Call for Debate Participants at The 2021 Jack London Society 15th Biennial Symposium for Jack London – Political Reform or Labor Reform Socialist Panel
Call for Debate Participants at The 2021 Jack London Society 15th Biennial Symposium:
December 9–12, 2021, Sonoma Valley Inn & Krug Event Center, Sonoma, California
The 15th Biennial Jack London Society Symposium will be held December 9–12, 2021 at The Sonoma Valley Inn & Krug Event Center in Sonoma, California. More information at https://jacklondonsociety.org/
Panel Title: Jack London – Political Reform or Labor Reform Socialist
When Jack London joined the Socialist Labor Party in 1896 there were two factions vying for control – political reform and labor reform. The premise of political reform was government control of production facilities and the premise of labor reform was labor organizing. Eugene V. Debs began as president of the American Railway Union leading a successful strike against the Great Northern Railroad in 1893. In 1898 he subsequently formed and chaired the Social Democratic Party based on labor reform which attracted numerous members from the divided Socialist Labor Party. (London ran for Mayor of Oakland as the Social Democratic candidate.) In 1901, after being jailed for illegal striking, Debs converted to political reform and re-chartered the Social Democratic Party as the political reform Socialist Party of America. He later ran for President of the United States on that party’s ticket.
Jack London was, consecutively, a member of all three parties. Which of these ideologies did he espouse?
This proposal is made by Dan Wichlan who will defend the labor reform case against the political reform advocate who accepts this proposal.
Each proponent will give his/her case in a 10-minute presentation. After the initial presentations, each proponent will have the opportunity to make a 5-minute rebuttal of the other’s case.
Email your proposals for this panel to Dan Wichlan djaw@pacbell.net