Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1888-04-28

INTERNATIONAL TRADES.
The Social. Democratic Federation ON
the Forthcoming international
Congress.

Trade Union Congress to be held in
England this year. The German
Socialists, having been refused rep
resentation, advised against attend
ing this congress in view of the So
ciallst Internal onal Congress pro
jected for next year:
70 orr ComddeS, the Scout Democrats
Of all Countries.
CITIZENS Our friends allies. and com
rades of the SOcial-DemOCrati Section
Of the German Reichstag have recently
issued manifesto to the workers of all
countries concerning forthcoming Inter
national Trade Union Congress which is
to be held in London next November.
The Parliamentary Committee Of the
English Trade Unions, acting as on
precedent Of more than. twenty years
standing, having refused to admit to the
International Trade Union Congress other
than Trade Unto lsts representing Trade
Unions, our comrades in the German
Reichstag entreat the workingssclasses of
all countries not to attend the Congress
in question. We regret that our Ger
man friends did not think titTto consult
us before issuing such Il manifesto and
thus assuming the responsibility Of inter
fering with an important and promising
movement. We are the militant advo-
Gates of Social Democracy in England;
we have proved our devotion to the
cause by the risks we have incurred and
the sacrifices we have made; it Is also IN
a great measure owing to uretiortS That
the leaders of English Trade Cnlonism
have been so far forced forward as TO
convoke this International Trade Union
Congress ut all Being on the spot and
engaged daily in the struggle, we are
surely better able to Judge AS to what
are the best tactics to pursue than any
outside bodies. however able and ener-
getc they may be. We uuiteagre that
the attitude of the Parliamentary Com
mittee of the English Trade Unions lis
not worthy of body claiming to repre-
sent workingmen and having at heart
the real interests of their class" We
will add for the information OF our Ger
man friends that there are some mem
bers of the Parliamentary Committee
who have striven hard to prevent our
International Trade Union Congress ever
being held, and who would only be too
pleased if the forthcoming congress
should prove a failure. The Social
Democratic Section of the German Reich
stag, by entreating the workingmen not
to attend the Lond,n Congress, is I'M
consciously playing into the hands Of
these traitors to the cause of the work
erS.
For many years we have been seeking
to convert English Trade Onionists to
Social Democracy and we look forward
10 the forthcoming Trade Union Con-
gress as an unique opportunity Of car
rying our doctrines into the very centre
of our opponents camp. We therefore
earnestly counsel our comrades OF all
nations to urge upon the Trade Societies
of their respective countries to send rep
resentatives to the English Congress
The English Trade Unionists must learn
by the example of the workers OF the
Continent that under normal conditions
it is precisely the best Trade unionists
who are the most sincere Socialists.
As the Social Democratic Federation
of England is not technical trade socle-
ty. but social and political Revolutionary
party. it cannot itself. as such, partlcl-
nate in the international Trade Union
Congress any more than the deputies OF
the German ReiChstag, who represent
the political party of the Social. Demo
Gratis of Germany. We must both stand
aside; but surely we ought both to help
10y every means in our power those who
on platform which is not our own, are
nevertheless fighting our battle.
1t is most essential for the success OF
our work of Socialist propaganda IN
England that the workers OF the CONT
nent should make an imposing demon
stration on this occasion. This will be
best done by sending delegates to Lon
don who. by their numbers, and the
varieties of countries and trade societies
they represent will produce deep i'm
preston on the Trade Unionists of this
country. The foreign delegates, by
steadily advocating in scientific manner
free from wild, violent defamation but
strong in the earnestness that arises from
knowledge and deep convictiOn-social-
istic solutions for the problems discussed
will accomplish great education; will
dispel the prejudices against foreigners
engendered in the minds of English arti-
Fans by our capitalist press; and will
materially assist us in breaking through
the reactionary resistance of some among
the Trade Unions of this country.
We appeal, therefore, to our socialist
friends of all countries-and especially
To our German comrades-to assist us iii
this great work. The more unworthy
the English Trade Unionist leaders may
seem to our friends the more necessary
it is for them TO help in spreading among
the rank and file of Trade Unionism a
true knowledge of Socialism.
With Sncial-DemOcratic greetings for