Second International | The 1889 Congresses | Proceedings of First Congress (Possibilist)
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The session opens at nine o'clock, under the chairmanship of Citizen A. Fortuijn, a Dutch delegate, and Citizen Caumeau, a French delegate. The assessors are citizens Croce, an Italian delegate, and Simonet, from the St. Etienne metal workers. Secretary for the session is Citizen H. Galiment.
Citizen Augé reads out the minutes of the previous session. These minutes are approved after a correction by a Danish delegate, who notes that there is a Socialist MP in the Danish Parliament.
Citizen Lavy communicates the response of the dissident Congress on the subject of the merger.
To the International Workers' Congress assembled at 10, rue de Lancry.
Citizens,
In the name of the International Socialist Workers' Congress assembled at 42, rue Rochechouart, by virtue of the decisions of the Bordeaux and Troyes Congresses, and of the international conference in The Hague, we are communicating to you the decision taken by the permanent bureau, mandated for this purpose, about this letter.
According to the resolution it passed yesterday, our Congress can only agree to the pure and simple union of the two Congresses; not having made or making any restrictions, not having set and not setting any conditions, it does not accept any.
The Italian delegation is responsible for delivering this communication.
For the bureau:
The secretary, R. LAVIGNE.
The chairman, WILHELM LIEBKNECHT.
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Citizen Joffrin appeals to the sense of fairness of the foreign delegates. We have not said a single word of abuse about the socialists of the dissident Congress. Nevertheless they go so far as to create nationalities that do not exist like Alsace-Lorraine. Nothing prevents them from creating a delegation for Champagne, or for Normandy. The Marxists may have hoped to deceive us with fictitious mandates, but they have been far too naive.
Citizen Costa, delegated by the dissenting Congress to bring the reply about the merger, regrets that the desired union has not been achieved. He thinks that we could skip the formality of the validation of mandates. He adds that the Italian delegation will attend the two Congresses without taking part in the vote on the resolutions.
Citizen Croce, delegate of the Italian workers' party, protests against these words. He will take part in the work of the only legitimate Congress.
The agenda is decided on the question of the merger. The various nationalities have voted for the agenda, with the exception of Italy.
Citizen Lenormand, rapporteur for the commission of the chambres syndicales, reminds delegates that they must provide him with the number of members of their union.
Citizen Lavy informs Congress that the group of Swiss refugees have sent their support.
The next order of the day is the discussion of the 1st question:
International labour legislation. — Legal regulation of the working day. — Work by day, at night, on public holidays, by adults, by women and by children. — Oversight of workshops in large and small industries, as well as domestic industry. Ways and means to achieve these demands.
The delegate of the numbering machine makers takes the floor. The working day should be eight hours, he said. Physiologists believe that overwork wears out —60— the body. From the political point of view, the reduction of the working day is necessary to allow the political education of the people. From the moral point of view, a man should spend some time in the bosom of his family. He is prevented from doing so by long working days. Men must have one day of rest per week. Women must not work. Their place is by the domestic hearth. Children should not work until the age of fifteen. The oversight of the workshops is not strict enough. While night work cannot be entirely prohibited, blast furnace owners, for example, should be subject to a fixed fee for each hour of night work. This charge will be used to provide a fund for the elderly and those unable to work.
Citizen Jensen, a Danish delegate, explains that in his country workers demand an eight-hour day, a ban on night work, and holidays. As in France, the oversight of the workshops is poorly done because delegates of the workers are excluded from the duties of inspectors, which are reserved for the bourgeoisie.
The delegate of the Association for resistance of the lithograph print workers of the Seine district reads a report on the first question:
Long working days generate crises of overproduction. Women must claim their rights as mothers to bring up their children and take care of the household. The man alone must provide for the needs of the family. The introduction of women and children into the workshop lowers wages. If the woman works, her salary should equal that of the man. Finally, we must regulate production so that we no longer witness the sad spectacle of the worker working four months day and night only to remain unemployed for three or four months.
The United States delegate, representing a powerful section of the Knights of Labor, does not wish to discuss the issue of —61— principle, on which all Socialists agree. He examines the ways and means. In the United States, legislative action is limited by the autonomy of the states. Another difficulty is caused by the immigration of 500,000 European workers each year. In two weeks, the capitalists can replace the striking workers with workers from Europe. The United States has passed a law against emigration agencies that abuse the good faith of the proletariat. European workers must put pressure on their leaders to ban all emigration agencies. Once they have got rid of foreign competition, the Americans will help their brethren in Europe to emancipate themselves.
The delegate of the Union of weavers and related trades for Lyon reads his report. This report calls for international labour legislation to intervene to protect workers. This legislation will relate to fixing and reducing the working day to eight hours. As a corollary, a minimum wage will be set based on the price of essential items; the fixing of this minimum will be left to the care of the unions. Municipal, departmental and national workshops must guarantee workers against unemployment. The elderly and those unable to work will be the responsibility of society. Women should be prohibited from excessive work. It is necessary that children do not work under the age of sixteen.
As means, this report proposes that the workers' associations represented at the International Congress lead, in their respective countries, an energetic campaign with the public authorities; that in all elected bodies proposals be tabled repeatedly until they have been realized.
The weavers' union also calls for the reconstitution of the International on new bases, while respecting the autonomy of each organization. It also proposes —62— that the next congress be held in Switzerland next year.
Citizen Lavy explains the report of the Italian Workers' Party. He declares beforehand that citizen Croce, delegate of this party, does not associate himself with the acts of the other Italian delegates.[1]
The Italian workers' party believes that limiting the working day is necessary to lessen the consequences of industrial crises. It also believes that night work should be abolished, and that where it is essential it should be paid twice as much as day work. Women's work must be protected; as for work by children, it must be absolutely prohibited. Oversight of industry must be exercised by representatives of the organized workers. The best means of realizing these demands consist of the energetic organization of the labour force and the continual propaganda of socialist principles.
As the time was late, further reading and discussion of the reports on the first question were adjourned until Thursday morning.
Following a report of Citizen Lenormand, the chambre syndicale of the engravers, which includes employers and workers, is struck from Congress.
The session ends at half past eleven.
1. That is, that unlike Costa, who is attending both Congresses but refuses to vote in either if they do not merge, Croce believes the Possibilist Congress is the only legitimate one and is happy to vote in it.