Carl D. Thompson (March 24, 1870 – July 3, 1949) was an
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
preacher,
Christian Socialist
Christian socialism is a religious and political philosophy that blends Christianity and socialism, endorsing left-wing politics and socialist economics on the basis of the Bible and the teachings of Jesus. Many Christian socialists believe capi ...
, and
Social Democratic
Social democracy is a political, social, and economic philosophy within socialism that supports political and economic democracy. As a policy regime, it is described by academics as advocating economic and social interventions to promote soci ...
politician. A
Congregationalist minister early in his life, Thompson is best remembered as a lecturer and political organizer for the
Socialist Party of America
The Socialist Party of America (SPA) was a 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 of Ameri ...
.
Thompson left the Socialist Party owing to its opposition to
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
and thereafter participated in other
liberal
Liberal or liberalism may refer to:
Politics
* a supporter of liberalism
** Liberalism by country
* an adherent of a Liberal Party
* Liberalism (international relations)
* Sexually liberal feminism
* Social liberalism
Arts, entertainment and m ...
political organizations, including the
Committee of 48 and his own group, the National Public Ownership League.
Biography
Early years
Carl D. Thompson was born on March 24, 1870, in
Berlin, Michigan, a small town on the shore of Lake Erie in the southeastern corner of the state. He graduated from Gates College in Nebraska in 1895, from the Chicago Theological Seminary in 1898; and earned an MA degree from Chicago University in 1900. From 1891 through 1900, Thompson was employed as a minister of various
Congregationalist churches. In 1900 he was minister of the Prospect Street Congregational Church in Elgin, Illinois, and in regular contact with Christian Socialist
J. Stitt Wilson. On January 1, 1901 he resigned from the pastorate of the Prospect Street Church and established a new Church of the Social Conscience.
Political career
In September 1901 Thompson moved west to join J. Stitt Wilson's new "Social Crusade", a group of five ministers and former ministers who evangelized for socialism throughout California, Oregon, Washington and Colorado.
The socially-aware Thompson was a convert to
Christian Socialism
Christian socialism is a religious and political philosophy that blends Christianity and socialism, endorsing left-wing politics and socialist economics on the basis of the Bible and the teachings of Jesus. Many Christian socialists believe capi ...
and a devotee of
Victor L. Berger
Victor Luitpold Berger (February 28, 1860August 7, 1929) was an Austrian–American socialist politician and journalist who was a founding member of the Social Democratic Party of America and its successor, the Socialist Party of America. Born in ...
's
Social Democratic Party of America
The Social Democratic Party of America (SDP) was a short-lived political party in the United States established in 1898.
The group was formed out of elements of the Social Democracy of America (SDA) and was a predecessor to the Socialist Party of ...
. He worked as a State Organizer for the SDP of Wisconsin from 1898 until the merger of that organization at the 1901 Unity Convention which established the
Socialist Party of America
The Socialist Party of America (SPA) was a 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 of Ameri ...
.
Thompson was elected, to the
Wisconsin State Assembly
The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin.
Representatives are elected for two-year terms, ...
, as a Social Democrat (Socialist) in 1906 for the 12th
Milwaukee County
Milwaukee County is located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. At the 2020 census, the population was 939,489, down from 947,735 in 2010. It is both the most populous and most densely populated county in Wisconsin, and the 45th most populous coun ...
district, with 1,648 votes against 1,545 for the incumbent,
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
August Dietrich
August Dietrich (July 6, 1858 – ?) was an American politician.
Born in New York City, he was educated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and was in the manufacturing and real estate business. He served in the Milwaukee Common Council and on the Milwau ...
and 1010 for
Democratic nominees Adam Muth. He was assigned to the
standing committee
A committee or commission is a body of one or more persons subordinate to a deliberative assembly. A committee is not itself considered to be a form of assembly. Usually, the assembly sends matters into a committee as a way to explore them more ...
s on
transportation
Transport (in British English), or transportation (in American English), is the intentional movement of humans, animals, and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, land (rail and road), water, cable, pipeline, ...
and on
third reading
A reading of a bill is a stage of debate on the bill held by a general body of a legislature.
In the Westminster system, developed in the United Kingdom, there are generally three readings of a bill as it passes through the stages of becoming, ...
s. In 1908, he was unseated in turn by Republican
Carl Busacker, with 2,047 votes for Busacker, 1,956 for Thompson, 1,839 for Democrat George Schaefer, and 100 for
Prohibitionist
Prohibitionism is a legal philosophy and political theory often used in lobbying which holds that citizens will abstain from actions if the actions are typed as unlawful (i.e. prohibited) and the prohibitions are enforced by law enforcement.C Canty ...
Benjamin C. Hughes. During the
1908 United States presidential election
The 1908 United States presidential election was the 31st quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 3, 1908. Secretary of War and Republican Party nominee William Howard Taft defeated three-time Democratic nominee William Jen ...
he was nominated by Victor L. Berger for the Socialist presidential nomination, but it was given to
Eugene V. Debs
Eugene Victor "Gene" Debs (November 5, 1855 – October 20, 1926) was an American socialism, socialist, political activist, trade unionist, one of the founding members of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), and five times the candidate ...
again.
Thompson was a member of the Socialist Party's National Committee, representing Wisconsin. On June 19, 1912, Thompson was given the nomination of the Social Democratic Party, the Wisconsin state Socialist Party retained its historic name, for
Governor of Wisconsin
The governor of Wisconsin is the head of government of Wisconsin and the commander-in-chief of the state's army and air forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Wiscons ...
, coming in third in a five-way race with 8.74% of the vote, far more than the 3.05% margin of victory of Republican victor
Francis E. McGovern.
In 1914, Thompson moved to Illinois to work for the Socialist Party National Office as head of its Information Department, a post which he retained until the abolition of the position by the National Committee in 1915. Thompson also ran as the SPA's candidate for
US Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washingto ...
from
Illinois's 7th congressional district
The 7th congressional district of Illinois covers parts of Cook County, as of the 2011 redistricting that followed the 2010 census. All or parts of Bellwood, Chicago, Forest Park, Oak Park, Maywood, and Westchester are included. Democrat Dan ...
against incumbent Democrat
Frank Buchanan in 1914. Buchanan won with only 39.3% of the vote, to 35.4% for Republican
Niels Juul (who would unseat Buchanan in 1916), 13.5% for Thompson, and 11.8% for
Bull Moose Progressive Charles S. Stewart. Upon termination of the SPA's Information Department, he remained in Illinois and went to work as head of the party's National Lecture Bureau.
In 1916, Thompson ran a tightly fought campaign against former
United Mine Workers Union
The United Mine Workers of America (UMW or UMWA) is a North American labor union best known for representing coal miners. Today, the Union also represents health care workers, truck drivers, manufacturing workers and public employees in the Unite ...
official
Adolph Germer
Adoph F. Germer (15 January 1881 – 26 May 1966) was an American socialist political functionary and union organizer. He is best remembered as National Executive Secretary of the Socialist Party of America from 1916 to 1919. It was during this pe ...
for the position of National Executive Secretary of the Socialist Party. Germer was regarded as the more radical of the two candidates and the result was close, with bloc voting by the various branches of the party's foreign
language federations largely credited for providing the German-born Germer's margin of victory. During the
1916 United States elections
The 1916 United States elections elected the members of the 65th United States Congress. The election occurred during the Fourth Party System, six months before the United States entered World War I. Unlike 1912, the Democrats did not benefit fro ...
he was the campaign managers of the Socialist Party's national campaign.
Post-World War I activity
After
American entry into World War I
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry
...
in the spring of 1917, Thompson lent his support to Wilson's war effort. Along with other pro-war Socialists like
John Spargo
John Spargo (January 31, 1876 – August 17, 1966) was a British political writer who, later in life, became an expert in the history and crafts of Vermont. At first Spargo was active in the Socialist Party of America. A Methodist preacher he tr ...
,
Allan L. Benson
Allan Louis Benson (November 6, 1871 – August 19, 1940) was an American newspaper editor and author who ran as the Socialist Party of America candidate for President of the United States in 1916 United States presidential election, 1916.
Biogra ...
, and William Ghent, Thompson worked throughout 1918 to attempt to cause the Socialist Party to annul what he described as the "illegal and impossible phraseology" of the party's 1917 St. Louis platform. Instead, Thompson urged that the party restate its position on the war, giving full support to
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...
's purported "war to save the world for democracy" and explicitly recognizing that only force of arms was a sufficient means to defeat German militarism.
[Carl D. Thompson, "Here Are the Reasons Why There Is Urgent Need for Early Restatement on War Issue," in ''The New Appeal'' (Girard, KS), no. 1,175 (June 8, 1918), pg. 2.] Although Thompson indicated his belief that an "overwhelming majority" of the SPA's rank and file supported such a change, the Illinois state convention held May 3–4, 1918, seems to have demonstrated otherwise, with the defiantly
antimilitarist
Antimilitarism (also spelt anti-militarism) is a doctrine that opposes war, relying heavily on a critical theory of imperialism and was an explicit goal of the First and Second International. Whereas pacifism is the doctrine that disputes (especi ...
St. Louis platform being upheld by "something like two to one" after "vigorous debate" — in Thompson's own estimation.
As this political situation became clear in the summer of 1918, Thompson and his co-thinkers on the Socialist Party's right wing admitted defeat and left the ranks of the organization.
After leaving the SPA, Thompson became involved in the activities of the liberal organization known as the
Committee of 48, signing the call for the founding conference to organize the group. After that organization fizzled in 1920 Thompson went on to establish an organization of his own, the National Public Ownership League, for which he served as National Secretary. This rather obscure organization seems to have continued at least through the middle-1930s.
Death and legacy
Shortly after moving to
Lincoln, Nebraska
Lincoln is the capital city of the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Lancaster County. The city covers with a population of 292,657 in 2021. It is the second-most populous city in Nebraska and the 73rd-largest in the United Sta ...
Thompson died on July 3, 1949 at age 79.
[Death certificate for Carl Dean Thompson, Nebraska Department of Health, file #007073]
Footnotes
Works
* ''The Principles and Program of Socialism.'' (Denver, CO: The Social Crusade, 1900).
* ''The Constructive Program of Socialism.'' (1908)
* ''Christian Elements in the Socialist Movement.'' (1909)
* ''The Rising Tide of Socialism.'' (1911)
* ''Have the Socialists Made Good?'' (1913)
* "Fighting for Labor in State Legislatures," ''The Western Comrade,'' vol. 1, no. 4 (July 1913), pp. 116–119.
* ''What Is Socialism?'' (1914)
* ''Municipal Ownership'' (1917)
* ''Public Ownership of Railways'' (1919)
* ''Public Ownership — The Way Out'' (1933).
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, Carl D.
1870 births
1949 deaths
People from Monroe County, Michigan
Members of the Wisconsin State Assembly
American Christian socialists
Socialist Party of America politicians from Wisconsin
Social Democratic Party of America politicians
American Congregationalist ministers
20th-century Congregationalist ministers
19th-century Congregationalist ministers
Writers from Illinois
Writers from Michigan
Writers from Wisconsin
Congregationalist socialists
20th-century American clergy
19th-century American clergy