| Author(s) | Friedrich Engels |
|---|---|
| Written | 10 February 1891 |
ENGELS TO PAUL LAFARGUE
AT LE PERREUX
London, 10 February 1891
My dear Lafargue,
Herewith the cheque for £20. I hope it arrives before you leave for Allier. My mind was elsewhere when I wrote it, otherwise I should have made it out to Laura's order so as to facilitate its endorsement should you be away.
As to what has transpired at the congress on the subject of 1 May, I know nothing. You may say what you will,[1] but at this juncture it would be sheer madness for the Germans to persist in holding their celebrations on the 1st and not on Sunday the 3rd. For that matter the divergence of opinion is quite natural; it is the antagonism between north and south. You southerners sacrifice everything to form, whereas the northerners tend to underrate it, concentrating rather on the substance. You like a theatrical effect; they, perhaps, pay too little heed to it. But for them 1 May means a repetition throughout the country of last year's lockouts[2] in Hamburg and in much less favourable circumstances; it means an outlay of between 200,000 and 300,000 marks, the exhaustion of all the funds for which the party is directly or indirectly responsible, the disorganisation of all our trades unions and, as a result, general discouragement. You must admit that if this is the price to be paid for the theatrical effect of a simultaneous demonstration, it is distinctly on the steep side.
The success of the Socialiste gives me much pleasure. It goes to show that your working men are beginning to read again and to acquire a taste for other things besides sensational and pornographic newspapers. You may be proud of this success; it augurs very well. Here, for the first time in many years, is a weekly that covers its expenses.[3] It is also very well produced. Do you send it to Sorge?
Marx's article[4] has aroused great wrath in the party's Central Committee and many encomiums in the party itself. They tried to suppress the whole edition of the Neue Zeit but it was too late, whereupon they put a good face on it and boldly reprinted the article in the official organ.[5] When they have calmed down, they will thank me for having prevented them from entrusting the preparation of yet another equally shameful programme to Liebknecht, who fathered the thing.[6] In the meanwhile I have heard nothing from them directly; they are boycotting me to some extent.
Your article on the Russian alliance is very good[7] ; it will rectify Liebknecht's repeated assurances that no one in France has dreamt of a Russian alliance, that it is all pure invention on Bismarck's part, etc. The fellow believes it his duty to heap praise on whatever goes on in France (or to conceal discreditable facts) because it's a Republic.
I haven't yet been able to read your article on feudal property.[8]
In Northampton it was the local section of the Social Democratic Federation which invited Aveling to stand[9] and duly notified Hyndman, who tried to prevent them from putting him up. However they insisted, with the result that, last Saturday, Hyndman had to rally the faithful here in London in order to pass a resolution that they had had nothing to do with Aveling's candidature. Since no one was suggesting that they had, this was tantamount to a public admission of insubordination within the bosom of the Federation. Hyndman's star is on the wane, even in the eyes of his supporters. The impetus given to the movement 18 months ago brought the FEDERATION a significant number of recruits and it is now stronger than ever before. But the said recruits are totally ignorant of the scabrous antecedents of this gang and haven't the slightest intention of accepting responsibility for any of them. They leave the FEDERATION'S foreign policy to Hyndman & Co. because it is quite above their heads. But if Hyndman tried to revive old personal squabbles, or if he were forced to do so, he would no longer, as previously, have a submissive band of supporters to back him up. A fair number of GASWORKERS also belong to the Federation and, so far as they are concerned, any interference with Aveling and Tussy would spell war.
Moreover Aveling's candidature must be all the more galling to Hyndman in that Aveling, who did not possess the £100 DEPOSIT for the expenses of the POLL, roundly refused a TORY's offer to make him a present of it. At which loud panegyrics in the liberal press (see The Daily News which I shall send you).[10] In similar circumstances Hyndman and Champion accepted money from the TORIES, as you know.
All it amounts to is a postponement. There can be no doubt that, come the General Election, the Northampton workmen will have the necessary money. They would have had it this time had they had a week in which to raise it. And they were counting on between 900 and 1,000 votes.
You have no maid. As for us, Annie gave notice yesterday as from 21 November; she is to marry her BLOKE at last.
What curious people the Roshers are! Percy's little boy has had to be circumcised because of some infantile disorder—and now his brother Howard's son is in similar case! Old Rosher is completely at a loss: is it divine vengeance for the 19 children (INCLUDING MISCARRIAGES) he has engendered? I myself submit that it is religious atavism. Hereditarily speaking they are so very Christian! Now, since Christianity is Judaism's natural child, what we have here is a reversion to the ORIGINAL ANCESTRAL TYPE, a foreskin so extravagant that it calls for an operation instituted as a sign of the bond between Jehovah and his chosen people.
Kovalevsky has published his Oxford lectures.[11] Prehistorical part, weak, historical, on Russia, interesting.
We are drafting an inscription for Helene's[12] grave to be submitted to Laura. Give her a kiss from me.
Yours ever,
F.E.