A valued comrades of the Syracuse Socialist Labor Party, the iron molder and union leader Patrick Walsh, dies in 1902.

‘In Memoriam, Patrick Walsh’ from The People. Vol. 2 No. 95. January 11, 1902.

To the DAILY and WEEKLY PEOPLE. Capitalism claims another victim of our class by removing from among our ranks one of the ablest men of our Section by the death of Patrick Walsh. He was born in this city on March 6, 1861, and at an early age learned the iron moulders’ trade. He traveled through several Western States, finally coming back to this city. For fifteen years he had been an employee of the Straight Line Engine Company of this city. About two years ago, on account of failing health, he was compelled to leave the trade. Since then he has not worked very much; he did try to peddle milk, but it was no use, he had to give it up. He was a prominent member of the Iron Molders’ Union of this city, and at one time its president. He was also treasurer of the same union. He was one of the oldest members of our S.L.P. Section, and a fearless agitator for the principles of Socialism, and he was one of the first in this city to champion the S.T. & L.A. He died on Jan. 6, and was buried in the family plot at Skaneateles, N.Y., yesterday.

A special meeting of Section Onondaga County was held on Jan. 8 to take suitable action. The enclosed resolutions were adopted and ordered published in the official organ of the S.L.P.

The Section members at the funeral were: James Bateman, D.A. Scannell, Joseph Farrar, Fred H. Joss, Gustave Strebel. John M. Grady, Ernest Sander. Comrade Strebel made a few remarks at the grave. The Section sent a beautiful Arm and Hammer Button of red and white carnations. Among those he leaves to mourn his loss besides the S.L.P. are his wife and family, also his father and three sisters.

PRESS COM. of the S.L.P. Syracuse, N.Y., Jan. 9.

Whereas, The grim destroyer has taken from our midst our friend and comrade, Patrick Walsh, and

Whereas, We have ever found him loyal, constant, and self-sacrificing as a friend, earnest as a co-worker for the emancipation of his class from the thralldom of wage-slavery, finding him always able and willing as a counsellor, and his life has been a standard worthy of emulation, and

Whereas, We shall miss him whom we have learned to respect and esteem for his nobleness of mind, the breadth and elevation of this thought, and his rigid adherence to principle, therefore, be it

Resolved, That we, the members of Section Onondaga, of the Socialist Labor Party, in session assembled, recognize it as our duty toward the members of our class and continue to strive for the accomplishment of the Socialist Republic. Let us, therefore, take up the work with renewed zeal, so that the labor of our departed comrade shall not have been in vain, and

Resolved, That we hold his memory among us as an example of unselfish devotion to family and friends, and for his self-sacrificing efforts to improve the material condition of the working class, and be it further

Resolved, That we extend our sincere sympathy to his wife and family, who remain to mourn his loss, and be it further

Resolved, That the charter of this organization be draped for the period of thirty days, and that a copy of these resolutions be sent to the family and our Party organs and also placed in the minutes of this Section.

JAMES TRAINOR, JOHN E. GEARY, GEORGE KLEINHAUS, WALTER SWEIZER, ERNEST SANDER, Committee.

New York Labor News Company was the publishing house of the Socialist Labor Party and their paper The People. The People was the official paper of the Socialist Labor Party of America (SLP), established in New York City in 1891 as a weekly. The New York SLP, and The People, were dominated Daniel De Leon and his supporters, the dominant ideological leader of the SLP from the 1890s until the time of his death. The People became a daily in 1900. It’s first editor was the French socialist Lucien Sanial who was quickly replaced by De Leon who held the position until his death in 1914. Morris Hillquit and Henry Slobodin, future leaders of the Socialist Party of America were writers before their split from the SLP in 1899. For a while there were two SLPs and two Peoples, requiring a legal case to determine ownership. Eventual the anti-De Leonist produced what would become the New York Call and became the Social Democratic, later Socialist, Party. The De Leonist The People continued publishing until 2008.