A Question

Again roots in the workingclass and contribute to Irish socialism, Without activity by the members the leadership will come more -and more to determine party policy.and to turn the party into an electoral-machine,.

But there is still room for optimism abdut the SLP's future, There are plenty of signs of a new ferment in the Irish working-class and.without doubt all the issues discussed atthe conference will be the focus of debate and action both North and South, We have no doubt thatSLP members will be.involved in this activity and will define their activity in relation to tt, It's worth remembering that the SLP is still in advance of other organisations like the Communist Party and Sinn Fein - the Worker's Party, The standing ovation given to Mrs, Green of the Relatives Action Committee, the motions in support of the H-Block prisoners and political status and the condemnation of the of Brian Maguire -:se- show that the mem-~ are determined to fight ssion and give us hope e future contribution of LP to the socialist aent, this by examples taken from He further argued that the history of the_pro-imp- socialists who take up the erialist parties - intern- national question do not ment under De Valera and inevitably end up as repthe repressive laws passed ublicans and gave as an example a debate between Republican News and He said that Connolly Socialist Republic as the was ' grieviously mistaken correct way to put forward in believing that he could the alternative in a consthave stemmed those non- ructive but principled socialist and anti-socialists manner, whom he joined in 1916 in their garderene rush to the flesh pots of the new Irish Socialist Republic belrepublican bourgeois class- ieves that Dr. Browne's ridden society.' He went speech was an illogical and intemperate slander on to suggest that the struggle in the North was a war of republicanism, The between conflicting religiouns same logic could be used and to say that the only way to condemn socialism by to peaceful unity was to examining the history of ‘create a secular pluralist the Irish labour party, society in the Republic! and of which Dr,Browne was La member for many years, that this would lead to a We totally oppose any socialist society. He conclu"socialist ‘condemnation ded, "Irish republicanism bears no relationship what- of republicanism which is ever to any kind of social used by socialists to dodge democracy or socialism the responsibility of opposWing imperialism, that I know of", In the debate that followed our position was given by This said, the speech Brendan Kelly of the MSR has opened up a debate on in a letter to the Irish Times, the national question both On the idea that Connolly inside and outside the SLB had liquidated the socialist We see the debate inside the tradition in 1916 he said, SLP as being of crucial " What a flippent, shameful importance for the future of and ill-considered opinion! that party and hope to contIt was not Connolly who ribute to it, Outside the lowered the socialist stand- SLP all sections of the ard but the leaders of the labour movement have been labour movement who came drawn into debate, even the after him", He went on to wily leadership of Sinn say that workers had an Fein - the workers! party. instinctive belief that the We see this as a discussion severity of their social ills of major importance and we was caused by imperialist will continue to contribute domination. Unless socialists to it.

### OF CULTURE

. The James Connolly Society held it's third meeting of the present session in the leke Glen Hotel. Belfast on Monday T7th Avril. one of the meeting was "Tse need for an Irish WeekingClass Culture} end, like the first two meetings, ("T968-78, Ten Years after the Civil Rights Marches} aod"Imperialism, Way the Frits ere here") there wes a very good ettemience, each meeting averaging about 5C pesple.

The C.lture debate was cpened by a speaker from toc Jaelie Community on tre Shawr Rord, Beivast, who gave a short history of the gevelopment of the Community arid schoul since it's irsention in the late I¢hO's. A genera]. theme ~cthich ran Lhrough this cortribition end su: sequent ones was the sy wbic suppress Lo: i language and milture % 4 rialeism. The Aker notcé that .evetsing this yp ocess would take nany wenerabions.

A speaker frou the "Black } : " obraased yoap stressed the impertan:e of an Irish Wo-king Class Culture. Tie xh :

6 theeugh “Street Th > ina visual marmer, reise people's politsen? SFarerNs to a certaia extent, as had heppeved with the cis Stvtf the Fubitee Show.

Tha third speaker, ,Jcan Kelly of the Socielist Workers Ter.iency, spoke cf the effects Bourgeois Culture nas on the working elass through T.V. Radio ect. This was followed by a lively discussioe from the sttendance ab.thea meeting.

The meetings so far show clearly that the Society has succeeded in it's function of provicing a forms for €iscussion among committed anti-inperial-_ ists, and as the subjects in this session are particularly r-levant to the present struggle, there has been a gradual increase-in the mmber of non-aligned individuals iu atterdance at the meetings.

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a Matt Merrigan of S.L.P,.