395:
care, and economic security people need and this country can provide. The fundamental cleavages within the two old major parties prevent their effectuating positive programs for achieving full employment, high production levels, and improved living standards. In the
Democratic Party, Senators Wagner and Bilbo are diametrically opposed in outlook and action, and similarly with Morse and Bricker in the Republican Party. The spread of totalitarianism, the danger of a third and atomic war, the virus of religion and racial bigotry and persecution require a political instrument that will enable the people to meet these challenges… These times demand that liberals in all walks of life unite in a new, nation-wide third party that will challenge the unholy alliance of Reactionary Republicans and Southern Tory Democrats now dominating the Congress.
724:
412:
due to their race and color. Davidson called upon
Governor Dewey and the New York legislature to oppose such actions as running counter to public policy. "The Liberal Party will do everything within its power, through education and legislation, to make feasible for persons, no mater of what color,
394:
America needs a third party. Both the
Democratic and Republican parties have repeatedly demonstrated their incapacity to solve the major problems of American life. Both have held political power; yet, under both, large sections of our population have lacked the food, clothing, housing, medical
431:, who lost the Republican primary, joined the Liberal Party and achieved reelection as a Liberal candidate. Davidson served as full-time director of the party throughout this period, retiring in 1977 after 33 years of service. James S. Notaro was a subsequent executive director.
399:
Davidson was a frequent
Liberal spokesperson. Typical issues included speeding laws and foreign policy. Special social issues included housing, welfare, racial equality and civil liberties. For example, in 1947, when the
243:, with whom, fourteen years later, when Berle was security officer of the State Department, I was to have a momentous conversation about Communist espionage. This group of Communists was called the English-speaking branch.
356:
309:" (CTG), the board ruled them out of order. He then helped form a "United Committee to Save the Union" in opposition to CTG control. They also formed a similar "Program Committee."
239:
took over the party in 1929. Today, David
Benjamin is better known by his real name, Ben Davidson, and as an active lieutenant of the chief of the Liberal Party in New York—
699:
305:
In 1929, Wolfe and
Davidson formed the "Progressive Group" among teachers. In 1934, when Davidson and others filed a minority board report that criticized a pro-Communist "
416:
He remained prominent as the
Liberal Party's executive director, as cited in newspapers in 1955 and 1957, when he was quoted as saying "Our own program thinks well" of the
348:
923:
274:. Pressure from Communist members led to a majority of Local 5 to reject this chain of affiliation. Communist members of Local 5 included Mandel, Davidson,
165:
367:. From its start, the Liberal Party was anti-communist. It was Davidson who motioned for the party's creation and name. Other leaders have included:
943:
459:
Davidson married Eve
Chambers (Communist Party name "Eve Dorf") in the 1920s. They had two children, Karla Davidson Feitelberg and John Davidson.
933:
574:
913:
938:
928:
427:
in the State of New York. The last and most successful power play of the
Liberal Party occurred in 1969 when incumbent Republican mayor
948:
231:
Eve
Chambers and her husband have long been out of the Communist Party. They were expelled as "incurable right-wing deviationists and
645:
267:
878:
635:
793:
471:
336:
255:
818:
173:
501:
313:
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908:
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875:: Letter, 1955 Nov. 29, (New York, N.Y.), George S. Counts, Ben Davidson, to Joseph A. De Laine, Sr. (New York, N.Y.)
869:: Letter, 1955 Nov. 29, (New York, N.Y.), George S. Counts, Ben Davidson, to Joseph A. DeLaine, Sr. (New York, N.Y.)
772:"Letter, 1955 Nov. 29, (New York, N.Y.), George S. Counts, Ben Davidson, to Joseph A. De Laine, Sr. (New York, N.Y.)"
750:"Letter, 1955 Nov. 29, (New York, N.Y.), George S. Counts, Ben Davidson, to Joseph A. DeLaine, Sr. (New York, N.Y.)"
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race, religion, or creed, to be eligible to live in any housing project with benefits from tax exemption."
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recalled further details in his memoir. Among the first people he met when he joined the Communist front
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In 1946, he partook in a newspaper debate, "Does American Need A Third Party?" in which he said:
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872:
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The Liberal Party was important in New York from the 1940s through the 1960s, thanks to
526:
511:
405:
368:
344:
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892:
637:
Reds at the Blackboard: Communism, Civil Rights, and the New York City Teachers Union
521:
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In 1935, Davidson left the Teachers Union and became a founding organizer of the
372:
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49:
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35:
247:
Davidson, he recalled, advised him against using his real name in the Party.
271:
213:"After college he taught social studies in schools in Manhattan," wrote
462:
Eve Chambers Davidson died in Los Angeles on May 8, 2009, aged 108.
640:. Columbia University Press. pp. 12–14, 22, 27, 30, 49, 322.
506:
69:
575:"Ben Davidson, 90, a Co-Founder Of the Liberal Party in New York"
613:
357:
United Hatters, Cap and Millinery Workers International Union
270:, which in turn was affiliated with the Soviet-dominated
262:
created a "Special Research Group," affiliated with the
698:
Ben, Davidson; J. Kenneth Bradley (15 August 1946).
197:
in 1901. He began his undergraduate studies at the
135:
127:
113:
102:
94:
86:
76:
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56:
42:
28:
21:
227:in 1925 were Davidson and his wife. He wrote:
250:By 1923, he was a member of the New York City
608:. New York: Random House. pp. 203, 206.
312:Also in 1929, Mandel and Davidson formed the
8:
629:
627:
625:
623:
443:, California. He died of complications from
439:At the time of his death, Davidson lived in
349:International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union
794:"Liberal Party Backs Wagner for N.Y. Mayor"
849:"Liberal Party of New York State, Records"
674:"Liberal Party of New York State, Records"
363:. Many had done so to break away from the
166:International Ladies Garment Workers Union
18:
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881:: Letter to Davidson from U.S. Senator
705:. The Patriot and Free Press (Cuba, NY)
548:
668:
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924:Liberal Party of New York politicians
209:Teaching and Anti-Stalinist Communism
7:
819:"Obituaries: July 31-August 6, 2009"
174:Cloth Hat, Cap and Millinery Workers
700:"Does American Need A Third Party?"
573:Lambert, Bruce (22 December 1991).
156:State with fellow teacher unionist
14:
268:Red International of Labor Unions
266:, itself recently created by the
264:Educational Workers International
449:Guardian Rehabilitation Hospital
944:University of Pittsburgh alumni
472:American Federation of Teachers
337:Liberal Party of New York State
934:Politicians from New York City
774:. University of South Carolina
752:. Civil Rights Digital Library
1:
914:Deaths from myasthenia gravis
730:. New York Post. 20 July 1947
335:In 1944, Davidson formed the
873:University of South Carolina
867:Civil Rights Digital Library
799:. Labor Action. 29 July 1959
725:"Flays Bias in U.N. Housing"
604:Chambers, Whittaker (1952).
502:Communist Party (Opposition)
314:Communist Party (Opposition)
148:(1901–1991) was an American
122:Communist Party (Opposition)
939:Politicians from Pittsburgh
929:National Book Award winners
402:Metropolitan Life Insurance
965:
949:Columbia University alumni
323:. He appeared before the
854:. New York Public Library
679:. New York Public Library
634:Taylor, Clarence (2011).
517:Liberal Party of New York
381:Donald Szantho Harrington
331:Liberal Party of New York
193:Ben Davidson was born in
154:Liberal Party of New York
118:Liberal Party of New York
107:Liberal Party of New York
885:dated May 10, 1956 (PDF)
307:Classroom Teachers Group
225:Workers Party of America
199:University of Pittsburgh
397:
327:on November 28, 1940.
325:Rapp-Coudert Committee
245:
201:and finished them at
392:
229:
131:Eve Chambers Davidson
883:Richard L. Neuberger
410:Peter Copper Village
404:Company for barring
365:American Labor Party
90:politician, educator
879:Columbia University
377:Timothy W. Costello
373:Adolf A. Berle, Jr.
219:in his obituary.
203:Columbia University
152:who co-founded the
81:Columbia University
16:American politician
909:American activists
579:The New York Times
487:Whittaker Chambers
447:, aged 90, at the
221:Whittaker Chambers
216:The New York Times
445:myasthenia gravis
359:, and theologian
176:, and theologian
143:
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109:(1944–1977)
95:Years active
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919:American sailors
863:
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842:External sources
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537:Reinhold Niebuhr
451:in Los Angeles.
425:electoral fusion
420:administration.
361:Reinhold Niebuhr
290:, Sarah Golden,
254:, Local Union 5
178:Reinhold Niebuhr
68:David Benjamin (
65:Other names
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477:Benjamin Mandel
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429:John V. Lindsay
408:personnel from
385:James S. Notaro
333:
321:Teachers' Guild
260:Benjamin Mandel
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114:Political party
98:1925–1977
77:Alma mater
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825:. 29 July 2009
823:Jewish Journal
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406:United Nations
369:John L. Childs
345:David Dubinsky
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296:Abraham Zitron
252:Teachers Union
241:Adolf A. Berle
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162:David Dubinsky
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522:George Counts
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497:Lovestoneites
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482:Bertram Wolfe
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455:Personal life
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341:George Counts
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300:Isadore Begun
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292:Clara Reibert
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276:Bertram Wolfe
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233:Lovestoneites
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158:George Counts
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87:Occupation(s)
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51:
46:December 1991
45:
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37:
31:
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856:. Retrieved
827:. Retrieved
822:
813:
801:. Retrieved
788:
776:. Retrieved
766:
754:. Retrieved
744:
732:. Retrieved
719:
707:. Retrieved
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681:. Retrieved
651:. Retrieved
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582:. Retrieved
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146:Ben Davidson
145:
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23:Ben Davidson
904:1999 deaths
899:1901 births
284:Rae Ragozin
235:" when the
57:Nationality
50:Los Angeles
893:Categories
543:References
492:Jack Hardy
288:Jack Hardy
280:Jacob Lind
258:. There,
237:Stalinists
195:Pittsburgh
189:Background
150:politician
36:Pittsburgh
532:Alex Rose
353:Alex Rose
272:Comintern
184:Biography
170:Alex Rose
858:19 April
829:19 April
803:18 April
778:18 April
756:18 April
734:19 April
709:19 April
683:19 April
653:19 April
614:52005149
584:18 April
466:See also
136:Children
103:Employer
60:American
606:Witness
355:of the
347:of the
172:of the
164:of the
644:
612:
418:Wagner
383:, and
379:, Dr.
375:, Dr.
298:, and
128:Spouse
852:(PDF)
797:(PDF)
728:(PDF)
703:(PDF)
677:(PDF)
507:CPUSA
435:Death
339:with
70:CPUSA
860:2013
831:2009
805:2013
780:2013
758:2013
736:2013
711:2013
685:2013
655:2013
642:ISBN
610:LCCN
586:2013
43:Died
32:1901
29:Born
256:AFT
895::
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663:^
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72:)
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