MIA: History: USA: Publications: The National Ripsaw (1903-1918)
The National Ripsaw
1903-1918
St. Louis, 1903-1918
The National Rip-Saw was a monthly tabloid newspaper published in St. Louis, Missouri. The paper was launched early in 1903, although issues prior to 1908 have apparently not survived.
The publication was edited by Seth McCallen (pseudonym Col. Dick Maple). McCallen, who lived variously in Jacob, Illinois and Nashville, Tennessee, was one of the most reprehensible and vile racists in the history of the Socialist Party of America and a number of articles in the issues from 1908 sound as if they were written by an unreconstructed Ku Klux Klan member. After McCallen-Maple suffered a severe stroke in 1909, publisher Phil Wagner seems to have taken over the editor’s chair and attenuated the racist bilge considerably. The publication is filled with adds for patent medicine, bizarre electro-magnetic medical devices, and other pharmacological bunkum and resembles Wilshire’s Magazine in size and feel.
In later years the publication was closely associated with Katherine and Frank O’Hare, joined on the staff by Eugene V. Debs for several years during the 1910s.
The National Rip-Saw supported the Socialist Party’s anti-militarist program even after American entry into World War I in 1917. It lost its mailing privileges for political reasons in 1918 and terminated publication.
Tim Davenport
Corvallis, OR
July 2019
1908
Vol. 4, No. 7, September, 1908
Vol. 4, No. 10, December, 1908
1909
Vol. 5, No. 60, February, 1909
Vol. 6, No. 67, September, 1909
Vol. 6, No. 69, November, 1909
Vol. 6, No. 70, December, 1909
Issues for 1910 through 1913 are not available at this time. Starting here we are listing issue numbers by their whole number. Issues that were improperly photographed for the microfilm are denoted in the file name with "DEFECTIVE".
1914
Volume 10, January, No. 111, 1914
Volume 10, February, No. 112, 1914
Volume 11, March, No.121 , 1914
Volume 11, April, No. 122, 1914
Volume 11, June, No. 124, 1914
Volume 11, July, No. 125, 1914
Volume 11, August, No. 126, 1914
Volume 11, September, No. 127, 1914
Volume 11, October, No. 128, 1914
Volume 11, November, No. 129, 1914
Volume 11, December, No. 130, 1914
1915
Volume 11, January, No. 131, 1915
Volume 11, February, No. 132, 1915
Volume 12, March, No. 133, 1915
Volume 12, March, No. 133 (part 2), 1915
Volume 12, April, No. 134, 1915
Volume 12, June, No. 136, 1915
Volume 12, July, No. 137, 1915
Volume 12, August, No. 138, 1915
Volume 12, September, No. 139, 1915
Volume 12, October, No. 140, 1915
Volume 12, November, No. 141, 1915
Volume 12, December, No. 142, 1915
1916
Volume 13, January, No. 143, 1916
Volume 13, February, No. 144, 1916
Volume 13, March, No. 145, 1916
Volume 13, April, No. 146, 1916
Volume 13, June, No. 148, 1916
Volume 13, July, No. 149, 1916
Volume 13, August, No. 150, 1916
Volume 13, September, No. 151, 1916
Volume 13, October, No. 152, 1916
Volume 13, November, No. 153, 1916
Volume 13, December, No. 154, 1916
1917
Volume 13, January, No. 155, 1917
Volume 13, February, No. 156, 1917
Volume 14, March, No. 157, 1917
Volume 14, April, No. 158, 1917
Volume 14, June, No. 160, 1917
Volume 14, August, No. 162, 1917
Volume 14, September, No. 163, 1917
Volume 14, October, No. 164, 1917
Volume 14, November, No. 165, 1917
Volume 14, December, No. 166, 1917
Last updated on 23 December 2020