The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-02-06
THE BUGBEdR OF EUROPE.
Aims of the International Working.
mems Association.

There being such wide diversity of opinion
in reference to the objects Of this association
we give place to the following answer from
John Hales, general secretary of the Interna
LIonal to the secretary of the Dundee Repub
lican club, who wrote to inquire into the prln.
ciples OF the International:
INTERNATIONAL WoRK1NGMENs ASSOCIATION,
No. 256 HIGH HoLB0RN, LONDON, W. G.
My Dear Sir-I received your letter, and
| have much pleasure In answering 1t, though l
do not consider the association OF which am
the secretary:is under any obligation to defend
itself. The International Is an association
worthy of the support OF every worker, as 1t
represents the interests and aspirations of Ia
bor, aud labor alone. Itlooks upon the human
race as one great family, and seeks to unite
| the workers of all countries In one fraternal
| bond, irrespective of all differences of nation
| ality, language, color, creed or trade, and aims
| at the reconstruction OF society upon
| a labor basis Itconslders that labor Of either
| brain or hand shoul d be the only condition of
citizenship, and claims for every person born
the right to labor and the right to live, upon
| the condition that he or she performs fair
| share vi the labor that may be required by
society. It seeks to substitute realities for
shams, and gives all equal rights based upon,
fraternity OF interests, and guarantees to all
the liberty to live instead OF the liberty to
starve which they now possess. 1t is both po-
lltica and social, and its action depends much
upon the peculiar circumstances and condi-
tion of each country; but it always acts In the
interests Of the working class.
At the present time 1t is actively supporting
the engineers of Newcastle In the struggle for
reduction Of the hours o. labor It Is or
ganlzed upon the federative plan. and each
section or branch has full liberty of action 80
long as nothing Is done antagonislic to the
principles of the association, and may take
up any question 1t may deem calculated to ad-
vance the interests OF Its members, either
national or local, parliamentary or municipal,
political or social. In Belgium, 1t has occu-
pied itself chiefly with the social struggle
against capital; In France, 1t has occupied It.
self with politics; In Germany, on the other
hand, the Two questions have gone hand In
hand, and, while the social question has not
been neglected, the political power has been
utilized, aud four members have been re-
turned to the German Parliament, where they
have bearded Bismarck, and protested against
the stealing OF hsace and Lorraine.
The various Congresses held by the assocIa.
ton of Geneva, Lausanne, Brussels and Basle
discussed and adopted the following points
which may, therefore, be said to form the pro-
gramme of the Internationals:
l. The total abolition of all class rule and all
class privileges.
2. Complete political and social equality Of
both sexes.
3. Naturalization of the land, and Of all the
instruments OF production.
4. A reduction of the hours of labor, so as to
allow more time for Improvement and recre-
alton.
5. Education to be undertaken by the State
to be obligatory, graelitous and secular.
6. Religion to be ignored as being a specu-
lative subject concerning the individual. No
religious differences or creed to be recognized.
7. The substitute of direct system of taxa
tion based upon property Instead OF the pres
ent system OF levying taxation upon Industry;
the taxation to be progressive.
s. The abolition OF Standing armies as being
provocative to war.
9. The adoption of the principle OF the as
sociative production, With view to complete
ly supersede the present system OF capitalist
production.
Other poiuts Of minor interests have been
discussed and likewise adopted, but these are
the principal ones, and think embrace nearly
all for which an agittion can be raised. /
think they are comprehensive. and comprise
all the objects the various democratic and
labor organizations are striving for, and ]
would submit, with all due deferonce, that It
would be wise for you 10 Join, and thus form
part of the most homogeneous and powerful
body yet organized in the interest of the peo-
pie. Hoping to hear from you, remain yours
fraternallv. JOHN HALEs,
General Secretary Internationals.