Vigilantes Shut Down Anti-War Socialist Paper

In the years leading up to the first world war, the only vocal local anti-war voices were the voices of the Socialists. The Great War as it was called then was raging, and the socialist could see the writing on the wall. “That Socialists should be generally—and indefinitely–”against war” is accepted as an established fact” (The Colorado Organizer, supplement to the The New Critic, June 16th 1917). Socialist saw no reason for the American working-class to go overseas to kill the working-class of Europe.

A full two years before the U.S entered the First World War, a local socialist committee chaired by L. Ross Conklin passed a resolution declaring: “Not a man, not a dollar for war.’ Let those who create the war do their own fighting.” Originally published in the local Socialist weekly newspaper, The Critic, of which no known copies exist, the June 12th 1915, Daily Sentinel reprinted the resolution to mock the local socialists.

The United States entered the war in April of 1917. The war was not popular, only 75,000 volunteered to die in the trenches. Involuntary conscription soon followed the next month. The Espionage Act was passed in June of 1917, making it a crime to speak or publish anti-war opinions. This act was used to imprison, former Junctionite, Carl Gleeser, as well as many other socialist and anarchists for voicing their opposition to the war and the draft.

The New Critic, replaced The Critic, and was edited, and typeset by L. Ross Conklin. In its pages he strongly voiced the anti-draft and anti-war point of view, held by local socialists.

The hammer did eventually fall on L. Ross Conklin, and his paper, The New Critic, but it would not be the law, but a proto-fascist, para-military vigilantes.

In July, the Colorado National Guard was called up to fight in the trenches of Europe, “Home Guard” units were then organized in a piecemeal fashion at the local level, on the behest of the Governor of Colorado. These semi-legitimate forces engaged vigilantism across the American West, breaking strikes by force, harassing and oppressing anti-war dissidents, union organizers, and especially Wobblies.

The whole conflict came to a crescendo one September afternoon in 1917. A delegation from the Grand Junction company of the Home Guard, including three officers “paid a visit to the offices of the Critic [The New Critic…and informed the editor, L. Ross Conklin, that the large majority of the people were distinctly opposed to the publishing of seditious and treasonable articles similar to those which had been appearing in the Critic. Capt. Furman stated that the further publication of such articles would not be tolerated.” The article continued: “There was no attempt at intimidation given, but Capt. Furman merely stated the sentiment of the community,” and “as he left Capt. Furman stated, “whatever occurs in the future remains entirely with you.” Daily Sentinel, September 26th, 1917.

The Daily Sentinel, with Walter Walker at its head had long been engaged in protracted war of words with the local socialist, and he seemed to both enjoy the suppression of the Socialist’s paper, and more than willing to whitewash the clear threat leveled at the socialist. This proto-fascistic event and Walker’s coverage of it portends his later embrace of the KKK seven years later.

No known copies of The New Critic, published after the date of this conflict exist. WWI was in many ways the end of the Populist/Socialist Era here in the Grand Valley, and around the west. The local Socialist party did continue (as late as 1934 they still fielded a full ticket in local elections) but it would never wield the influence it once had. “When people must be told everyday that they are a free people, there must be something wrong with said freedom.” L. Ross Conklin, editor of The New Critic, Vol. 3 Number 41. June 16th 1916, Grand Junction, Colo.