Frederick Krafft
Encyclopedia
Frederick Krafft was an American
socialist political activist and politician
. Twice nominated by the Socialist Party of America
as its candidate for Governor of New Jersey
and twice a candidate for United States Congress
, Krafft is best remembered as the defendant in a 1918 trial for alleged violation of the Espionage Act. Krafft later was the only person convicted under this law to receive a full executive pardon
from President
Woodrow Wilson
.
parents, radical republican "'48ers" who emigrated to America following the abortive German revolutions of 1848
.
During his youth, Krafft studied to become a Christian minister, but the death of his father forced Frederick into the world of business, where he was employed by a life insurance
company for 25 years. Krafft was subsequently the business manager for the New Yorker Volkszeitung
, a German-language socialist daily newspaper located in New York City
.
, Frederick Krafft was a State Secretary of the Socialist Party of New Jersey, the state affiliate of the Socialist Party of America
(SPA). Krafft was a frequent delegate to conventions of the party, including the gatherings held in 1908, 1912, 1917, and 1919.
Krafft was elected to the governing 15 member National Executive Committee (NEC) of the SPA in 1918, although he was unable to participate in its activities until early the next year due to his ongoing legal difficulties.
During the bitter 1919 party split from which emerged the Communist Party of America and the Communist Labor Party of America, Krafft was one of the 7 supporters of the "Regular" faction headed by Executive Secretary Adolph Germer
and NEC member James Oneal
. Krafft was the NEC member who moved for the suspension of the Ohio state organization of the SPA in June 1919 owing to its support of the Left Wing Section headed by Alfred Wagenknecht
and L.E. Katterfeld.
In 1920, Krafft was the nominee of the SPA for Congress in the 6th Congressional District of New Jersey
. He ran again for the same seat in 1924, this time as the nominee of the Progressive Party headed by Robert LaFollette
, an umbrella organization with which the Socialist Party actively participated.
.
In August 1917, Krafft was speaking on a street corner in Newark, New Jersey
. At some point in his talk, soldiers in the crowd began to create a disturbance, causing Krafft to send for the police in an effort to maintain order. Instead of receiving police protection, Krafft was instead arrested for holding a meeting without a permit. These charges were later extended under the 1917 Espionage Act when a complaint was filed by soldiers in the crowd, who accused the socialist agitator of German extraction of attempting to cause insubordination and disloyalty in the armed forces.
During the course of the trial, the government called five witnesses, each of whom told varying accounts of the alleged disloyal speech which Krafft was charged with uttering. The most damning phrases seem to have been "I can't see how the government can compel troops to France" and "if it was up to me, I'd tell them to go to hell." Despite the fact that 12 witnesses were called by the defense to refute the allegation that such words were uttered, and despite Krafft's own protest that Krafft stated under oath that he had actually said very nearly the opposite, the jury returned a verdict of guilty.
Krafft was sentenced to 5 years in federal penitentiary and fined $1,000.
On March 5, 1919, Krafft received a full pardon from President Woodrow Wilson for the 1918 conviction, owing in part to Krafft's pro-war stance at the 1917 Emergency National Convention of the Socialist Party.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
socialist political activist and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. Twice nominated by the Socialist Party of America
Socialist Party of America
The Socialist Party of America was a multi-tendency democratic-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 which had split from the main organization...
as its candidate for Governor of New Jersey
Governor of New Jersey
The Office of the Governor of New Jersey is the executive branch for the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of Governor is an elected position, for which elected officials serve four year terms. While individual politicians may serve as many terms as they can be elected to, Governors cannot be...
and twice a candidate for United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
, Krafft is best remembered as the defendant in a 1918 trial for alleged violation of the Espionage Act. Krafft later was the only person convicted under this law to receive a full executive pardon
Pardon
Clemency means the forgiveness of a crime or the cancellation of the penalty associated with it. It is a general concept that encompasses several related procedures: pardoning, commutation, remission and reprieves...
from President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
.
Early years
Frederick Krafft was born in the United States in 1860. He was the son of GermanGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
parents, radical republican "'48ers" who emigrated to America following the abortive German revolutions of 1848
Revolutions of 1848 in the German states
The Revolutions of 1848 in the German states, also called the March Revolution – part of the Revolutions of 1848 that broke out in many countries of Europe – were a series of loosely coordinated protests and rebellions in the states of the German Confederation, including the Austrian Empire...
.
During his youth, Krafft studied to become a Christian minister, but the death of his father forced Frederick into the world of business, where he was employed by a life insurance
Life insurance
Life insurance is a contract between an insurance policy holder and an insurer, where the insurer promises to pay a designated beneficiary a sum of money upon the death of the insured person. Depending on the contract, other events such as terminal illness or critical illness may also trigger...
company for 25 years. Krafft was subsequently the business manager for the New Yorker Volkszeitung
New Yorker Volkszeitung
New Yorker Volkzeitung was a German language labor daily newspaper which suspended publishing during the Great Depression, in October 1932. At the time it was the only German language daily in the United States and one of the oldest radical left newspapers in the nation...
, a German-language socialist daily newspaper located in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Political career
A longtime resident of RidgefieldRidgefield, New Jersey
There were 4,020 households out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.7% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.2% were non-families. 23.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.8% had someone...
, Frederick Krafft was a State Secretary of the Socialist Party of New Jersey, the state affiliate of the Socialist Party of America
Socialist Party of America
The Socialist Party of America was a multi-tendency democratic-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 which had split from the main organization...
(SPA). Krafft was a frequent delegate to conventions of the party, including the gatherings held in 1908, 1912, 1917, and 1919.
Krafft was elected to the governing 15 member National Executive Committee (NEC) of the SPA in 1918, although he was unable to participate in its activities until early the next year due to his ongoing legal difficulties.
During the bitter 1919 party split from which emerged the Communist Party of America and the Communist Labor Party of America, Krafft was one of the 7 supporters of the "Regular" faction headed by Executive Secretary Adolph Germer
Adolph Germer
Adoph Germer 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 period that the Left Wing Section of the Socialist Party emerged as an organized faction...
and NEC member James Oneal
James Oneal
James "Jim" Oneal , a founding member of the Socialist Party of America , was a prominent socialist journalist, historian, and party activist who played a decisive role in the bitter party splits of 1919-21 and 1934-36.-Early years:...
. Krafft was the NEC member who moved for the suspension of the Ohio state organization of the SPA in June 1919 owing to its support of the Left Wing Section headed by Alfred Wagenknecht
Alfred Wagenknecht
Alfred Wagenknecht was an American Marxist activist and political functionary. He is best remembered for having played a critical role in the establishment of the American Communist Party in 1919 as a leader of the Left Wing Section of the Socialist Party...
and L.E. Katterfeld.
In 1920, Krafft was the nominee of the SPA for Congress in the 6th Congressional District of New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. He ran again for the same seat in 1924, this time as the nominee of the Progressive Party headed by Robert LaFollette
Robert M. La Follette, Sr.
Robert Marion "Fighting Bob" La Follette, Sr. , was an American Republican politician. He served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, was the Governor of Wisconsin, and was also a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin...
, an umbrella organization with which the Socialist Party actively participated.
The 1918 trial
Frederick Krafft is best remembered as the defendant of one of the political trials associated with World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
In August 1917, Krafft was speaking on a street corner in Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
. At some point in his talk, soldiers in the crowd began to create a disturbance, causing Krafft to send for the police in an effort to maintain order. Instead of receiving police protection, Krafft was instead arrested for holding a meeting without a permit. These charges were later extended under the 1917 Espionage Act when a complaint was filed by soldiers in the crowd, who accused the socialist agitator of German extraction of attempting to cause insubordination and disloyalty in the armed forces.
During the course of the trial, the government called five witnesses, each of whom told varying accounts of the alleged disloyal speech which Krafft was charged with uttering. The most damning phrases seem to have been "I can't see how the government can compel troops to France" and "if it was up to me, I'd tell them to go to hell." Despite the fact that 12 witnesses were called by the defense to refute the allegation that such words were uttered, and despite Krafft's own protest that Krafft stated under oath that he had actually said very nearly the opposite, the jury returned a verdict of guilty.
Krafft was sentenced to 5 years in federal penitentiary and fined $1,000.
On March 5, 1919, Krafft received a full pardon from President Woodrow Wilson for the 1918 conviction, owing in part to Krafft's pro-war stance at the 1917 Emergency National Convention of the Socialist Party.
Works
- Now and Then. New York: Socialistic Co-operative Publishing Association, 1901.
- "Shoot to Kill": A Labor Drama in One Act. New York: Co-operative Press, 1905.
- Let the Facts Speak for Themselves: Being a True Record of the Case of Frederick Krafft (Arrested while Speaking under Auspices of County Committee of the Socialist Party of Essex County). Newark, NJ: n.p., n.d. [c. 1917].