John J. Ballam
Encyclopedia
John J. "Johnny" Ballam was an American Marxist
political activist and trade union
organizer. He is best remembered as a founding member and one of the pioneer leaders of the Communist Party of America and as a leader of the Trade Union Unity League
in the textile industry during the 1930s.
from 1898 to 1902.
In 1905, Ballam joined the fledgling Industrial Workers of the World
, remaining a member of that organization through 1912.
In 1912, Ballam joined the Socialist Party of America
(SPA). He remained a member of the Socialist Party through the 1919 split of the organization.
On June 10, 1918, Ballam was sentenced in Boston to 1 year in jail under the Espionage Act for a speech he delivered against American participation in the first World War
. Ballam served time at the Plymouth County Jail until his release on about April 1, 1919.
In 1919, Ballam was a member of the Left Wing National Council, the New York-based group which was the embryo responsible for establishing the Communist Party of America (CPA) that same summer.
Ballam was a delegate to the founding convention of the CPA, held in Chicago the first week of September 1919. He was elected vice chairman by the convention but resigned in protest after just one day in response to internecine factional fighting that dominated the proceedings.
Following the conclusion of the founding convention of the CPA, Ballam edited the biweekly newspaper The New England Worker, published by the new organization.
Ballam was arrested by the United States Department of Justice
in New Orleans, Louisiana
on December 2, 1919. He was returned to Massachusetts
to face charges of having violated the Massachusetts Anti-Anarchy Act, which he did in January 1920.
Ballam was a member of the first Central Executive Committee of the CPA, elected in 1919. He remained in this position through 1921. District Organizer for an area including the cities of Cleveland and Pittsburgh for that group from April 1920 onwards.
During the first months of American communism, Ballam was regarded as a hardline opponent of unity of the CPA with the rival Communist Labor Party
or its successor, the United Communist Party of America. Following unification of the CPA with this group, Ballam emerged as the leading English-speaking figure of a dissident left opposition group which split from the CPA late in 1921 over the issue of the forced participation of ostensibly underground party members in a "legal political party." Ballam was chosen to make the trip to Moscow on behalf of his comrades in an attempt to gain recognition for the underground Communist Party dissidents and their "legal" wing, the United Toilers
, as the Communist International's official representatives in America.
Early in 1922 the Comintern ruled against the Central Caucus's parallel "Communist Party of America," ordering its members to reunite with the regular party organization and to turn over all of its "records, addresses, connections, and properties" to the main organization within 60 days.
Ballam agreed to this demand of the Comintern and returned to the regular CPA, which elected him a delegate to the party's ill-fated 1922 Bridgman Convention
, held in August. Although he escaped arrest at the time of the raid, Ballam was among 9 of those who surrendered to authorities on March 10, 1923. He was released on a $1,000 bond but was never brought to trial on charges of having violated the Michigan anti-syndicalist law through his participation in the gathering.
In August 1923 Ballam was chosen as the campaign manager for the Workers Party of America's (successor to the underground CPA) effort to raise $100,000 to establish a daily newspaper in America.
During the bitter factional warfare of the 1920s, Ballam was a consistent supporter of the Communist Party faction headed by John Pepper
, C.E. Ruthenberg
, and Jay Lovestone
.
Ballam worked as the Workers Party of America's district organizer for Buffalo
and upstate New York state in 1924.
in 1924. He ran for United States Senator from Massachusetts in 1926 and again in 1928.
In 1931 Ballam ran for Governor of New Jersey
as the candidate of the Communist Party USA. The next year he ran for Governor of Massachusetts, heading the party's ticket in that state.
Ballam's final run for political office came in 1940, when he ran for United States Congress
in the 16th Congressional District of New York.
.
Ballam was involved as a union leader in the 1926 Passaic Textile Strike
. He appeared as himself in the documentary film on the strike
produced by the Workers (Communist) Party of America to publicize the plight of the strikers.
Ballam was named the National Organizer of the National Textile Workers Union, part of the Communist Party-sponsored Trade Union Unity League
in 1933. In this capacity he was active in helping direct the 1933 strike of workers in the silk
industry, a stoppage which involved as many as 65,000 workers in New Jersey
and elsewhere in the east.
Marxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
political activist and trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
organizer. He is best remembered as a founding member and one of the pioneer leaders of the Communist Party of America and as a leader of the Trade Union Unity League
Trade Union Unity League
The Trade Union Unity League was an industrial union umbrella organization of the Communist Party of the United States between 1929 and 1935...
in the textile industry during the 1930s.
Political Career
Ballam was a member of the Socialist Labor Party of AmericaSocialist Labor Party of America
The Socialist Labor Party of America , established in 1876 as the Workingmen's Party, is the oldest socialist political party in the United States and the second oldest socialist party in the world. Originally known as the Workingmen's Party of America, the party changed its name in 1877 and has...
from 1898 to 1902.
In 1905, Ballam joined the fledgling Industrial Workers of the World
Industrial Workers of the World
The Industrial Workers of the World is an international union. At its peak in 1923, the organization claimed some 100,000 members in good standing, and could marshal the support of perhaps 300,000 workers. Its membership declined dramatically after a 1924 split brought on by internal conflict...
, remaining a member of that organization through 1912.
In 1912, Ballam joined the Socialist Party of America
Socialist Party of America
The Socialist Party of America was a multi-tendency democratic-socialist political party in the United States, formed in 1901 by a merger between the three-year-old Social Democratic Party of America and disaffected elements of the Socialist Labor Party which had split from the main organization...
(SPA). He remained a member of the Socialist Party through the 1919 split of the organization.
On June 10, 1918, Ballam was sentenced in Boston to 1 year in jail under the Espionage Act for a speech he delivered against American participation in the first World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Ballam served time at the Plymouth County Jail until his release on about April 1, 1919.
In 1919, Ballam was a member of the Left Wing National Council, the New York-based group which was the embryo responsible for establishing the Communist Party of America (CPA) that same summer.
Ballam was a delegate to the founding convention of the CPA, held in Chicago the first week of September 1919. He was elected vice chairman by the convention but resigned in protest after just one day in response to internecine factional fighting that dominated the proceedings.
Following the conclusion of the founding convention of the CPA, Ballam edited the biweekly newspaper The New England Worker, published by the new organization.
Ballam was arrested by the United States Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
in New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
on December 2, 1919. He was returned to Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
to face charges of having violated the Massachusetts Anti-Anarchy Act, which he did in January 1920.
Ballam was a member of the first Central Executive Committee of the CPA, elected in 1919. He remained in this position through 1921. District Organizer for an area including the cities of Cleveland and Pittsburgh for that group from April 1920 onwards.
During the first months of American communism, Ballam was regarded as a hardline opponent of unity of the CPA with the rival Communist Labor Party
Communist Labor Party
The Communist Labor Party of America was one of the organizational predecessors of the Communist Party USA. The group was established at the end of August 1919 following a three-way split of the Socialist Party of America...
or its successor, the United Communist Party of America. Following unification of the CPA with this group, Ballam emerged as the leading English-speaking figure of a dissident left opposition group which split from the CPA late in 1921 over the issue of the forced participation of ostensibly underground party members in a "legal political party." Ballam was chosen to make the trip to Moscow on behalf of his comrades in an attempt to gain recognition for the underground Communist Party dissidents and their "legal" wing, the United Toilers
United Toilers of America
The United Toilers of America was the legal wing of an underground Marxist group which split off from the Communist Party of America in the 1920s.-History:...
, as the Communist International's official representatives in America.
Early in 1922 the Comintern ruled against the Central Caucus's parallel "Communist Party of America," ordering its members to reunite with the regular party organization and to turn over all of its "records, addresses, connections, and properties" to the main organization within 60 days.
Ballam agreed to this demand of the Comintern and returned to the regular CPA, which elected him a delegate to the party's ill-fated 1922 Bridgman Convention
1922 Bridgman Convention
The 1922 Bridgman Convention was a secret conclave of the underground Communist Party of America held in August 1922 near the small town of Bridgman, Michigan, about outside of the city of Chicago on the banks of Lake Michigan...
, held in August. Although he escaped arrest at the time of the raid, Ballam was among 9 of those who surrendered to authorities on March 10, 1923. He was released on a $1,000 bond but was never brought to trial on charges of having violated the Michigan anti-syndicalist law through his participation in the gathering.
In August 1923 Ballam was chosen as the campaign manager for the Workers Party of America's (successor to the underground CPA) effort to raise $100,000 to establish a daily newspaper in America.
During the bitter factional warfare of the 1920s, Ballam was a consistent supporter of the Communist Party faction headed by John Pepper
John Pepper
John Pepper, also known as József Pogány, born József Schwartz was a Hungarian-Jewish Communist politician, active in the radical movements of both Hungary and the United States. He later served as a functionary in the Communist International in Moscow, before being cashiered in 1929...
, C.E. Ruthenberg
Charles Ruthenberg
Charles Emil Ruthenberg was an American Marxist politician and a founder and long-time head of the Communist Party USA .-Biography:Charles Emil Ruthenberg was born July 9, 1882 in Cleveland, Ohio...
, and Jay Lovestone
Jay Lovestone
Jay Lovestone was at various times a member of the Socialist Party of America, a leader of the Communist Party USA, leader of a small oppositionist party, an anti-Communist and Central Intelligence Agency helper, and foreign policy advisor to the leadership of the AFL-CIO and various unions...
.
Ballam worked as the Workers Party of America's district organizer for Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
and upstate New York state in 1924.
Political campaigns
Ballam was the candidate of the Workers Party for Governor of MassachusettsGovernor of Massachusetts
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the executive magistrate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. The current governor is Democrat Deval Patrick.-Constitutional role:...
in 1924. He ran for United States Senator from Massachusetts in 1926 and again in 1928.
In 1931 Ballam ran for Governor of New Jersey
Governor of New Jersey
The Office of the Governor of New Jersey is the executive branch for the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of Governor is an elected position, for which elected officials serve four year terms. While individual politicians may serve as many terms as they can be elected to, Governors cannot be...
as the candidate of the Communist Party USA. The next year he ran for Governor of Massachusetts, heading the party's ticket in that state.
Ballam's final run for political office came in 1940, when he ran for United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
in the 16th Congressional District of New York.
Union activities
In 1922, Ballam was named the New England organizer for Textile Workers Union of the Trade Union Educational LeagueTrade Union Educational League
The Trade Union Educational League was established by William Z. Foster in 1920 as a means of uniting radicals within various trade unions for a common plan of action. The group was subsidized by the Communist International via the Communist Party of America from 1922...
.
Ballam was involved as a union leader in the 1926 Passaic Textile Strike
1926 Passaic Textile Strike
The 1926 Passaic Textile Strike was a work stoppage by over 15,000 woolen mill workers in and around Passaic, New Jersey over wage issues in several factories in the vicinity...
. He appeared as himself in the documentary film on the strike
The Passaic Textile Strike (film)
The Passaic Textile Strike is a 1926 American silent film directed by Samuel Russak. The film was produced to raise public awareness and financial support for the 1926 Passaic Textile Strike, which involved over 15,000 New Jersey textile mill workers in a work stoppage lasting more than a year...
produced by the Workers (Communist) Party of America to publicize the plight of the strikers.
Ballam was named the National Organizer of the National Textile Workers Union, part of the Communist Party-sponsored Trade Union Unity League
Trade Union Unity League
The Trade Union Unity League was an industrial union umbrella organization of the Communist Party of the United States between 1929 and 1935...
in 1933. In this capacity he was active in helping direct the 1933 strike of workers in the silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
industry, a stoppage which involved as many as 65,000 workers in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
and elsewhere in the east.
Works
- "Report of the Secretary of the Central Caucus to the National Conference of the Communist Party of America, December 25, 1921." Corvallis, OR: 1000 Flowers Publishing, 2007.
- "Testimony to the Executive Committee of the Communist International, March 18, 1922." Corvallis, OR: 1000 Flowers Publishing, 2007.
- Soviet "Dumping" and "Forced Labor." New York: Friends of Soviet Russia, n.d. [c. 1929].
- 70,000 Silk Workers Strike for Bread and Unity. New York: Labor Unity Publications, 1934.