The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-08-10

which I had been invited, / found
from the newspapers and otherwise,
was attracting general attention from
all that part Of Paris which has an
interest in social problems. What was
going to take place? What would
the radicals present say or do?
Friday, the evening set for the occa-
sion, I went to the hall of PEgai-
taire, Rue Sambreet-Meuse, accompan-
led by a half dozen American friends
and also by committees, representing
various shades of French working
class opinion. When the meeting
was opened about 500 persons were
present, the hall being packed, with
many standing. / was afterwards told
that most of the trade Union and many
Socialists and Anarchist leaders of
Paris were present. M. Thuiller, sec
rotary of the Paris Central Labor I'm
ion (Union De Sc~yndicates), presided.
Nj. Jouhaux, NJ. NieIS successor, to h
s~ecretaryship of the G. G.. Twas
vice president. M. Yvetot introduced
me, his address being cordial and Well
advised in every sentence. He asked
and declared for a fair hearing for
me and earnestly said that all no
doubt had something to learn from h
great and successful American labor
movement. No applause whatever
greeted me as l arose to address the
meeting. But during more than an
hour, with perhaps not a score Of
persons in theaud fence who under
stood me, a respectful and a patient
attitude was maintained, evidently the
audience knew or imagined that | had
something to say and was yin 1t
to it's members and that they wanted
to hear. When I finished a former
member of the American Ladies' Gar
ment Workers Union, Mr.. D. Mikol
of Boston, who had taken long hand
notes, rapidly translated my entire
address into French. Several per-
O present, who understood both
languages, say that the performance
of his task was remarkably we'll done
though, as it turned out, he made
one or two slips that were instantly
bounced upon by critics among the
so-called "intellectuals," on hand with
pencils and note books. AS Mr.. MikoI
proceeded in an animated ann ap-
plause became frequent. I could per-
cieve that while certain groups were
approving those expressions which
were broad enough to crafty all
whose hopes in mankind
a higher and higher plan for labor.
other groups were ~reserving mani
festations Of sympathy for the pas
g in which I stood up for true
trade Unionism. Very hearty ap-
pIause came with the close OF MI.
MikoPs translation. When his critics
got from him his explanation that in
his almost instantaneous 1nterpreta-
ton of sentence by sentence he had, as
they pointed out, employed a phrase
or two not wholly warranted by q. let
ter perfect adherence to the original
trained their guns upon me.
shotted with the stale shibboleths and
theories Of an exploded socialism
What ha I to say about the suppress
sion'' (abolition) Of the employing
class and the abolition Of the wage
system? What about the general
strike? How as to naturalization
and anti-patriotism? Did not the
trusts in America simply raise prices
when the Union raised wages? Etc.
brief I replied that I was not sure
I wanted the wage system abollShed; [
the possible results of the project Of
the undertaking, enter
prise and management of a higher de-
veloped industrial system of our time.
AS to the general strike its utility was
questionable, but in any event, IN
the present state Of labor o~rganiza-
ton in France, the comparatively few
organized working people of France,
were doing little or nothing but talk
about it. AS a matter of fact the
talk of a general strike had
the tendency to keep workmen away
instead OF being attracted to
Unions. In any event 1T would
necessary to organize first for ma
terial Improvement and to be enabled
conduct lesser strikes to a success
full result before making the SuD1ect
of q general strike the chief issue Of
labor. The questions tof anti-mili-
tarism, anti-patriotism, and the like
we're not questions in which the
American Working Men had been in
but I was certain that if I
we're a Frenchman I would uphold
my country and not have it placed
at the mercy Of others. I would not
insist that my country should disarm
while other countries were arming
20 the teeth. but I would earnestly
strive for general disarmament and
international peace. I showed that
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