The International Socialist Review was a monthly magazine published in Chicago, Illinois by Charles H. Kerr & Co. from 1900 to 1918. Initially, under the editorship of A.M. Simons, the magazine primarily served as a Marxist theoretical journal, focusing on Marxist analysis and discussion. In 1908, the publication shifted further to the left when publisher Charles H. Kerr assumed editorial responsibilities. The later Review (as contemporaries called it) adopted a more dynamic format, incorporating photographic illustrations on glossy paper and blending news of the contemporary labor movement with theoretical content.
 The International Socialist Review became a prominent voice for the Socialist Party's left wing. After 1908, it strongly supported the Industrial Workers of the World. | |
| Categories | Marxist theory, labor movement |
|---|---|
| Frequency | Monthly |
| Publisher | Charles H. Kerr & Co. |
| First issue | July 1900 |
| Final issue | February 1918 |
| Country | United States |
| Based in | Chicago, Illinois |
| Language | English |
Throughout its run, the International Socialist Review was loyal to the Socialist Party of America and became a leading voice for the party's left wing. After 1908, it championed the cause of revolutionary socialism, opposing efforts to transform the Socialist Party into a vehicle for moderate reforms. The magazine embraced syndicalism and supported the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) and their vision of revolutionary industrial unionism. It also criticized the Preparedness Movement and other efforts to promote militarism in the lead-up to World War I. Additionally, the Review provided a platform for leaders of the Zimmerwald Left to communicate their anti-war and revolutionary socialist ideas to an American audience.
Following the United States' entry into World War I in 1917, the International Socialist Review faced increasing pressure from the United States Post Office Department and the United States Department of Justice. The magazine lost its mailing privileges in 1917 due to actions taken by Postmaster General Albert S. Burleson under the administration of President Woodrow Wilson. This government suppression effectively ended the publication, which ceased in early 1918.
An attempt to revive the Review as The Labor Scrapbook in 1918, under the editorship of Mary Marcy, one of Kerr's closest collaborators, was ultimately unsuccessful.
Publication history
editSimons period (1900–1908)
edit
The International Socialist Review was edited from 1900 to 1908 by Algie M. Simons, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin. Under Simons' editorship, the magazine served as a platform for discussing various theoretical issues that divided the socialist movement.[1]
A central focus of the magazine during Simons' tenure was the relationship between the socialist movement and American farmers. This issue was of particular interest to both Simons, who authored a 1902 book on the subject, and J.A. Wayland, the publisher of the Appeal to Reason, the most widely circulated socialist newspaper of the time.[1]
The tone of the early Review was moderate, reflecting what one historian described as "the rather moderate social-democratic perspective of Simons and other Socialists of the 'Center.'"[2] The policies it advocated were similarly temperate, aligning with the centrist views of its editor and contributors.
The Review began publishing in the summer of 1900 and achieved a modest circulation of about 4,000. Approximately three-quarters of its readers subscribed by mail, with the remainder accessing the magazine through newsstand sales or bundle orders arranged by local socialist organizations.[2]
Post-Simons period (1908–1918)
editDue to a fundamental disagreement over principles—Simons' views becoming increasingly moderate while those of his employer, Charles H. Kerr, grew more radical—publisher Kerr dismissed editor Algie M. Simons in 1908.[1] Kerr sought to transform the previously dry and academic publication into what he described as "the fighting magazine of socialism," utilizing dramatic photography to vividly portray contemporary labor struggles against the forces of capitalism.
As historian Allen Ruff observed, the revitalized International Socialist Review (ISR) adopted a markedly different tone and format:
"Liberally illustrated with 'action fotos' and original graphics, the revamped ISR carried firsthand reports of major strikes, lockouts, organizing drives, and employers' offensives as well as theoretical and political discussions. Kerr's work with longtime associates Mary and Leslie Marcy and an editorial board including left-wingers William D. 'Big Bill' Haywood, Frank Bohn, and poet/illustrator Ralph Chaplin raised the Review's circulation from nearly 6,000 in 1908 to over 40,000 by 1911."[1]
The Review quickly became the principal organ of the Socialist Party's "left wing," which criticized the party's national leadership for what it perceived as an excessive focus on ameliorative reform.[3] The influence of the Review was further amplified in 1910 with the cessation of The Socialist, a left-wing weekly newspaper published in Seattle, Washington by Hermon F. Titus. This left many of its readers turning to the Review, helping its circulation grow to 27,000 by July 1910.[3]
The moderate faction of the Socialist Party was often sharply critical of the Review. For instance, writer Robert Hunter declared in 1911:
"It has sneered at Political Action, advocated rival unionism, and vacillated between Anarchism and Proudhonism. The constant emphasis The Review lays on Direct Action and its apparent faith that a revolution can be evoked by Will or Force is in direct opposition to our whole philosophy."[4]
Despite such criticism, the Review maintained a strong sympathy for the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), a revolutionary industrial union that aimed to unite all workers—regardless of race, craft, or skill—under the banner of "One Big Union." The IWW's ultimate goal was the abolition of the wage system and its replacement with a system of worker-managed economic units, a concept rooted in syndicalism.
Prominent staff members
editIndex of volumes
editVolume First issue Last issue Editor Online availability 1 July 1900 June 1901 Simons Archive.org 2 July 1901 June 1902 Simons Archive.org 3 July 1902 June 1903 Simons Archive.org 4 July 1903 June 1904 Simons Archive.org 5 July 1904 June 1905 Simons Archive.org 6 July 1905 June 1906 Simons Archive.org 7 July 1906 June 1907 Simons Archive.org 8 July 1907 June 1908 Simons/Kerr Archive.org 9 July 1908 June 1909 Kerr Archive.org 10 July 1909 June 1910 Kerr Archive.org 11 July 1910 June 1911 Kerr Archive.org 12 July 1911 June 1912 Kerr Archive.org 13 July 1912 June 1913 Kerr Archive.org 14 July 1913 June 1914 Kerr Archive.org 15 July 1914 June 1915 Kerr Archive.org 16 July 1915 June 1916 Kerr Archive.org 17 July 1916 June 1917 Kerr Archive.org 18 July 1917 February 1918 Kerr Archive.org
References
edit- ^ a b c d Allen Ruff, "International Socialist Review," in Mari Jo Buhle, Paul Buhle, and Dan Georgakas (eds.), Encyclopedia of the American Left. First Edition, New York: Garland Publishing, 1990; pp. 374-375.
- ^ a b Herbert G. Gutman, "The International Socialist Review: Chicago, 1900-1918," in Joseph R. Conlin (ed.), The Radical Press in America, 1880-1960. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1974; vol. 1, pg. 82.
- ^ a b Gutman, The International Socialist Review, vol. 1, pg. 83.
- ^ Quoted by Gutman, The International Socialist Review, vol. 1, pg. 83.
Further reading
edit- Allen Ruff, "We Called Each Other Comrade": Charles H. Kerr & Co., Radical Publishers. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1997.