The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1872-01-17

doctrines OF that ambitious order. The real In
teruationals aim after Ear more than the average
workingman cares about or can understand. The
resuseitatiOn Of Poland was one Of their great
ideas some years ago and it is even now cherished
as a distinct purpose To undertake such a
scheme is generous, bnt visionary. And it has
no more place in workingmen's endeavoS than
in those OF philanthropists and liberty-lovers Of
all classes. To represent the international So
ciety IS the only true friend Of Poland was an
imposition, and to work for it was only frittering
away the actual power that the Society possessed.
Other plans, laid out by the dreaming philoso-
pliers who write the misty programmes of the
order, are equally impracucable and absurd.
What these are, in their entirety, was seen in the
manifestoes Of the Commune at Paris. The
men who pull the strings Of the international
Society furnished the ideas to the Commune also.
Then they had their opportunity, and we all
know how recklessly they misused it, and how
little capacity they showed FOR the difficult task
Of governing mankind, or even of governing
themselves, The effect Of the mousrous and
sanguinary blunders Of the Commune at Paris
has been to shake of the allegiance Of many Of
the English societies which had formerly sympa-
thized with the lnternaticnals and his knowledge
OF that fact led to the Premers statement which
is undoubtedly true. The English mind is too
practical to follow on the wild-goose chase after
a political millennium which the utopists OF the
Continent-French, German, and Italan-haye
started. There is radical difference between
the English and the continental intellect, which
edectually prevents the cooperation of the two
in working out a universal revolution. The same
is true of the American mind. We do not here
understand the Polish question, or feel deep in
terest in its solution while there are hundred
grievances nearer home that demand redress.
The despotisms of Europe do not touch Us, and
there is no reason why carpenter, or shoemaker,
or blacksmith, any more than any other Amer
lean, should bother himself to dethrone despots
three or four thousand miles away, when bad
rulers in his own city, or State, or nation call tor
his immediate correction. For reasons such as
these, the International Society seems to be re-
Progressing in influence everywhere, excepting in
parts of the Continent of Europe. There it
will still give some trouble to governments by
leaving the sphere Of labor reform pure and
simple, and mixing up in politics, and producing
complications between neighboriug countries
As political antagonist it invites the notice Of
rulers, and must expect to meet with opposition
and with hard treatment. The natural effect of
this would be to promote the secret growth OF the
International - such enterprises usually thriving
on persecution in this age,-but the leaders are
men so little fitted to direct great movement
that they will probably break down under its
weight, or do so many foolish things that all meH
with the least sanity will desert them. Every
failure that they make only sets back the cause
of the workingmen another peg in countries
where the lnternatiOnalists control the labor
movement. This movement all over the world
and in England and the United States particu-
larly, viii thrive in proportion as the workingmen
abstain from separate political organizations, let
theories alone, stop abusing capital and capital
lists, give up strikes, and settle all outstanding
questions by peaceful arbitration. All that the
trades unions have gained in their recent efforts
has been gained by arbitration, while their losses
have been made only through strikes. To make
the arrangements between employers and en-
pIoyed mutually pleasant and satisfactory, no
combination of workingmen into a party is neces-
sary, but on the contrary defeats its own end
Such is the opinion of the workingmen of Alassa-
chusetts, recorded lately in their abandonment
Of the Labor Reform ticket. Such is The
view taken by English artisans in quitting the
active ranks of the international Society,"
7. Journal Of Commerce.