| Author(s) | Friedrich Engels |
|---|---|
| Written | 13 January 1895 |
ENGELS TO PAUL LAFARGUE
AT LE PERREUX
London, 13 [-14] January 1895
My dear Lafargue,
I am glad to see that you have already arranged matters with Adler and have at last found a translator who does you justice. 477
Things are going well. If the year '95 finishes as it has begun we may see some strange happenings. In Germany, young William[1] has fallen into the hands of the 'agrarians' (the big aristocratic landowners of the Eastern provinces, the Junkern)'b who want to make sure of their control over this young ninny and who can only do so by compromising William to the point of no return. Thus they are hinting at a dissolution of the Reichstag, which will emerge from fresh elections more refractory than ever and then, his throne and his honour being at stake, there will be nothing for it but a coup d' état to give William the means of obtaining new soldiers and ships, and the Junkers new import duties on agricultural produce and subsidies on the export of sugar, spirits, etc. That seems to be these gentlemen's idea; impossible to say how far it will materialise. In the meantime, they are playing with fire—the War Minister[2] openly inviting our people in the Reichstag to come out on to the streets by jeering at them—they are absolutely determined to create an opportunity for firing on the people. 478
And in your country there are the scandals of bourgeois corruption which go beyond anything and are driving towards a crisis: certainly if the Ministry threatens to bring the majority to court unless it votes against Gérault- Richard, matters cannot go on much longer. 479 The victory of the bourgeois, who have succeeded in electing a model bourgeois[3] President of the Republic, may well bring about the collapse of the whole bourgeois régime; the climax is approaching when they will be overthrown. As I see it, it is the bourgeoisie itself which, in your country, takes responsibility for doing socialist propaganda amongst the peasants. It is a long and wearisome task to enlighten peasants on political matters, but they will not be so stupid as not to realise at this juncture that they are being robbed. But once they have spotted that, there is nothing for them but to turn to the Socialists, the only party which is not involved in the thefts; for the Radicals 86 are well and truly done for.
So you see we can jolly well shout: Prosit Neujahr[4] ! Speaking of the new year: your credit account of sixty pounds has been opened, if you want a cheque for twenty pounds, you have only to let me know.
I have sent Laura some working-class papers from here, Blatchford's (alias Nunquam) Clarion and Keir Hardie's Labour Leader. Since the end of the Workman's Times, this is the only literature of the Independent Labour Party. 114 Sad but true.
A fortnight ago I received a letter from Vaillant enclosing some of his Bills. 480 I promised I would examine them critically as soon as I had the time.[5] Meanwhile I told him 25 that Wroblewski, in Nice, has written asking me for money, that he has had an accident, broken his arm, has been in hospital and is in great distress; that I have given him as much help as I could but that it is beyond my means and that in my view the Communards and the socialist deputies owe it to their honour not to let him die of starvation. He replied that they had tried to get up a public subscription for Wroblewski but that he, W., was against this and that there is nothing to be done.
Do you know anything about this? Wroblewski as a true Pole does not understand the handling of money, he spends it lavishly when he has it; perhaps he has done similar things in relation to Vaillant and others who would have been able to help him. What he needs is a little regular pension, paid out once a month in small amounts. But in my view it is a matter of the honour of French socialism which cannot claim credit for the Commune of 1871 if they allow the last general of the Commune to die of hunger. What do you and the others—Guesde, the National Council—think? Is there no way of making these former Communeux feel some shame? 481
Kiss Laura for me.
Ever yours,
F. E.
Monday [14 January 1895][6] : received Le Temps and copies of Petite République. Thanks. First Gérault-Richard and now Rouanet, that's nice! 482 What luck if this leads to a crisis, to a dissolution and a more and more revolutionary situation in your country and in Germany!
Monday: Aveling told us yesterday that the Labour Leader is on its last legs, the chief backer (said to be Passnevre Edwards, a rich Liberal Unionist) will not put up any more money.
Louise asks me to thank you for the charming card of congratulation which you and Laura sent her.