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
(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.

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.

  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.

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
[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.

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:

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?

Email me at: donb@ioa.com
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