Charles Thomas Stoney (1863-1933): Socialist
It seems fitting that on Election Day, and on this particular Election Day, I write about my Great Grandfather Charles Thomas Stoney. He was a Socialist and often ran for political office. The ticket on the left is from the 1928 election in Utah. No, he didn’t win. He also didn’t win in 1922 or 1926.1
“A Coward and a Traitor”
Charles Thomas Stoney went into the 1928 electionwith a long career as a political activist and, for those opposing his views, as an “agitator.'” In 1917, he was actively opposed to the U.S. involvement in WW I, and he also vocally supported those who were conscientious objectors. This raised the ire of many commentators of the day. In 1917, he was called a “coward and traitor” by a Salt Lake City newspaper.2 In 1924, even he refused to stand for the flag in his hometown of Beaver. Whether 1924 or 2016, this is not acceptable in the eyes of most people. Perhaps, this is why he was never elected to the Senate.
My mother heard the following story when she was growing up:
Charles Thomas was the father of Moiselle Stoney, my maternal grandmother, who married Joseph David Burbidge in 1927. Chief of Police Joseph Edward Burbidge, the father of the groom, did not attend their wedding, because he was hunting for the socialist, Charles Thomas Stoney. Chief Burbidge did not want to arrest anyone during the wedding festivities, especially not the bride’s father, so he just stayed home.
Beloved Family Man and Good Friend
I’ve never been able to locate any documentation about his near arrest. Whether true or not, it represents the intense feelings which his political views and actions raised in his family, especially his brothers and sisters, who lived in Beaver and had to live with their embarrassment. Still, he was beloved by his own children, my grandmother, in particular, and he did have many friends.
One of them was Jack London. Remember Jack? He wrote the Call of the Wild. He was also a well-known socialist. My Great Uncle Claude Stoney told me about the time he stayed at Jack London’s home on a trip to San Francisco. His father, Charles Thomas Stoney, had arranged the visit. If Uncle Claude actually met Jack London, he never said.
Life After the Election? Hopefully.
What does this have to do with the election of today? It reminds me that other times were also very divisive. And it gives me hope that the country will be able to recover from this extremely polarizing election. Finally, and most importantly, just writing this article has kept me away from the news! I’m just afraid that tomorrow will not be the end of any of this craziness. I’ll try and remain hopeful. Now, back to the news watching and finger nail-biting.
And just VOTE!
Footnotes:
- Lawrence Kestenbaum, “Utah: U.S. Senators,” PoliticalGraveyard.com (http://politicalgraveyard.com/geo/UT/ofc/ussen.html : 8 Nov 2016).
- “Why Do We Tolerate Them,” Goodwin’s Weekly (Salt Lake City, Utah), 01 Sept. 1917; digital database and images, Library of Congress, Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers (http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/2010218519/1917-09-01/ed-1/seq-4/ : 8 Nov 2016).