August Palm was a central figure in the history of Swedish Socialism and a partisan of its left wing. Here he arrives in the United States. Invited by the Swedish section of the Socialist Labor Party, who published ‘Arbeteran,’ Palm would write a book about his experiences in the U.S., Ögonblicksbilder från en tripp till Amerika (Snapshots from a Trip to America), published in 1901.

‘August Palm: The Swedish Socialist Agitator Arrives’ from The Weekly People. Vol. 10 No. 26. September 22, 1900.

Visit to the Headquarters of the Socialist Labor Party–Appearance of the Man–Interview With Him Thoroughgoing Organization of the Swedish Labor Forces–Understands America.

August Palm, the inspired apostle of Sweden, visited the headquarters of the Socialist Labor Party at 2-6 New Reade street, where also is located the “Arbetaren,” the Swedish socialist paper of this country.

Palm is a tailor by profession, is of middle height, and middle age, and of a rugged frame. His face, seemingly impassive in repose, quickly lights up in conversation. In an interview, which he granted the DAILY PEOPLE, he grew quickly animated, witty and brilliant. On the platform he must be an effective speaker.

Palm’s experience at the very threshold of the nation, brought him quickly in contact with the special and peculiar aspect which the Labor Movement of America presents just now. He had speedy occasion to become acquainted with labor fakirism. At the threshold of the nation he was met by the Commissioner of Immigration who raised objections to his landing on the ground of his being a Socialist. This commissioner is Mr. T.V. Powderly, once the Grand Master Workman of an order based on the principle of the Brotherhood of Man and on the Socialist principle of the public ownership of the means of production. This one-time labor leader, holding a job under the capitalist government, and ready to keep out a visitor on the ground of his being a speaker for the only, and recognizedly so, genuine movement for the salvation of the working class, such a sight was assuredly ample introduction to the peculiar feature of the Labor Movement here. The subject opened the conversation with August Palm, who was asked as to the movement in Sweden. He said: “We have a political organization and an economic organization in Sweden. The former is exclusively for political activity, the latter exclusively for eco- nomic activity. But the membership of the latter is thoroughly Socialist, and works hand in hand with the political organization. They elect delegates to a central council and jointly deliberate.” “What would you do in Sweden,” he was asked, “with a union that elects officers who act with the parties of the capitalists?”

Palm looked surprised and said: “Such n union does not exist.” “Suppose it did exist?” “Impossible to suppose it.”

“Would you think that, if a body of workingmen were to come up, whose officers led it regularly to the shambles of capitalism, denied the class struggle and taught that the correct policy was to ‘fight capital with capital.’–would you think that such a body was a union?”

“Surely not.”

“Would you bow down before the scab concern?”

“No.”

“Would you think it wrong to build up a bona fide organization, and smash those scab aiders of the capitalist class?” “Indeed not. Such a body can only be set up by capitalist interests for capitalist interests, and kept in line by labor Judases.”

Palm was then told of the situation in America. But before he had heard many words he broke in with a merry twinkle in his eye and a bright expression in his solid intellectual face. He said: “We are not as stupid as we look. We in Sweden are well informed on American affairs. We get the “Arbetaren” regularly and read it carefully. Besides we receive the DAILY PEO PLE and its weekly edition and also papers from England. These are given to a corps of translators who put into Swedish all local affairs. We know exactly the situation of the Labor Movement here. We know all about those absurd things called ‘pure and simple unions,’ also about the founding and magnificent work of the Socialist Trade and Labor Alliance. We are posted on the late struggle of the Socialist Labor Party and its glorious triumph over reaction and corruption in its ranks. We feel proud of our American comrades.”

It was unnecessary to say more to our Socialist visitor. He is the first foreigner we have seen here who understood the situation with the American Movement.

Palm will make a tour of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, Pennsylvania before election day, visiting all the locals where there are large numbers of Swedish workers. After the election he will tour the West. Palm’s first appearance in public will be next Sunday at Ridgewood Park where the Scandinavian Socialist Labor Party Sections are to hold a picnic.

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.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/the-people-slp/000922-weeklypeople-v10n26.pdf