The Toiler was a transitional publication of the American Communist movement. Although little-known, the paper occupied a significant place between its state-oriented Socialist Party predecessor, The Ohio Socialist, and its well-known national Communist successor, The Daily Worker. Some 113 issues were produced on the road from Point A to Point B, a trip which took more than two years.
Beginning in Cleveland as a "legal" publication of the Communist Labor Party in the fall of 1919, The Toiler moved to New York City along with party headquarters around the first of 1920. There it gained a strong trade union orientation as the so-called "labor organ" of the CLP and its successor, the United Communist Party.
Both broadsheet and small format were used, with the editorial staff valorously practicing discretion on matters of "force and violence" to preserve the publication’s legal status. Editors included Elmer Allison (1919) and Jim Cannon (1920), although in a tip of a hat to the conspiratorial method, names of the paper’s staff were seldom mentioned in print after 1920.
As a reflection of the unifying spirit of the new Workers Party of America in January 1922, The Toiler was merged with the bi-weekly The Workers Council. The following month the combined publication was given a new name, The Worker, beginning with issue #208. Despite the modified moniker, the "new" publication looked and felt like The Toiler in every way, even making use of the same numbering run.
Although all issues of The Toiler have been committed to microfilm, no filming of the publication has been fully complete. Similarly, not every issue appears here. Scholars and activists must for now continue to hunt and peck.
Tim Davenport
Corvallis, OR
Sept. 29, 2011
Special Note of thanks to the following individuals and institutions that made copies of The Toiler available and help scan and process them for this archive: Dr. Marty Goodman of the The Riazanov Project and David Walters from the Marxists Internet Archive and the Holt Labor Library.
No.96, 3 December 1919
The Toiler
Official Organ of the Communist Labor Party of Ohio. Published in Cleveland.
No. 97, 10, December 1919
The Toiler
Official Organ of the Communist Labor Party of Ohio. Published in Cleveland.
No. 98, 17 December 1919
The Toiler
Official Organ of the Communist Labor Party of Ohio. Published in Cleveland.
No. 99, 24 December 1919
The Toiler
Official Organ of the Communist Labor Party of Ohio. Published in Cleveland.
No. 100, 31 December 1919
The Toiler
Official Organ of the Communist Labor Party of Ohio. Published in Cleveland.
No. 101, 7 January 1920
The Toiler
Official Organ of the Communist Labor Party of Ohio. Published in Cleveland.
No. 102, 14 January 1920
The Toiler
Official Organ of the Communist Labor Party of Ohio. Published in Cleveland.
No. 103, 21 January 1920
The Toiler
Official Organ of the Communist Labor Party of Ohio. Published in Cleveland.
No. 104, 30 January 1920
The Toiler
Official Organ of the Communist Labor Party of Ohio. Published in Cleveland.
No. 105, 6 February 1920
The Toiler
Official Organ of the Communist Labor Party of Ohio. Published in Cleveland.
No. 106, 13 February 1920
The Toiler
Official Organ of the Communist Labor Party of Ohio. Published in Cleveland.
No. 107, 20 February 1920
The Toiler
Official Organ of the Communist Labor Party of Ohio. Published in Cleveland.
No. 108, 27 February 1920
The Toiler
Official Organ of the Communist Party of Ohio. Published in Cleveland.
No. 109, 5 March 1920
The Toiler
Published Weekly of the Communist Labor Party of Ohio. Published in Cleveland.
No. 110, 12 March 1920
The Toiler
Published Weekly of the Communist Labor Party of Ohio. Published in Cleveland.
No. 112, 26 March 1920
The Toiler
Published Weekly by the Communist Labor Party of Ohio, Cleveland, Ohio.
No. 113, 27 April 1920
The Toiler
Published Weekly of the Communist Labor Party of Ohio, Cleveland, Ohio
No. 114, 9 April 1920
The Toiler
Published Weekly of the Communist Labor Party of Ohio, Cleveland, Ohio
No. 116, 23 April 1920
The Toiler
Published Weekly of the Communist Labor Party of Ohio, Cleveland, Ohio
No. 117, 30 April 1920
The Toiler
Published Weekly of the Communist Labor Party of Ohio, Cleveland, Ohio
No. 119, 14 May 1920
The Toiler
Published Weekly of the Communist Labor Party of Ohio, Cleveland, Ohio
No. 120, 21 May 1920
The Toiler
Published Weekly of the Communist Labor Party of Ohio, Cleveland, Ohio
No. 121, 28 May 1920
The Toiler
Published Weekly of the Communist Labor Party of Ohio, Cleveland, Ohio
No. 122, 4 June 1920
The Toiler
Published Weekly of the Communist Labor Party of Ohio, Cleveland, Ohio
No. 123, 11 June 1920
The Toiler
Published Weekly by The Toiler Publishing Association, Cleveland, Ohio
No. 124, 18 June 1920
The Toiler
Published Weekly by The Toiler Publishing Association, Cleveland, Ohio
No. 125, 25 June 1920
The Toiler
Published Weekly by The Toiler Publishing Association, Cleveland, Ohio
No. 127, 9 July 1920
The Toiler
Published Weekly by The Toiler Publishing Association, Cleveland, Ohio
No. 136, 10 September 1920
The Toiler
Published Weekly by The Toiler Publishing Association, Cleveland, Ohio
No. 155, 22 January 1921
The Toiler
Published Weekly by The Toiler Publishing Association, Cleveland, Ohio
No. 190, 1 October 1921
The Toiler
Published Weekly by The Toiler Publishing Association, New York City
No. 191, 10 October 1921
The Toiler
Published Weekly by The Toiler Publishing Association, New York City
No. 192, 15 October 1921
The Toiler
Published Weekly by The Toiler Publishing Association, New York City
No. 193, 22 October 1921
The Toiler
Published Weekly by The Toiler Publishing Association, New York City
No. 194, 29 October 1921
The Toiler
Published Weekly by The Toiler Publishing Association, New York City
No. 195-supp, November 1921
The Toiler
Published Weekly by The Toiler Publishing Association, New York City
No. 196, 12 November 1921
The Toiler
Published Weekly by The Toiler Publishing Association, New York City
No. 197, 19 November 1921
The Toiler
Published Weekly by The Toiler Publishing Association, New York City
No. 199, 3 December 1921
The Toiler
Published Weekly by The Toiler Publishing Association, New York City
No. 200, 10 December 1921
The Toiler
Published Weekly by The Toiler Publishing Association, New York City
No. 201, 17 December 1921
The Toiler
Published Weekly by The Toiler Publishing Association, New York City
No. 202, 24 December 1921
The Toiler
Published Weekly by The Toiler Publishing Association, New York City
No. 203, 31 December 1921
The Toiler
Published Weekly by The Toiler Publishing Association, New York City
No. 204, 7 January 1922
The Toiler
Published Weekly by The Toiler Publishing Association, New York City
No. 205, 14 January 1922
The Toiler
Published Weekly by The Toiler Publishing Association, New York City
No. 207, 28 January 1922
The Toiler
Published Weekly by The Toiler Publishing Association, New York City