was loosely affiliated with the Polish
Socialist Party [PPS], it cooperated with the American socialists. Primarily, as
Prof. Florian Znaniecki pointed out, its main concern was the independence of
Poland but it was also interested in aiding the American working man. "Robotnik"
(The Worker) paper carried ads endorsing SP candidates. Polish scholar Danuta
Piatkowska delineated the various ZSP groups: Klub Socjalistow Polskich (The
Polish Socialist Club), Ansoni, CT; Kolko Dramatyczne im. A. Mickiewicz (The
Mickiewicz Dramatic Circle), Boston: Tow. AProletariat,@ Baltimore; Tow. Boleslawa Czerwinskiego (The
Bolesaw Czerwinski Chapter),@
Chicopee, MA; Tow. ANaprzod (The
Forward Chapter),@ Chicago; Wo.
Adama Mickiewicza, Chicago; Tow. ACzerwony Sztandar (The Red Flag Chapter),@ Chicago; Tow. AJednosc (The Unity Chapter),@ Chicago; Tow. Spiewu i Dramatu AWolny Duch (Song and Drama, Free
Spirit),@ Chicago; Tow. J.
Pietrusinskiego (The J. Pietrusinski Chapter),@ Fall River, MA; Tow. L. Warynskiego (The L.
Warynski Chapter), Jersey City, NJ; Tow. Socjalistow Polskich, New York City;
Tow. B. Limanowskiego (The B. Limanowski Chapter, Newark, NJ; Kolko Rolnikow
Polskich (The Agricultural Circle), Thorp, WI; Tow. I. Daszynskiego (The I.
Daszynski Chapter), Fort Wayne, IN; Tow. AJednosc,@ New Bedford, MA; Tow. Jaroslawa Dabrowskiego (The Jaroslaw Dabrowski
Chapter), Brooklyn, NY; Tow. S. Kunickiego, Pittsburgh, PA; Tow. Socjalistow
Polskich, Camden, NJ; Tow. Socjalistow Polskich, Providence,
RI.
The leading author about the Polish Left stated that
the ZPS, came into existence in 1900 and then following permanent split of PPS,
divided into younger and older members in 1908 when younger members became the
Polish Section of the Socialist Party in 1908.
3.
American Socialist Labor Party, est 1874. Later, a Polish
Section
a. The proper Polish name for the
SLP section was the Zwiazek Oddzialow Polskich c. Undoubtedly the most infamous,
Detroit-born Leon Czolgosz, influenced by the dying ZOP made Theodore Roosevelt
President by assassinating President William McKinley.
4. Another group formed upon the
ashes of ZOP. It met in Buffalo in 1900 and dissolved to form an independent
Polish Socialist Alliance. Independent, that is, of any American party. The
Union of Polish Detachments of the SLP formed an independent group known as the
Polish Socialist Alliance known by its initials ZSP (confusing?) that lasted the longest of Pol Am Socialist
organizations. Its organ was "Robotnik," (The Worker) and later the "Dziennik
Ludowy (The People's Daily)." It existed concurrently with the Polish Section of
the Socialist Party.
1. The Socialist Party split from
the SLP in 1901 emphasizing American roots. A Polish section was not initially
allowed. ZSP split into another group to form the competing Zwiazek Polskiej
Partii Socjalistyczne (ZPPS), a. Polish section of the SP, in 1908 when it
organized with twenty-three branches consisting of 400 members. But, it took
three more years before the Polish Translator-Secretary=s Office was
established. Hipolit Gluski, Translator-Secretary reported that at the end of
1911, there existed 115 branches with 1,450 members in good standing.
a. Polish Section (desiring
independence of Poland) expelled for supporting WW I. Eugene Debs jailed; SP
CongressmanVictor Berger expelled from Congress.
1. Nationalism prevailed over
world class struggle of workers. When SP expelled Left-Wing in 1919, which
formed CP, SP declined.
b. Leo Krzycki joined SP proper,
1910, but not Polish Section. Member of Exec. Bd, elected National
Chairman, 1934. Left SP to support Roosevelt in 1936.
D. Polska Robotnicza
Kasa Chorych (The Polish Workers Accident Fund) in 1906 in Passaic-Paterson
progressives, many Socialists. Two years later a conference occurred with
representatives from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. At the height of its
membership in 1939 the PRKC existed in nineteen states: Pennsylvania (51
chapters); Massachusetts (33); Illinois (21);; Ohio (16); New York (15); New
Jersey (12); Connecticut (11); Michigan (8); Indiana (6); West Virginia (5);
Rhode Island (3); and Oklahoma (2). No longer in existence.
E. Some
XXth century Polish Socialists
? Andrzelewski; Henry
Anielewski; Stanislaw Bakowski; A. Bebel; M. Bec; Stanley Bedkarz; Boleslaw
Bogdanski; St. Bogel; V.L. Boker; Frank Boncel; Edmund C. Borkowski; Stanislaw
Brecht; ? Bronowski; ? Budaszewski; G.M. Campbell; B. & M. Cegielkowski;
Konrad Cegielski; John Cichocki; Feliks Cieciara; Adam & Dr. Lidia Ciolkosz;
Walter Ciszewski; Marcin Cyborowski;A. Czyzewski; Ignacy Daszynski; Aleksander
Debski; Wincenty Dmowski (no relation to Roman); J. & Wiktorja Dodatko; J.
Draminski; Wladyslaw Drozdowski; ? Fiderkiewicz; Fiszler; J. Florczak; J.
Freliga; ? Garstka; ? Gluchowski; Anthony Gnatkiewicz; Martin Gorecki; Alexander
Goyek; Joseph Grabowski; B. Grzybowski; Ferdinand Hexel; Walter Homich; ?
Hylinski; ? Jakacki; Anthony Jakubiszyn; Wladyslaw Jarzembski; ? Jasionowski; ?
Jaworowicz; St. Jedrzejowski; ? Jozwiak; J. & L. Kajkowski; ? Kalinowski;
Jan Kaper; W. Karbaski; K. Karcz; W. Karczewski; ? Karwacki; K. Kasprowicz; Paul
Klimowicz; K. Knobloch; F. Koczorowski; W. Konieczka; John Konwiski; A.A.
Kopczynski; Andrew F. Kowalski; Casimir (Kazimierz) Kowalski; T. Kozak; J.
Kozakiewicz; ? Kozicki; L. Kozdemba; Wladyslaw Kozdroj; Stanley Kozlowski;
Anthony& Helen Krawulski; Wladyslaw Krenzel; Leo Krzycki; Stanislawa
Kucharska; ? Kulowski; Walter Kulaski; Dr. W. N. Kuniuszewski; T. Kurowski; A.
Lapinski; Lazarew; J. Leperowski; T. Lesniak; P. Lewandowski; L. Liebknecht; J.
Liss; Stanley Ludwicki; Jozef Luszcz; Leon Lutrowicz; Mieczyslaw Makowski; J.
Manicki; T. Marcinkowski; Boleslaw Miklaszewski; Szymon Modrzewski; Jan
Mokowski; Walter Niewiadomski; Stanislaw Nowakowski; S. Odalski; Joseph Oliver;
Stanislaw Osada; Frank Ostrowski; Joseph Paczkowski; Anthony Piercer; Helena
Piotrowska; J. Polek; K. Przezdziecki; Dr. Anna Reinstein; Stanislaw Rokosz; ?
Rudner; P. Rusenko; Jozef Rutkowski; P. Rusenko; J. Rybski; Ludwik Schroeter; C.
Skiba; Felix Skupski; Bronislaw Slawinski; ? Sliwinski; F. Sliski; J. Smykowski;
Stanley Sobolewski; S.M. Sokolowski; John Stachiewicz; Lucian Starszak; Jozef
Stawski; S. Stec; M. Szameit; Stanislaw Szewczyk; Boleslaw Tomaszewski; S.
Tomczak; Franciszek Turski; Albert Warzycki; W. Wegrowski; Joseph Wlodarczyk;
Anthony Wojsowski; Anthony J. Woldanski; Bronislaw Wronski; Stanislaw Wysocki;
P. Zabik; Dr. A. Zajaczkowski; J. Zajkowski; Anthony Zarczynski; Jozef Zawisza;
F. Zbikowski; J. Zemla; Martin Zukowski; A. Zylinski P. Zabik; Anthony Z.
Zarchinski
Can you add to the above
list?
F. Achievements of the
Socialist Movement:
(The Polish Socialist Party or known by
their initials, (PPS) founded in 1892 by the Polish Socialists Abroad
headquartered in London; its publication, Przedswit
(The Dawn). It
was known by its initials, ZZSP, Zagraniczny Socialistow Polskich
(the
Alliance of Polish Socialists Abroad)..
The PPS
developed in the Prussian sector in 1893. Socjaldemokracja
Krolestwa Polskiego party (the Social Democracy of the Polish
Kingdom, or by its initials SKDP was established only to change to the
Socjaldemokracja Krolestwa Polskiego i Litwy (the Social
Democracy of the Polish Kingdom and Lithuania, or by its initials, SDKPiL) led
by Felix Dzierzynski (later head of Cheka in USSR).
Although Jozef Pilsudski was conservative in philosophy,
i.e. right wing, he believed that only through insurrection or violent means
could Poland be freed. His faction became known as the PPS-Revolutionary
Fraction while the left wing of the PPS, became known as the PPS-Left
Fraction.
By January 1906 ZSP had
at least thirty-three groups in Ansonia, CT; Bayonne City, N.J.; Baltimore, MD;
Brooklyn, N.Y.; Bridgeport, CT; Buffalo, N.Y.; Chicago (2-3), IL; Cleveland, OH;
Detroit, MI; Milwaukee, WI; Fall River, MA; Ft. Wayne, IN: Franford, PA;
Holyoke, MA; Jersey City, N.J.; Loraine, OH; Newark (Passaic), N.J.; NYC, N.Y.;
Paterson, N.J.; Philadelphia, PA; Providence, R.I.; Pittsburgh, PA.; San
Francisco, CA; Scranton, PA; Schenectady, N.Y.; Seattle, WA; Shamokin, PA; St.
Louis, MO; St. Paul, MN; Toledo, OH; Waterbury, CT; Wilkes-Barre, PA. 16 States:
CT; NJ; MD;; NY; IL; OH; MI; WI; MA; IN; PA; RI; CA; WA; MO; MN; In addition
financial support from cities like Pullman, IL; Duluth, MN; Lawrence, MA;
Rochester, NY; Manville RI; North Hampton, MA; Warren, PA; Salem, MA; Worcester,
MA.
[known by ZOP] Socyalistycznej
Partyi Robotniczej w Stanach Zjednoczonych Amerika Poln., Komitet
Wykonanwczy
(Alliance of Polish Branches, Socialist Labor Party of the United
States of America).
b. Perhaps most
famous Pol Am, Dr. Anna Reinstein (1866-1948), arrived in Buffalo to establish
her medical practice until her husband, Boris Reinstein (1866-ca 1946), not of
Polish extraction, was released from prison. In the USA Reinstein opposed Helena
Sawicka. Polish newspaper, Swiatlo (The Light). Boleslaw Miklaszewski
(1871-1941) arrived from London to organize under the pseudonym of Karol Dolski.
15 chapters, in the cities: New York, Jersey City, Newark, Brooklyn, Trenton,
Philadelphia, Yonkers, Camden, Pittsburgh, Chicago and Buffalo. . By 1904, there
were 150 Polish socialist associations which belonged to the Polish National
Alliance. Prominent activists included Aleksander Debski (1857-1935); Bronislaw
Slawinski (1862-1936), A. Moren; Wladyslaw Fiszler, Feliks Cienciara Later, John
C. Tuchelski, Thomas Grabuski and John T. Kozlowski became active in the
Michigan SLP proper, not a Polish branch.
1. The eight hour day
2. Unions;
particularly the CIO
("The CIO victory is one of the major Polish American
contributions to American history," stated current President of St. Mary's
College, Thaddeus Radzilowski.)
3. Child labor
laws,
4. Workmens
compensation laws,
5. Unemployment
compensation,
6. Laws
protection of women in employment laws,
7. Social
Security system,
8. Medicare
laws...
9. Dom Ludowy
(Polish Home)
How many heard lectures from People's University?
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Email me at: don@binkowski.org
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