The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-05-01
THE MAIN STAGES IN
HISTORY OF MAYDAY
By FRIEDLAND

The history of the May Day cele-
bration is very instructive. The his
tory of May first is the history of
the struggle of tendencies in the
ranks of the international proletar-
lat. 1t is the history of the develop
ment and collapse of the II. Inter-
national. 1t is the history of its
transformation from the revolution
airy vanguard of the conscious pro-
letariat into a pillar of capitalism
and bourgeois rule.
The Origin.
At the Paris Congress in 1889, the
representatives. the French syndi-
Gates proposed that May First be
recognized as an international pro-
letarian holiday. May First was to
be day of demonstration when the
demands for an S-hour working day
and for extensive social labor legis-
lation were to be advanced. May
First was to be a day Of rest, i. e.,
day when the workers of all coun-
tries stopped their work. The last
paragraph of that resolution read:
''The workers of the various coun-
tries organize their demonstrations
in accordance with the given con-
ditions of the given countries" This
was the starting point which gave
rise to an opportunist Interpretation
of that resolution in the immediate
future.
In 1890 and 1891, the prepare
tons for May Day were regarded by
the bourgeoisie as the approach of
the terrible moment-the social rev.
olution. But the Social Democrats
were proud of the fact that May Day
passed by quietly. To them this
quietude demonstrated the strength
of the labor movement. May Day
began to play a new role which con-
sisted in drawing the balance of the
successes of the organized labor
movement. Such was the first period
in the history of the celebration of
May Day.
Fighting Character.
The Paris Congress which was
held under the slogan of social revo-
luton ascribed to May Day a defin-
lite fighting character. But soon after
that struggle ensued in the ranks
of the II. International for the adop-
ton of May Day to the interests of
the peacefully growing mass labor
movement. That was the second
period in the history of May Day.
At the Zurich Congress in 1898, the
delegates had to record that in most
of the countries and particularly in
Germany, the May Day celebrations
are being celebrated on the first
Sunday in May, and that everywhere
there is an inclination to avoid con-
flicts with the capitalists and the
capitalist governments, and that
May Day is assuming the character
of an ordinary bourgeois holiday.
The revolutionary wing of that Con-
gress declared war against such an
Interpretation of the resolution of
1889.
No other than Victor Adler ap-
pealed to the Germans to fulfill their
revolutionary duty. He was opposed
by A. Bebel. The speaker insisted
OIL preserving the purely class
nature of May Day and on repudiat-
ing any attempt to convert May Day
into day for Cancellation with the
bourgeois pacifists and reformists.
He proved that if there is no pos
sibility to celebrate May Day in
Germany, it is the duty of the Social
Democrats to fight to bring about
such possibilities. May First is
day when the energy of the proletar-
lat must be stimulated for the strug-
gle-such was the fundamental idea
of Victor Adler. That is why he de-
manded not only the realization of
the resolution of 1889, but that it
should be carried even still further.
He declared: eff we will not go for
ward then May Day will lose its sig
nificance."
A Compromise.
The Zurich Congress arrived at
compromise between Adler and
Bebel. Adler proposed the approval
of the resolutions of the former con-
crosses on May Day and that it be
obligatory for all workers to stop
working on that day. "To the extent
that the conditions in the various
countries will make May Day dem
onstrations possible such demonstra-
tons should be held and they should
serve as a demonstration of the firm
will of the working class to destroy
the class distinction by means of
social revolution and thus enter upon
the true path in line with the work
ers of the world and international
peace" Bebel insisted on eliminating
the words social revolution" from
the resolution. The words were de-
leted and replaced by "social trans
formation" He insisted categorically