Connolly in Colorado during his 1902 tour.

‘James Connolly in Pueblo’ by William C. Knight from the Daily People. Vol. 6 No. 331. December 12, 1902.

Irish Agitator Speaks in “the Pittsburg of the West.”

Pueblo, Colo., Nov. 29. James Connolly the comrade from “Ould Ireland” has come and gone, and if the apathetic or indifferent wage-slaves have learned nothing else, they have learned that the despicable and detestable lie of the Socialist (?) Party that we are not international socialists is a lie of the whole cloth.

But to say that they learned nothing else would be a serious error, for two hundred workingmen listened to Comrade Connolly tell of the political and economic conditions in Ireland, pointing out to them in a clear and concise manner, the class-struggle that is being waged there the same as here, and in every other civilized capitalist-nation in the world. He showed that there is a master class all over the world, who by virtue of their ownership of the means of production and distribution and the natural resources of production are able to keep the working class in subjection. That the greatest power the master class uses against the workers was the political power, in other words, the government. That it made no difference to the workers whether he was called capitalist or landlord; aristocrat or plutocrat, his essential quality was the robbing of the worker of the fruits of labor. Furthermore, he pointed out to the workingmen that it makes no difference whether the robber is Irish, American, Jew or German or any other nationality; a robber he is and robber he will remain so long as the workingmen give to him the political power by their votes; that no race, creed or color; no religion, politics or philosophy was known to divide them or curb them in the making of profits.

Connolly closed with a rigorous call on the workingmen in America, Irish and otherwise, to ally themselves under the banner of the fighting Socialist Labor vote its ticket, as the only means of emancipating themselves from wage-slavery. He called their attention to the fact that it was the only political party in the field that had stood consistently by the interests of the workers, that had never fused or compromised and above all the only organization that taught the workingman and believed that he as able and could emancipate himself.

Although Section Pueblo would like to have given Comrade Connolly a heartier reception and have had a larger number of workingmen to hear him, we feel that with the time and means we had at our disposal and the indifferent and over-worked wage-slaves to work on our efforts, such as they have been, will not come amiss. Among those who were present we hope to gain some who will make sturdy strong workers for the Socialist Labor Party. We gave Comrade Connolly eleven subs to the “Workers’ Republic,” and we may possibly get some more in the future.

Awake ye wage slaves, cast off the superstition of your own incapability. Arise to the dignity of men, confident in your own ability to wield the powers of government for the freedom of our men, women and children from the misery, destitution and degradation of this damn- able capitalist system of production. Let us say, “Goodspeed” to Comrade Connolly and when he comes again, if ever, let it be under the banner of the Socialist Republic.

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.