New-York tribune., 1895-10-13
THE FRENCH SOCIALISTS.
"GUESDISTS" AMI REVOLUTONISTS-TH
sCHISM AND THIS YEARS con-
GRESS AT LIMOGES.
Paris, September


session during the present week at Limoges. 1t Is
q strictly .corporatlve" congress. with representa-
tives from about two thousand workingmen's
unions. They OF every possible schooi ana
shade OF Socias, doctrine. except that all unite In
their opposition to the Parliamentary SOCIALISM OF
Jules Guesde The schsm began at last years
congress OF Nantes The result was the holding Of
two rival congresses in the present season. this
al Limoges and that OF the Guesdlsts Uhe organ
ized political party) at Troyes. The latter barely
secured the adhesion Of 40 'syndicats or unions
This dlssension in the Socialist ranks. with the
withdrawal Of many unions from the polcy OF
constitutional action which has created the Social
st party In the French Parliament. is more I'M
porant than might seem at first sight II means
that French workingmen already tired OF the
slow processes OF universal suffrage. and that they
are turning their faces again In the way OF T.C-
lent revolution.
jules Guesde, more than any other one man has
so far directed the Socialist movement In France.
He put himself at It's head In 1879. when the doc
trines OF Kari Marx began taking their present ex-
elusive hold on the minds OF French workingmen
He was at that time thrty-four years OF age a
popular orator OF unusual power. and thoroughiy
drilled In the political tactics OF the German Socia.-
lists He had previously been employed as trans
lator in the department OF the press at the Min
istry of the Interior. His journal. "LEgalite. at
once became the accredited OF the Coectivist
marty in France. Ffled with admiration OF the
victories gained by the German Socialists through
their compact organization into political party
with q strong representation In Parliament. he has
persistenty set their example as an aim before his
French followers. This aim seemed fully reaized
at the last general election OF lS93 when he himself
entered Parliament for the first time In company
with forty other true-and-tried Socialists and with
100 more who consented. under the leadership OF eS-
Prime Minister Goblet. to add the tag OF Socialist
to their proper designation as Radicals.
II had been a long road to travel and 1t now ap-
pears that NJ. Guesde had not succeeded In disarm-
ing The oppositlon which Is the most dangerous OF
all-that Of the workingmen themselves. He Gals
himself Republican Socialist In imitation or MS
German brethren. who are Socialist Democrats 10
signify his acceptance Of universal suffrage ana the
revolution OF society by the ballot. His opponents
-R.anquists Broussists. Allemanists and the rest
proclaim themselves Revolutionary Socialists-of
another stamp All these repeat the question which
their organ the "Parti Ouvrier" asked az long ago
as 1859:
'Have you cent more in your pocket because
Socialist Deputies have overturned two Ministries
and put TO flight President Of the Republic?
The first trouble came from Paul Brousse and
Jofrin whose followers are known az Broussists.
DR.. Brousse is man OF higher education ana softer
manners than ~ Guesde, and therefore less fitted
TO be a popular leader. He has always been against
the heavy theorizng OF Kari Marx, Ike his former
master and friend Rakunn. In the great quarre.
which broke up the old Internationae he followed
the latter and wes faithful to him TO his death in
1876 Bakunn had already set going the Anarchist
movement. and it Brousse. with PROFESSOR
Elisee Recus who acted his political executor
Brousse however. did not follow the evolution OF
Reclus who henceforth directed the party toward
militant Anarchy. Returning to Paris, he became
the head OF Posslbst Communism. which means
something midway between violent revolution and
Lawful. political agitation on the one hand and be-
tween Co!lectivism and plain Anarchy on the
other. Possbillsm means that you shall not make
a revolution idly. but only as possibilities allow
Communism would not have a giant Colectivist
State but small communities that should govern
themselves These views were in harmony with
tho traditions OF the Paris Commune although II
must be said that the survivors or that bloody
revolution, now that amnesty has restored them 10
political life frequently settle down to constitu-
tonal electioneerng. This is notably the case with
Paschal Grousset. who the Commune's Min
ister OF Foreign Affairs. and Alphonse Humbert.
who IS now "minlstrable" under the Republic Itself
Both OF these were transported 10 New-Ca.edonia
for life The former escaped TO England but the
latter actually served seven years at hard laoor
Then came the amnesty and both now sit In the
French Parliament as Republican Radical Social
lists Others, however, as Will be SEEN continue
acting with he party Of chronic revolution
In France no serious political agitation is possi-
bic amcng workmen outside OF their unions
Brousse and Joffr!n began by detachfng the Paris
associations from Guesde. The latter succeeded IN
keeping his hold on the provinces. and In 1873 CEN
tralized all the "syndicats' which remained faith
full 10 him in a "federat!on." This Federation. true
TO the traditions OF Karl Marx called the 6rst In
ternational Congress since the breaking up OF the
old Internationale after the Congress OF ls'2 al
The Hague 1t was held in Parts In the exposition
ve1r OF 1855? and reassembled In following years
AT Brussels and Zurich. The Federation also claims
n have started the observance OF the lst Of May.
he
Europe on the alert for that labor day" Up to
this the Socialists OF all parties were anxious 10 be
represented In Parliament, as they doubtless are
still: but II not the privilege OF Guesdism TO
cont-o, a strong parliamentary party. Jonrin took
his seat In 1889 and after his death. the following
YEAR was replaced by VI. Lazy, who was re-
elected in 1898. and is s;iIl one OF the BToussist
leaders.
Meanwhile labor exchanges COURSES de travaiD
had been founded in the chief manufacturing CEN
tres Initiating the Chambers Of Commerce In their
relations with capitalist syndcates. these bourses
ware soon in close connection with the working
mems unions. That OF Paris even entered into re-
lation with all the unions o, France and became
such centre OF agitation that the National Gov
crument was obliged to close IL permanently. There
are at present fifty OF these bourses. serving TO
keen the various unions In constant communication
with each other. Their influence In the Socialist
party declared Itself FOR the first time last year
The seventh Congress Of the Federation Of Labor
had been summoned at Nantes The bourses de-
r1anded that their representatives. should SIT Win
the others Jules Guesde at once sent out circu-
lar TO all the unions. giving the reasons why the
demand should not be granted. IL would be. he
said TO turn over 10 them the work OF the FEEDER
alton Itself whereas their proper office IL like that
o, popular libraries. peoples houses. TO be the
Instruments of the unions and not their directors
Moreover. these bourses are founded dspendently
on some municipality. which gives the Government
right TO close them at Will. as was done In Paris
II the labor unions should rely on the bourses for
their organization, II would be in the power OF Gov
ernment 20 throw everything into disorder at any
moment. In spite OF every effort OF the Guesdlsts,
the bourses the day. seventeen Delng repre-