The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1871-02-25
rHEINTERNAT1oNALIN BELGIUM
b @. OSBORN WARD.

erhdClonal hsSOciaIioh OF w Orklngmen
re occult and mysterious, only percep- Z
ible to the uninitiated by an occaional '
'pasmOdic Observation-Disclosures new {
'et-screw for the wrench of political OPP
Dression-if | say, they are fittul and
'menous in Austria, they are the reverse
n little, beautiful Belgium, the hive
Of Continental Industries. Belgium
and England are like twins-the freest
cosiest and most tolerant representative
the world ever owned, vet
true TO the nature of bourgeois democra-
cies, they inherit all the entailments of
monopohstic aggression, communities
OF the inordinately rich and the oppress-
ed poor.
Yet with the prerOgativc of political
organization, the workingmen's move-
ment ''marches boldly in the open air. J"
On my first visit to Belgium | was I'M
able to find more than the Cooperative
stores and banks Of Brussels, Antwerp,
Liege, and Verviers. with such men as
Lehrcns and Rudolph at their head; but
last summer, on my return, the Inter
nationals had already obtained 80 as
tonishing foOthOld as to have actual
ly absorbed much Of the old movement
into itself. The character of this live.
society III Belgium, is far from litter
toward other labor movement. On the
contrary. it seeks to incorporate them
into itself The principal men at the
root, are Dcpape, Brismee, Hlntz, Dave,
lie Parck and DclOuart.
4 While was at Brussels an invitation
was sent me to attend the National
Congress, At Charleroi, and compagnon
Hintz accompanied me. Nothing but
peep into a Belgian International
Congress can afford the stranger an
adequate idea Of the true extent Of the
Industrial movement all over the king
dom. We arrived in time to attend
the opening Parlcy Of the Congress,
and their American guest was receiv-
ed with precisely the same cordially a.
the rest The Congress exhibited 4
peculiar fraternity which does not exist
III any other labor organization. A.
long as there is a resident member 81
the International within FIVE miles, no.
tells, may go without guests They
collect around you with a profusion Of
bienvenUes, and il YOU modestIy suggest
a hotel, they pick you up in their arm
and carry you there. But it is hotc
Of their own. The great fraternity j,
intrlnsIcally an enemy to hotels. They
are styled ''the bourgeois shavinl
shops" | found it impossible to spenC
money Al Charleroi. My evening
were happily and prohtably spent. w,
used to gather together in knots CT fit,
and cha' our experiences over at thu
house Of some COmpagnon, even to tn
small hours Of the night. The Con
grrss wa, indeed, a Protracted enthu
siasm.
Some PSI sections of the Information
.pr- t'. y ... ta-
'a- A-. -...-- -.t-r,n.. ..t
a-f mt 2 |. | .iujz ami g. ~,
guruuu, tne international uIvIuvs Itar,
into departments.
ISt. The trades unions Of the Hon
iHerS belges Belgian coal mines) Of foul
basins. (Bassin ia Charleroi. du Cen
ire, de Lioge, and du Borrinagc.) II
these departments t miners have 81
sections or trade unions representa-.
$4,000 members, most Of which haC
delegates at the Congress. The trade
unions Of Belgium amalgamate will
the International, their interests being
identical.
End. The departments Of the iron
workers. These are most numeI on,
about Lcige and Vcrvieers, and sec
tons are being establ shed at Mon,
and Maubeu &c on The French frontier
81. The department Of tho spinncrs
and weavers, including the lace makers
The organizations most active Of these
trades are at Bruges, Antwerp, Gand,
and all along the northeastern limits OF
Belgium. a peculiar feeling Of sym
patty and kindness il the result Of the
amalgamatiOn of these trades societies
with the International, and, indeed,
their creation has been greatly acccler-
aled since this reciprocity commenced,
and naturally SO; since withC the
backing Of powerful organizations
they were formerly defeated and brok-
en- up by the counter-co-operatiOn OF
the masters. | am cOnsclenciously con
vinced that any effort for self help these
poor people may make, is perfectly JUS
tiiable in morality; for their con
dit on j., indeed, miserable The wages
Of coal miners average from IS to 80
cents per day Of y hours for lace
max tors, 40 cents mechanics, 80 cents
10 one dollar Rents and provisions are.
however, very cheap in Belgium.
was informed that there are a few
sections of women in the International
Of Belgium, but they were not repre-
scented at the Congress. The weavers
were represented to the number ~