The Washington socialist. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1914-1915, 1915-03-18
The Paris Commune
BY HENRY WILLIAM WATTS

may be considered the first conscious
attempt on the part of the proletariat
to break their chains of economic
bondage. On the 18th of March, 1871,
after Paris had been surrendered to
the Germans by the French govern
ment, who feared the Partisan prole-
tariat more than the Prussian invader,
the Commune was proclaimed in Paris.
The central committee, mostly Social
lists, who had taken control of the
city's administration some time previ-
Gus to this, Immediately issued a pro-
clamation for an election of a city ad-
ministration. The workers of Paris,
here, as elsewhere, fell into the trap
of electing officials who were friendly
GU to the cause and the new admins
tration from then on began to hamper
the movements of the communards un-
beknown to them.
The French government who had
fled to Versailles, sent troops to at
tack Paris and the Germans liberated
10000 French prisoners and even Of
fered German troops to the govern
ment in order to subdue the workers.
On April 2 the assault on Paris COM
menced and the bourgeois whom the
workers of Paris had elected did all
in their power to weaken the power of
the communards and eventually sue
ceeded in making it possible for the
Versailles troops to enter Paris. This
they did on May 81 and then the
slaughter commenced. The Commun-
ards barricaded the streets and fought
from barricade to barricade till the
29th, when they surrendered and the
Commune was no more.
And now commenced the bloodiest
massacre since the time of the religi-
Gus wars. The bourgeoisie were 60
ing to see to it that not rebellious
spirit remained to cause trouble in the
future. Men, women and children
were butchered in the streets for
weeks till the stencil of the corpses
called halt. In Paris alone 10000
were massacred. Forty thousand
were sentenced to prisons and fort
resses and transported to New Gale
donia.
Thousands were tortured to death
and executed and died of maladies
whilst imprisoned and seventy thou
sand women, children and old men
were deprived of their natural sup
porters or thrown out of France Thus
the balance sheet of the bourgeois
vengence for the solitary instruction
of the 18th of March amounted to one
hundred and eleven thousand victims
at least
And why did the Commune fail?
Firstly because the workers Of
Paris elected and depended upon
leaders outside of its own experience,
men who were without knowledge of
the real mission of the working class,
men who wanted place and position
and not emancipation.
Secondly, because the workers of
Paris were not class conscious. They
did not realize that there could be no
identity of interests between the
working class and those of any other
class. They did not realize that the
safety of their cause could lie nowhere
but in their own hands.
Lastly, that they were precipitated
into struggle for which they were
unprepared.
Let us, American Socialists, heed ev.
and of good report. Within these mar
that we may be better able to con
tinue the work for which so many
gave their lives. None would be lead
ers to lead us away from our object
into petty reforms and oblivion. Nc
more blind faith" in friends CD out
side the ranks of the working class
AOi ehOy Soih hONCi luilJ AtdllZS lila
what we want is emancipation from
wage slavery. And no more local up
risings in the future, for such allow
the dominant class to combine, not
only nationally, but internationally
and so concentrate their forces in one
locality. Let us organize intelligent
ly throughout the five continents
wherever capitalism has wound it's
vile tentacles, and then all the forces
of reaction must fade and crumble be.
fore our mighty onslaught.
The capitalist class are today look.
ing for blood, but if the social revolu-
ton is not ushered in in peace. then
the onus will not be upon the working
class 1t is they who have suffered
for ages; it is they who suffer today.
And it Is because we are suffering the
ills and wrongs inflicted upon US by
our oppressers that we rise in revolt
to FREQ ourselves from this tyranny.
But before we strike the blow for
victory let US be assured that all our