Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1889-03-23


the first lesson taught by the Con-
gress, !. e., that Socialists are the
best organized trade unionists of
the continent.
This has been the frst-and prob
ably will be the last-international
congress held strictly on trade union
lines. Purely trade union interna-
tional congresses are practicable,
and indeed, desirable, when only
one trade or branch of trade is rep
resented. An international congress
of weavers and spinners, another of
metal workers, another of miners,
or of railway servants, ETC.. ETC.,
would be very useful. The discus.
sion could be confined, in the main.
to technicalities; but. when all
trades are represented, then it is
only the general interests of labor
that can be taken into considera-
ton. The basis thus enlarged, it is
no longer possible to restrict the
discussion to mere trade union in
terests. Even in England, where
trade unions are more numerous
than in any other country, they rep
resent but one million out of seven
million workers; and, if we add wo-
men workers and domestic servants,
then the trade unionist, it is COM
puted, is but one out of thirteen. 1t
is precisely those workers who are
not trade unionists who constitute
the main difficulty when dealing
with the general labor problem.
When such workers have formed as
sociations, the presence Of their rep
resentatives is most essential and
most useful, even though the organ
izations be not pure trade unions.
Thus, on the continent, there are at
least three distinct classes of labor
organization which deal with the
general problem. Firstly. we have
the Chambres Syndicales Ouvrieres,
or trade unions; then there is the
Cercles d'Etudes Sociales; and. fin
ally, the Socialist productive and dis
tributive cooperative societies This
is in countries where comparative
freedom exists, such as Belgium and
France, but in Germany and Aus
tria the societies are secret and lille,
gal. Those associations that are
not secret would render themselves
illegal by participating in a congress.
The only possible representation Of
that marvellous secret organization
which in Germany, in spite of gov
eminent and police persecution, has
brought some 100000 Social Demo-
Gratis to the poll, would be the very
deputies who were thus elected.
They could not attend as trades
unionists, but it would be impossi-
bic to dispute their right as labor
representatives The same could be
said of the elect of the Cercles
d'Etudes Sociales. These bodies are
composed of workers of all trades
who unite to forward their interests
as workers in general, and not as
members of any special craft. With
regard to CO. operative societies, it is
more difficult to know where to
draw the line. 1t is probable that
no cooperative society will be al
lowed to participate in labor con-
crosses if interest is paid on the cap,
ltal advanced by members, or if
profits are allowed to shareholders.
A cooperative society giving inter
est and profits to it's members is only
another form of joint stock COM
pany. 1t may be of benefit to its
members, but that is all. 1t cannot
be considered as an association seek
ing to. realize the economical enamel
patton of the entire working class.
In Belgium, however. cooperative
societies have been established on
the principal of allowing no interest
on capital and no profits to individ
ual memb ers or shareholders. The
profits are used for the propaganda
of Socialism, for the benefit of the
working classes at large, and not
specially and exclusively for the
members of the societies. Thus no
: vested interests are created, no con-
sentative sentiment engendered.
Yet these societies are eminently
successful. The "Vooruit," Of
Client, now daily supplies 10000
people with bread. 1t has close on
5000 members, and this in a town
of only 100, 1000 inhabitants Messrs.