Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1912-12-26
III. IN AMERICA AND FRANCE.


Courtesy of The National Socialist
It is curious fact that the Hay
market riot in Chicago gave to the
present French labor movement the
idea of the General Strike.
In this country the Haymarket af-
fair brought terrible reaction. The
labor movement lay stunned after its
brief filtration with anarchy. The
union men drew away from the anar-
chist agitators, and, taking their in
formation from the capitalist press
only, concluded that Socialism and
anarchiSm were the same thing, and
would, if tolerated, lead the movement
| to ruin and disaster. Without doubt,
| the bomb in Chicago put back the Ia
Dor movement for years. 1t ended
| the great national movement for an
eight-hour day and did more to induce
the rank and file of trade unionists to
reject all association with revolution
airy ideas than perhaps all other things
put together.
In France it had an altogether diff
| ferent effect. From that moment on,
the anarchists took new heart. The
| the hour, and little by little, the Con
servative" believers In political action
were forced by the Revolutionary"
direct actionists out Of the leadership
of the French unions.
In 1883 the French unions meeting
at Bordeaux voted the following reso-
Upton.
Considering: That the monopoliza-
ton of the instruments of labor and OF
capital gives to the employers pow
er which diminishes by so much only
as the strike puts power in the hands
of the workers;
'That capital is nothing if it is not
put in action by labor; That, there
fore, in refusing to work the workers.
would destroy by single stroke the
power of their masters;
Considering: That the partial
strike can only be a means of agita-
ton. and organization, the Congress
declares:
"That the General Strike alone, that
is to say the complete stoppage of all
work, or, in other words, the social
revolution, can lead the workers to-
ward their emancipation"
The French Trade unions had for
years advocated working class politi-
cal action, and this was move on
the part of the anarchists to put the
Federation of Trade Unions in opposi-
i ton to political action The opposi-
ton was increased when the French
Socialist party, meeting in Lille, in
1 1890. defeated a resolution declaring
for the General Strike. At the various
| congresses thereafter, both trade I'M
| ion and Socialist, the General Strike
became the great bone of contention.
The trade unionists began to look up
on it as of vital Importance; and the
Socialists, in opposing it, were places
| in an apparently indefensilble position
At this mofnent great orator ap-
peared on the scene. The young, un
known lawyer, Aristides BRAND, as
sumed the leadership Of the advocates
of the General Strike. There is nc
question that BRAND is master oil
oratory, and behind him were many
able direct actionists who had set out
to divorce the Unions from political
aaction. .
The history of this episode has
much in it that even today lies in
darkness. All sorts of rumors are rife
concerning the reactionary forces that
were behind BRAND at that time, and
however one may look at his brief
Ecareer as a revolutionist, there is
much in it that points to double
dealing. A bit of history will illus.
! trate.
The capitalist politicians had for
years tried to break the great power
of the Socialists in the trade union
movement. The anarchists were, of
course, active to the same end. Some
of the unions were indeed at that time
dominated by anarchists. The "revo-
lutionary" anarchist unions, however,
were always in need of funds, because
the anarchists have, as every one
knows, utter contempt for organiza-
ton and for payment Of dues. This
led certain radical politicians to urge
the French municipalities to take,
what seems to many the most extra
! ordinary act Of any government, and
| that was to vote funds for the support
Of is most bitter enemy. namely, these