New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-08-14
THE IMPENDING CONFLICT At BRUSSELS

THE IMPENDING CONFLICT At BR USSELS.
1t is announced that the organized working
men of Great Britain have finally decided tc
send full force of representatives to the In
ternational Labor Congress which is to meet
on Sunday next at Brussels. This, if true as
it probably is, is of the highest significance to
every one interested in the cause of organized
labor; significance that will be apparent on re-
viewing the circumstances under which this
Congress is to meet. There have already been
several such gatherings in which the English
trades unions have participated. In the first
only England, France Spain and Italy were
represented. The second, held in Paris in
1886 was wider in its scope. The third was
held in London IN 1883, and was still more
comprehensive. The fourth took place in Paris
during the Universal Exhibition of 1899 under
the direction of the French POSsibilSt Socialist
party AT this Mr.. Fenwich, NJ p. Mr. Hynd-
man, and thirty-seven other English delegates
were present, and an earnest effort w9s made
to establish harmony of action between the
Trade U'nionists and the Socialists At the
same time another labor meeting was held ir
Paris, called the Marxist Congress, largely COM
posed of German Socialists and fully committed
to the Socialist idea, pure and simple. A fusion
of the two bodies was proposed, but was not
effected, the MarXiStS being unwilling to accept
certain conditions on which the PoSsbists in
sisted. On adjourning the Marxsts gave TO a
Swiss cOmm.-ce authority to organize the next
Congress, while the PoSsibists decided to meet
at Brussels as the guests of the Belgian work
men, the latter agreeing to observe the same
rules that had governed the former Congresses
without regard to the MarxistS and their doings
The Brussels Congress was to be held in August,
1891.
For more than a year the Belgian committee
kept their plans profound secret from the
rest of the organized labor world. In tho
spring of the present year, however they began
to reveal them and it was made known that,
contrary to the agreement they had been CO.
quoting with the MarxiSts. They had in
deed, persuaded the latter to abandon their
Swiss meeting and to unite with the Brussels
Congress but 20 do so they had themselves
agreed to abandon the rules which the Pos
SibiliStS at Paris had held as a sine ara non.
This was rank tTeachery. and was vigorously
denounced as such and protested against b. the
English Trades UniOniSts and Others who took
part in the Paris Congress of 1899 In April
last it was unanimously resolved by the repre-
SentativeS of 100000 English Trades Union
lists to 60 to the Brussels Congress and insist
on adherence to the rules laid down in Paris.
BY the latter part Of June, however, the Bel
gians had carried their revolutionary work
much further. They had changed the name
from " International WOlkmenS Congress" 10
" international Socialist Worl1mens Congress y
and in every way possible proposed tn identify
the gathering and all who attended it with the
most extreme principles of Socialism On this
the English decided not to have ANYTHING 70 d.
with it whatever, unless to send delegate
merely to enter formal protest against the whole
proceeding. As if to cinch the matter. the
Belgians only few days ago changed the date
from Tuesday, August Is, to Sunday, Aupust
1G, thus making it practically impossible for
the English to get there in time TO vote on tbe
organization without sacrificing a part of this
weeks work. The scheme was evidently 10