Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1889-04-13

civilization. This resolution, which
really proclaimed as plainly as in
common prudence it was possible to
proclaim, that revolutiOn-vloIent,
physical force revolution-alone
could solve the problems before the
Congress, was cordially endorsed by
the English delegates Amid shouts
of laughter from the foreign dele
gates, thirty-two English trade
unionists voted in favor Of Tortel-
lier'S amendment, and only nine
against it. So anxious were the
English to avoid Socialism, that
they fell into the arms of the dyna-
mite party. That very week some
of Tortellier's personal friends and
political associates had been arrested
for blowing up houses in Paris with
dynamite. Nor could the English
plead ignorance of Tortellier's opin-
ions. In the Congress itself he had
eloquently denounced organization
and trade unionism as useless, and
insisted that by fighting only would
the workers succeed. Also, in
Paris, at the Congress of 1888, in
reply to Mr.. John Burnett's asser-
ton that the less the government
had to do with the workman the
better for the workman, Mr.. Tortel-
lier congratulated the English dele
gate upon his anarchlcal principles,
and exclaimed "You are right;
nothing can be obtained from the
State; all that we can do is to put
the knife to the bourgeois throat. "
Yet it was for the resolution pro-
posed by this Anarchist and reyo-
lutionist that the timid and reac-
tionary English majority voted.
Trusting only to the bare and clum-
sy wording of the resolution, with
out taking into consideration its
spirit or the object for which it was
brought forward, and forgetting
that to openly propose violence 10
illegal, and that therefore the mean
ing of such resolutions must be read
between the lines, the English
blindIy voted with the Anarchist.
OF course, there was only the Jtali II
delegate, who is also somewhat Of an
Anarchist, willing to follow their
example, and TorteIier's amend
ment was lost by four nationalities
against two and by forty-six votes
against thirty-four. Then came the
voting on the original resolution
quoted above. This was carried by
four nationalities against two.
Thirty.one English delegates voted
against, and only eleven in favor.
The Italian delegate also voted
against, though it is doubtful
whether he was justified in follow
ing this course. BY far the most
numerous and active labor organiza-
tons of Italy would approve an
Eight Hour Bill. Even Tortellier
himself did not vote against the res
olution. The countries remaining
were unanimously In favor; and as
there were seventeen French, ten
Belgians, nine Dutch, two Danes,
and eleven English, this made four
nationalities and forty-nine votes in
favor of the Eight Hour Bill; two
nationallties and thirty-two votes
against. A resolution advocating
international arbitration, instead of
war, was then carried unanimously,
by reclamation and without discus
sion; the proposal to hold the next
! Congress in Paris accepted, and,
after this, the president wished all
the delegates a pleasant, safe jour-
ney home.
Such were the main results
achieved by the London Interna-
tional Trade Union Congress, and
they will undoubtedly constitute a
landmark in the history of labor.
They may be summarized as having
promoted the constitution in each
country of a Labor Party, admitting
within its ranks middle-class work
ers, seeking by legal means to &C
quire political power, SO as to init
ate socialistic legislature, and acting,
therefore, against both Conserva-
tive and Revolutionary Anarchism.
AS the first socialiStic measure pro-
posed, We find the majority endorS-
ing the principle of an international
law, limiting the days work in all