New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-10
WHAT THEN ?
THE SOCIAL REVOLUTION ACHIEVED

From Leisui o,D ~ the last of the terrible days
Of the social war in Paris ~ tbe houses For three
SUI Ssys tbe little soldiers of the line and the
Ouve aueous 6na D o o9e aSd the oher
now Law peaceabIy side by side -, ..,...,
But this time It was the peSp o 5 fbe Hotel DO
vile the Bank Of France, all pubic 1uIaings wero
in their hands Capitalist aa sdsapppeRred many killed
Ia the conflict Others massacIed IN cqu paoCu anu
those who we're not in eoncealment had nea Hom
the the REMNANT Of the troops unable to with the
hosts Of their assaanS h the deserted streets
and and the empty mansions one could only
see groups ups Of soS Sm Of them talking win
baed breath, II under some vague rear from 'ei'
very bad mointed to my bachelor lodging ia quiet
suburb and Just going to ST down 70 my e gN0r
ing meal when there was be GSI three worRnS%en
enter The oldest Of hem who had venerable GOn
handed to me an order 6dg % N S INV SDarmep
"For to-nightlD / asked the bearer OF the paper
mo he t calmly Ky. sRSa made me dumb
with amazement. he added, Inc SOCIAL commune
has had prepared statistical record Of apartments
the poor too little It has been arranged that each
person shall have right to place You have fous
give lodgings to three persons my two comrades
There was nothing to say in respect TO this arih-
netical statement. scruple, however occurred
my rent' said Il will you pay three-quarters of It
Don't trouble yourself about that citlzen' said
the man who appeared TO be the leader. There Will
be no longer any rents TO pay. Rents hrngs, inter.
est for money-all that IS suppressed and abolished
All, then see, said l. that tie benefits Of the
social revolution reach even 70 me MAKO yoatseNes
expect Imposes on me the obligation OF boarding as
well as lodging you. II you viii share my supper
They needed no pressing, and as had met them
nom the first in as pleasant way as and SoS a.r drink
ing Of my wine, they began 10 De even nerIg.
1 thought that might therefore. enler INTO moro
a You ought to be satisfied said to them mere
Is the social revolution accomplished Nothg OF the
old system of society Is left standing What VIII you
10 S6iSIpgs answered the youngest Of the three;
we shall do nothing tomorrow, and not more On inc
DAYS following -,
And upon what VIII you live, thepl' said !; ,ro
mora than two miards two thousand millions francs
80 900 900 pounds sterlnG and then Their is esery
les and everywhere. Everything belongs 20 w IT,
pie-food drink, clothing for was ne s, sbo we
only take back what e our own ,,,.r,or and
appeared 10 listen with great attention anu
co,irtegy and when he had finished said -
nut all This would not last very long among s SO
many The two mlliards IN me bas o.
would give scarcely fifty francs per head; And as
TO the money and the provisions IN ne shops or III,
Ike no saw H. a month and there would be an end
Of It, The wealth OF country IS not at the bottom
time drawn; It Is water which runs and TcneTss s
Itself at every instant. Work or industry Is TN, the
only during eight days. the river Win soon be dry
II IN few days, or tew weeks at ne very "t as y;
work IS not resumed everywhere; We shan All ole OF
starvation. as In Q boleaguered city,
The young workman answered nothing; ne oh ny
seemed 10 eat and TO drink nero huriedy' but his
have not made hls rcySluion 1 siT IN order
child. We know very ven ihe, We must work afier;
4 benefit OF master. We SNAIL now
work for our profit Our Wish u 70 work a. men,
flee and all equal but not to work Ike slaves. We
uish to be our own Masters and that Is Why We have
Where hsve You been at worki" askei the sec
ona sP sn az engineer IN the Company Of the p L.
| NJ paris Lyons and Marseesl Railway
aThen.s said l. q by the revolution you have come
to DO your own mast ter You viii start your engine
any st'eed you Ike, and you WIN stop at whatever
place you Ike on the Journey dv only Esn h9Ps y ySq
| turn 70 drive. that / may take another train
al beg you VIII not make me seem 10 talk nonsense
! know that In the management OF railways, as ia
every other collective seP1s ssv here must to, PS
| be much more disposed TO obey some man who Is
or has been able 10 pass the examination of the Cen
| trail School Of Engineering
10 give tho orders II Il Is not manager or an en-
gineer named BY the company 4 must be one ag-
your chiefs by voting them from the ranks, am not
sure that you would DO more ready to obey former
o or rom nt tho Poytechnc school In fat
obedience among thoss who consider themselves all
IS not possible TO make complete revolution In
| the management of railway company. Industry In
and In order that tho vast number OF men who CO
useful II Is necessary that each should know and obey
the oOuntersgn and maintain an iniexble discipline,
an iron solidarity which makes each individual like
There was silence when I had finished Let Il be
remembered that these men were not of what arc
fhp Inf
| callsts and Communists to be. They were decent
worklngmen, misguided by tho teaching and plausible
OF the three, who had first addressed me, but had
since e. kept silence, now spoke NAN, ,A. -. 80,
yet well Informed on the social question. What
spectators and parasites who under the name OF
masters and capitalists suck from us the chief part
enough for bare g subsistence Il is that We may Oh
tain the entire. product OF our labor that We have
You imagine, then. that you do not obtain the
whole OF the product OF your labor ~
| say one thousand workers In 4 factory, who got roo
or 1850 francs yearly salary our patron or MASTER
think ne can take 100000 francs, except from the
salaries or payments due TO us
| You suppose then, that by the reckoning you
have made. Ii you could cxtngnlsh the master, you
could divide among you tho 100000 francs which he
Exactly so'
But 100000 francs divided among 200 work
would only make zoo 100 francs additional per head
| represent for you an increase OF income Of only
| about ak francs and half each'
| Not more :"
@Not cent at least II arithmetic Is TO DO trusted.
AT least IT would be always thus p
Would II be always thus y No, indeed II you
suppress the present master you must pay some onC
10 replace him. Your master cannot be an imbecile
when he has risen TO the position OF having OOC
francs a year You must obtain man very capable
10 take his place and must pay him accordingly
ooh, We could find among ourselves some one
equally capable, and who would DO contentcd with
lessn
So be g; but he must furnish the capital
necessary for keeping, the factory going. He thai
manages an undertaking employing q thousand
hands must needs have Q good deal OF money Al
command-perhaps 100000 francs a year. II yoI
had 10 borrow that sum at per cent 70 would cos
you tust the 100000 francs you now give to YOU
employer. SO you would gain nothing by this revo
| lutiOnH
But citizen, you forget there would be no longci
any lenders OF money nor any interest TO pay. Tho
State or the Government would supply all the capita
we require and would give II grats-wthOut interest
But Tie state has not the power to mako capita
drop from heaven. like the mama IN the wilderness
The state never has any money except what it take
| u-ho IN rft