the  rise  and  fall  of  the  international.  157
It  decided  that  the  first  duty  of  parents  being  to  instruct  their
children,  the  State  should  only  pay  for  them  when  they  cannot
pay  for  themselves.  The  most  orthodox  economist,  even  the
most  opposed  to  State  intervention,  could  not  ask  for  anything
better.
Contrary  to  the  opinions  expressed  at  Geneva,  the  Congress
of  Lausanne  showed  much  distrust  in  respect  of  co-operative
societies,  “  because  they  tend  to  create  a  fourth  estate  with  a
fifth  estate  below  them  more  miserable  still.”  The  objection
appears  a  strange  one.  If  the  working  men  co-operators  are
in  a  better  situation  than  the  others,  is  that  a  reason  for  proscribing ­
  the  Association  ?  Is  it  not  rather  the  reverse  ?  Must
we  condemn  all  reform  which  is  only  partial,  and  can  we  in
practice  obtain  any  other  ?  The  congress,  however,  wished
to  persuade  the  proletariat,  “that  the  social  transformation
could  not  be  effected  in  a  radical  and  permanent  way,  except
by  means  acting  on  society  as  a  whole  and  conformable  to
reciprocity  and  Justice.”  It  was  agreed  that  “in  order  to
prevent  the  associations  from  contributing  to  the  maintenance
of  inequality,  it  was  necessary  to  abolish,  as  far  as  possible,  the
levy  made  by  capital  on  labour,  that  is  to  say,  to  introduce  the
idea  of  mutuality  and  federation.”  This  appears  to  mean  that
interest  should  be  abolished;  but  then,  the  co-operators
getting  no  advantage  by  increasing  their  deposits,  would  give
up  saving,  and  all  increase  in  the  means  of  production  would
be  arrested.  So  long  as  the  formation  of  capital  remains  the
result  of  a  voluntary  act,  inasmuch  as  that  act  constitutes  a
sacrifice,  it  will  not  take  place  without  reward.  On  the  field
of  battle  men  will  die  for  their  country.  In  the  workshop
they  will  not  deny  themselves  that  others  may  enjoy.  Heroism
and  self-abnegation  are  sublime  virtues  ;  but  they  will  never  be
the  moving  forces  of  the  economic  world.
An  important  question  arose  :  Ought  the  International  to
confine  itself  exclusively  to  economic  ground,  or  was  it  its
interest  to  make  common  cause  with  that  party  of  the  bourgeoisie ­
  who  aim  at  political  reforms  and  the  establishment  of
a  republic,  if  need  be  by  means  of  revolution?  Karl  Marx
would  have  wished  to  limit  the  activity  of  the  association  to