Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1888-05-05
UNlONlSTS AND SOCIALISTS.
The Workers of Europe and Their
Projected Congresses.

the English Trades Unions, the
Social al-Democratic fraction of the
German Reichstag were induced to
issue the well-known manifesto ad-
vislng Socialists not TO attend the So
called International Trades Union
Congress to be held at London next
September. This action of the Ger
man deputies caused the Social
Democratic Federation of England
to censure the German deputies.
Last week we printed the Social
Democratic Federation's circular re-
ferrlng to this matter. In order to
show that the German Socialists
could not very well have acted other
wise, they have given the following
letters publicity, In reply to letter
from August Bebel, the import of
which can easily be gathered from
the reply, Mr.. Broadhurst, of the
Parliamentary Committee, wrote:
LONDON, December %, 1887.
DEAR SR;-Your letter dated the 18th
inst. came to. hand some long time after
date, buKs Immediately upon its receipt |
had tl,s Station made and copies of it
sent to Sasa member of this committee
SO far aSl can gather the opinion of
the committee upon your letter, they
agree to your suggestion to translate the
invitation to the proposed congress into
the German language; but with regard
to the standing order containing the con
ditions to be imposed upon all delegates,
they are of opinion that it would be diff
ticult to modify its terms sufficiently to
meet the case put in your letter. Were
they to do SO, they fear that, while it
might in your case meet a genuine neces-
sity, it would so order the basis of rep
resenation that the gathering would
cease TO be Trades Union Congress at
all and would merely be an open confer
ence.
am sure am speaking the mind of
most desirous of doing all in our power
to facilitate the attendance at the pro.
posed congress of all bona fde represent
atives of German Labor, subject of
course, to the conditions of the standing
| order referred to.
We shall be pleased to hear your fur
ther opinion upon this question. In the
meantime, must thank you for your
courteous offer of canceling your pro
posed congress in the event of our ability
to meet your views, Yours truly,
BROADHURST.
The standing order spoken of
provides that delegates to the con-
gress must be members of actual
trades unions, or similar bodies, and
that the expenses Of delegates sent
by them shall not be borne by pri-
vate parties or any body outside of
said trades organizations.
Comrade Weller, of London, was
commissioned by the Social-Demo-
cratic members of the German Reich
stag to enter into correspondence
with Secretary Broadhurst, of the
Parliamentary Committee, in regard
to the admission of German dele
gates. The following letter to Mr..
Weller explains itself;
LONDON, January %, 1888.
| DEAR Mr.. WEnER:-I wrote very
| full account of the statement you made
to me with reference to the position of
the German Trades Unions; and in reply
each member of the committee expressed
himself strongly opposed to any altera-
ton of our standing order in the direc-
ton your friends desire.
Under these circumstances fear | can
do nothing more III the matter | hope,
however your friends will yet make an
effort to get only few societies to COM
ply with the standing order, as we are
anxious to have some German workmen
present at the congress.
Will you Please communicate the con-
| tents of this letter to your friends III
Germany? Yours very truly,
BROADHURsT.
After receiving these letters the
German deputies issued the mani
festo.
A careful comparison of Broad
hurst's two letters will convince our
readers that the German Socialist
fraction acted consistently under the
circumstances. At the same time,
the English Social Democratic FEEDER
alton, if they were not fully IN
formed, may still be charged with
having acted prematurely in sending
out their circular. We are informed