Letter to Florence Kelley, April 11, 1888

Author(s) Friedrich Engels
Written 11 April 1888


First published, slightly abridged, in the language of the original (English), in Briefe und Auszüge aus Briefen von John. Phil. Becker, Jos. Dietzgen, Friedrich Engels, Karl Marx u.A. an F. A. Sorge und Andere, Stuttgart, 1906 and, in full, in: Marx and Engels, Works, First Russian Edition, Vol. XXVIII, Moscow 1940
Reproduced from the original
Published in English in full for the first time in Marx-Engels Collected Works, Volume 48


ENGELS TO FLORENCE KELLY-WISCHNEWETZKY[1]

IN NEW YORK

London, 11 April 1888

Dear Mrs Wischnewetzky,

Your call for the ms.[2] comes upon me very suddenly and I am afraid I shall not be able to oblige you. I am allowed to write two hours a day, no more; have a large correspondence to attend to; find that at the end of the two hours, am only just getting warm in harness, and then, just then, must stop. Under these circumstances I am quite unable to do articles de saison to order, especially for a distant market, and do not see my way to having the pamphlet ready in ms. by 15th May, much less have it ready printed in New York by that time. Still I will set about it at once, after clearing off urgent letters, and do my best. I interrupt an important piece of business[3] on purpose, to clear this matter off.[4]

Still in my opinion you need not fear of losing your opportunity. The Free Trade question will not disappear from the American horizon until settled. I am sure that Protection has done its duty for the United States and is now an obstacle, and whatever may be the fate of the Mills bill,[5] the struggle will not end until either Free Trade enables the United States manufacturers to take the leading part in the world market to which they are entitled in many branches of trade, or until both Protectionists and Free Traders are shoved aside by those behind them. Economic facts are stronger than politics, especially if the politics are so much mixed up with corruption as in America. I should not wonder if during the next few years one set of American manufacturers after the other passed over to the Free Traders—if they understand their interests they must.

Thanks for the official publications[6] —I think they will be just what I want.

I am glad of your success against the Executive as far as it goes—from Volkszeitung weekly 31 March[7] I see they won't give in yet—there you see what an advantage it is to be on the spot. The non-resisting weakness which went straight against the Avelings because they were absent—that weakness you could work round to your favour because you were not absent; and thus the hostility to you is reduced to mere local Klatsch which with perseverance you are sure to overcome and to live down.[8]

I was very much rejoiced to read that the Sorges feel happier again in their old quarters,[9] I hope they will continue so. Old Sorge could no more live in a hole like Rochester than I could in Krähwinkel or its Lancashire equivalents, Chowbent or Bullocksmithy.

I return herewith the letters of the Board of Supervision. In haste

Yours faithfully,

F. Engels

  1. ↑ An excerpt from this letter was first published in the language of the original (English) in the book Briefe und Auszuge aus Briefen von Job. Phil. Becker, Jos. Dietzgen, Friedrich Engels, Karl Marx u. A. an F. A. Sorge und Andere. Stuttgart, 1906.
  2. ↑ F. Engels, 'Protection and Free Trade. Preface to the Pamphlet: Karl Marx, Speech on the Question of Free Trade'
  3. ↑ work on Vol. III of Capital
  4. ↑ This letter was first published in English, abridged, in: Frederick Engels, Paul and Laura Lafargue, Correspondence. 1887-1890, Vol. 2, Foreign Languages Publishing House, Moscow, 1960.
  5. ↑ The reference is to a bill tabled by Roger Quarles Mills at US Congress in April 1888 on rescinding taxes on raw materials used in industry and on reducing duties on many import items. The bill was not adopted.
  6. ↑ See this volume, p....
  7. ↑ The item referred to appeared in the column 'Socialistische Arbeiter-Partei National-Executiv-Komite', Wochenblatt der N. Y. Volkszeitung, No. 13, 31 March 1888
  8. ↑ Florence Kelley-Wischnewetzky and her husband, Dr Lazar Wischnewetzky, both expelled from the New York section of the Socialist Labour Party of North America in July 1887 (see note 149), did not agree with the decision of the Executive and pressed for reinstatement of their membership in the party. On 31 March 1888, the newspaper Wochenblatt der N. Y. Volkszeitung carried a report on the Executive sittings of 2, 9 and 16 March 1888, which decided first to study the additional evidence before discussing the Wischnewetzkys' appeal.
  9. ↑ From September 1887 to March 1888, Friedrich A. Sorge lived in Rochester, N.Y., i.e., where his son did.