The Life and Times of James Connolly

an occupation most necessary in our city life, but nevertheless universally despised
by the public opinion of aristocratic Edinburgh.”
Had there been no Unionist, and had the advanced working-class voters been left
free to choose between the revolutionary Social-Democrat and the orthodox Liberal,
Connolly thought, the result would have been highly satisfactory for socialism. But
hundreds of men had cast their votes for Mitchell as the candidate most likely to defeat
the Tory.
He concluded: “They will now have twelve months in which to meditate on the
difference between the Liberal Tweedledee and the Tory Tweedledum, and after having
so meditated they are invited to record the result of their studies at the polling booth on
the first Tuesday of November 1895, if not before.”
Connolly made little of his victory over Gardiner, though it could, in the light of
subsequent history, show that neither in alliance with the Liberals, nor in attempted
isolation, could the Irish nationalists ever again exert influence in Britain. The Labour
alliance had become a necessity. He did, however, explain his insistence on standing as
“Socialist” candidate. He wrote:
“The return of a Socialist candidate does not mean the immediate realisation of even
the programme of palliatives commonly set before the electors. Nay, such
programmes are in themselves a mere secondary consideration of little weight,
indeed, apart from the spirit in which they will be interpreted. The election of a
Socialist to any public body is only valuable in so far as it is the return of a disturber
of the political peace.”
He regarded reforms and the struggle for reform as subordinate to the larger aims of
socialism. But such a struggle was an essential part of achieving socialism, and with this
in view he announced a further electoral effort in the newly instituted Poor Law elections
next year.
Connolly’s circumstances now changed abruptly. Throughout November there was
much organising activity among the labourers. The women’s branch of the S.S.F.
continued to flourish and the Clarion Scouts were founded at the Moulders Hall. But
unemployment increased sharply once again with the opening of what proved one of the
hardest winters of the century. It was customary for the City Cleansing Department to
hire extra men and horses from contractors each year. Inspector McKay decided this
winter to meet the increased work by means of overtime. He engaged no extra men and,
despite the fair wage clause adopted by the Council, he compelled his regular carters to
work ten and eleven hours a day without receiving the statutory overtime rate.
38 | The Life and Times of James Connolly