Robert Knight was a miner, a Socialist, and a writer whose many talents were taken form our class far too soon.

‘Robert Knight, Rebel’ from The International Socialist Review. Vol. 14 No. 9. March, 1914.

Robert Knight, one of the most active workers in the American Socialist and labor movement, died January 31st, at the Deaconess Hospital, while attending the convention of the United Mine Workers as a delegate from Colorado.

The visiting committee appointed by the Socialist Party Local, of Indianapolis, called daily to see Comrade Knight during his illness, to offer their services. On the day before his death, the Committee left the hospital with the assurance that Comrade Knight was improving and would soon be able to bear arms again in the great Cause of Labor. His death on Thursday came as a great shock to them, and to the many friends who have for years fought side by side with Comrade Knight in his ceaseless efforts to educate and aid his own class.

Comrade Knight was President of Local 995 of the U.M.W. of A. He was born thirty-four years ago and spent his childhood in southern Indiana. He left school at an early age to help support the family, and, as he said, “worked at almost every job that employs unskilled labor.” From 1900 to 1907 he followed railroad construction work and caught the spirit of revolt that is growing so fast among proletarians the world over.

In 1907 he began studying Socialist literature and organized the first Socialist party local in his hometown—St. Croix, Indiana. The ignorance of the native people and their prejudices against Socialism, stirred up by scarcely less ignorant Catholic leaders, resulted in the assassination of Robert Knight’s oldest brother, and the family was forced to leave the town to save their lives.

They located in Longmont, Colorado, where Comrade Knight organized the Socialist local. Comrade Knight has been for some years a speaker of marked power and ability. Two years ago he toured the country as one of the Party National Lyceum Lecturers.

Readers of the Review will miss an old friend in losing his contributions from the REVIEW. write up the U.M.W. of A. Convention for the March issue. He gave us the story of the Nine Sharpshooters which appeared in the February number, about which we have received scores of letters the past few weeks.

Robert Knight sprung from the rank and file of labor. Many times the love and trust of his fellow-workers for him was so great that they would have gladly lifted him to a position of what men calla greater distinction, but he preferred to remain in the ranks and fight. This was sufficient honor for him.

Comrade Knight never trimmed his sails to catch the breeze of any popular delusion. Modestly, quietly, faithfully he worked—asking no better than the poorest of his comrades received.

Greater than this can be said of no man: He was always faithful to the interests of the Working Class!

The International Socialist Review (ISR) was published monthly in Chicago from 1900 until 1918 by Charles H. Kerr and critically loyal to the Socialist Party of America. It is one of the essential publications in U.S. left history. During the editorship of A.M. Simons it was largely theoretical and moderate. In 1908, Charles H. Kerr took over as editor with strong influence from Mary E Marcy. The magazine became the foremost proponent of the SP’s left wing growing to tens of thousands of subscribers. It remained revolutionary in outlook and anti-militarist during World War One. It liberally used photographs and images, with news, theory, arts and organizing in its pages. It articles, reports and essays are an invaluable record of the U.S. class struggle and the development of Marxism in the decades before the Soviet experience. It was closed down in government repression in 1918.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/isr/v14n09-mar-1914-ISR-riaz-ocr.pdf