Socialist News [Cleveland], volume 5, whole no. 256 (November 1, 1919). Formerly the official organ of Local Cleveland, Socialist Party of America, this publication raised a new flag briefly in the Fall of 1919 as the organ of "The Communist Party of Cleveland and Vicinity."

Microfilm of The Cleveland Socialist News (1914-1919) is through the New York Public Library. Unfortunately, this material terminates in April 1919, shortly before the suspension of the Socialist Party of Ohio from the Socialist Party for endorsing the Manifesto and Platform of the Left Wing Section.

 Despite the lack of microfilmed evidence, this publication appears to have continued without interruption, although switching allegiance to the Communist Party of America which was formally established during the first week of September 1919.

Interestingly, this November issue was edited by W.E. "Bud" Reynolds, who was a founding member of the Communist Labor Party. The state of Ohio in general, and the city of Cleveland in particular, was ground zero for the CLP, outside of the person of C.E. Ruthenberg and a handful of his closest friends. It is surmised that Reynolds started with the CPA but "switched shirts" sometime around the publication of this paper. Reynolds' papers, in the form of a large scrapbook, are housed at Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas. 

 Only a single copy of this publication seems to have survived for November 1, 1919. The original resides with the Riazanov Library of California.


This scan was made as part of the Riazanov Library Digitization Project by archivist Marty Goodman. Additional digital editing of this version by Tim Davenport. 
File released into the public domain without restriction.