Finally, the hopelessness of DeLeon’s tactics became obvious.  One faction in the Socialist Labor party, which had been in opposition ever since he assumed command, came out in revolt in 1898.  A fusion took place between it and another socialist group, the so-called Debs-Berger Social Democracy,[78] which took the name of the Social Democratic Party.  Later, at a “Unity Congress” in 1901, it became the Socialist Party of America.  What distinguished this party from the Socialist Labor party (which, although it had lost its primacy in the socialist movement, has continued side by side with the Socialist party of America), was well expressed in a resolution adopted at the same “Unity” convention:  “We recognize that trade unions are by historical necessity organized on neutral grounds as far as political affiliation is concerned.”  With this program, the socialists have been fairly successful in extending their influence in the American Federation of Labor so that at times they have controlled about one-third of the votes in the conventions.  Nevertheless the conservatives have never forgiven the socialists their “original sin.”  In the country at large socialism made steady progress until 1912, when nearly one million votes were cast for Eugene V. Debs, or about 1/16 of the total.  After 1912, particularly since 1916, the socialist party became involved in the War and the difficulties created by the War and retrogressed.

For a number of years DeLeon’s failure kept possible imitators in check.  However, in 1905, came another attempt in the shape of the Industrial Workers of the World.  As with its predecessor, impatient socialists helped to set it afoot, but unlike the Alliance, it was at the same time an outgrowth of a particular situation in the actual labor movement, namely, of the bitter fight which was being waged by the Western Federation of Miners since the middle nineties.

Beginning with a violent clash between miners and mine owners in the silver region of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, in the early nineties, the mining States of the West became the scene of many labor struggles which were more like civil wars than like ordinary labor strikes.

A most important contributing cause was a struggle, bolder than has been encountered elsewhere in the United States, for control of government in the interest of economic class.  This was partly due to the absence of a neutral middle class, farmers or others, who might have been able to keep matters within bounds.

The Western Federation of Miners was an organization of workers in and around the metaliferous mines.  It also included workers in smelters.  It held its first convention in 1893 in Butte, Montana.  In 1894 the men employed in the Cripple Creek, Colorado, gold fields demanded a minimum wage of three dollars for an eight-hour day.  After four months the strike resulted in a victory for the union.  Other strikes occurred in 1896 and 1897 at Leadville, in 1899 in the Coeur d’Alene mining district, and in 1901 at Rossland and Fernie, British Columbia, and also in the San Juan district in California.