The Socialism of to-day

Bibliographic data

Monograph

Identifikator:: 835096955

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-28834

Document type:: Monograph

Author:: Laveleye, Émile de

Title:: The Socialism of to-day

Place of publication:: London

Publisher:: Field & Tuer

Year of publication:: 1884

Scope:: 1 Online-Ressource (XLIV, 331 S.)

Collection:: Economics Books

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THE SOCIALISM OF TO-DAY. 198 At the Congress of the League of Peace and Liberty, which assembled at Berne in 1869, under the presidency of Victor Hugo, Bakunin with some of his friends attempted to carry resolutions in favour of Communism. He obtained only thirty votes against eighty. Indignant at the imbecility and cowardice of the bourgeois democrats, he founded a new society which was to carry out his ideas, “ the Alliance of the Socialist Democracy.” One extract from its programme will suffice to enable its tendencies to be understood : “ The Alliance declares itself atheistic. It desires the final and complete abolition of classes, and the political, economical, and social equalization of the two sexes. It wishes that land, instruments of production, and all other capital should become the collective property of society as a whole, and should only be utilized by the workers, that is, by agricultural and industrial associations. It recognizes that all political and authoritative States actually existing must dis appear in the universal union of free associations.” How to realize this radical change? Evidently by force employed without truce and without mercy. The Bakunists did not disguise the matter at all. One of them, Jaclard, exclaimed in this congress intended to establish universal peace, “You wish to preserve existing institutions in order to reform them ? Vain endeavour ! They can only be the instru ments of tyranny and spoliation. We, we alone are logical ; we wish to destroy everything. We separate ourselves from you, and warn you : War you shall have, and it will be a terrible one. It will array itself against all that exists. Yes, we must away with the bourgeoisie and its institutions. It is only on their smoking ruins that the definitive Republic can be based. It is on the ruins smeared, I will not say with their blood—it is long since they have had any in their veins—but with their accumu lated filth, that we shall plant the standard of the Social Revolution.” The Alliance resolved to join the International, but the general council of the latter refused to admit it, on the ground that the Alliance, which also proclaimed itself International, could not, as such, enter into its ranks. The Alliance accord-

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