Workmen's advocate., 1889-06-15
IN T NATIONAL.
ONE OR TWO LABOR CON-
 GRESSES-WHICH?
Socialists, POssibilists, Communists, Trades UniOnists and Anarchists Asked to Confer - Shall
 American Socialists
 Make Choice!


 A request has been received from the Secretary of the Social-Democratic Fed eration of England to publish a mani festo of that body in relation to the h. ternational Congress or Congresses to be held at Paris, France, in July. An address from the National Federation of French Trades Unions and the ENecu- tive Commission of the National Social ist Congress of Troyes, 1SSS-S9, has also been received for publication. They may be of historical interest and our readers shall have the benefit of the documents, while members of our Party will have an opportunity of deciding, perhaps, upon the merits of their re- spective claims.
 MANIFESTO OF THE soCIAL-DEMoCRATIC
 FEDERATION.
 "Comrddes and Felloac Citizens:
 'The decision of a section of our So- cialist comrades in France, acting in conjunction with others who are not Socialists, to hold Congress in Paris in opposition to that which has been called and is being organized by our comrades of the Possibilist Party, demands a statement of the truth from the Social Democratic Federation, by far the lar gest and most powerful Socialist organi- zation in Great Britain. No effort has been wanting on our part to bring about an understanding between the two par ties, and we approach the consideration of the matter without any prejudice. We confine ourselves, however, for the present, to the setting out of plain facts which have never been disputed, leav- ing Socialists, and all who sympathize with Socialism, to judge as to who are responsible for this most unfortunate and harmful schism at this critical june ture.
 "1. The Possibilist Party of France, known as the Puri Ourrier, were em- powered by the International Trade Union Congress of Paris in 1886 to call and to make arrangements for an Inter national Congress of Workers in Paris in 1889. The Germans were represented at this Paris Congress of 1886 by Grimpke.
 '2. The Parliamentary Committee of the English Trade Unions most unfairly and unjustly excluded the Germans and Austrians from any representation at the International Trade Union Congress of London in 1888. Thereupon the Germans denounced the Congress as a Rump Congress, and Bebel Liebknecht and others, who are organizing the present rival Congress in Paris, appealed to all other natiOnalities not to attend the London Congress because they were excluded from it.
 "3. The International Trade Union Congress of London in 1888 was, never theless, held and was very successful. The special allies of the Parliamentary Germans in France, the so-called Marx ists or Guesdists, were represented by Farjat. That Congress unanimously en- powered the Possibilists to call and to make arrangements for an International Congress of the Workers in Paris in 1889. Farjat held up his hands with the rest in favor of this resolution: the Bel gians, represented by Anseele, and the Dutch concurring. Anseele and Croll both, nevertheless, went to the Hague Caucus!
 "A. Acting on these two successive mandates the Possibilists, who are by far the strongest Socialist Party in France, alike in Paris (where they cast 50,000 votes) and in the Provinces, pro- ceeded, as in duty bound, to call and or ganize an International Congress of Workers at the end of July, 1889.
 "5. To this the Marxists, though pledged by Farjat's vote, objected, and induced the Germans to object, because, as they said, the Possibilists meant to exclude their opponents, and to manip- ulate the Congress to their own ends. This charge was made, although the Possibilists have never excluded any section of Socialists from any Congress before, and not little of evidence has ever yet been adduced to show that they intend to do so on this occasion. The invitation included all Socialist bodies.
 "6. At any rate, a Conference was called at Nancy by Lafargue, Guesde, and other Marxists, acting in concert with the Germans of the Reichstdg Party and their friends. To this Conference the Possibilists were invited last of all, and only week before the Conference was 10 have been held.
 "1. That proposed Conference at Nancy did not take place, but instead a Conference was summoned at the Hague. To this Conference, also, the Possibilists were invited last of all. In