AT LE PERREUX 

London, 24 May 1889 

My dear Lafargue, 
Do for goodness’ sake expedite the circular? with the foreign signa- 
tures! Here as everywhere else it will be of the greatest importance to us. 

432 

Never mind the content, however colourless and devoid of rhetorical 
flourishes—it’s the signatures that count. If it reaches us within the next 
eight or ten days, it will mean victory for us here, otherwise we shall lose 
the battle for the second time, and this time it will be the Parisians’ fault. 
It is really so difficult to write a circular anyone can sign? 

Herewith Justice with a manifesto* of which the fury and bare-faced 
mendacity betray all too plainly the effect created here by the 
Convocation,*!+ even at this late hour. The Social Democratic 
Federation, you see,—or rather Hyndman—are well aware that what 
is at stake is their position over here, and likewise that of the Possibilists 
in France. We shall, of course, reply. But if we could append to our 
flysheet the Convocation with the foreign signatures, the effect would be 
tremendous. 

The Convocation has appeared in Commonweal,’ and Morris has 
come out openly in support of our congress. In the Labour Elector W. 
Parnell, a delegate to the London congress*”° and a very good and capa- 
ble chap—a worker—says he has got copies of the Convocation for 
anybody who may want one.*#? A very good acquisition. Tussy has 
arranged a meeting for tomorrow at which Bernstein (over here we call 
him Ede, so if I happen to use that name, you will know whom I mean) 
will meet Burns, Tom Mann and other influential working men. Burns 
has been nominated for the Possibilist congress by his branch. It will be 
a very good thing to have men of that stamp at the Possibilist congress, 
supposing we cannot have them at our own. 

The Star has not yet printed Okecki’s letter,° but only Bax’s on 
Vaillant. We shall remind him about the former. As he wishes to 
promote the sale of his paper in Paris, we shall give him introductions to 
the radical Socialists of the Municipal Council, Longuet, Daumas, etc. 
What does Okecki say in his letter? Does he deny outright the imputa- 
tion that Boulé accepted Boulangist money? You cannot conceive the 
importance—both to ourselves and to you—of this English daily, nor 
how much it would repay the trouble of getting it out of Hyndman’s 
clutches. 

The manifesto in Justice claims that Farjat voted for the Possibilist 
congress (at the London congress). This cannot be true! I am asking him 

4 “Manifesto of the Social-Democratic Federation. Plain Truths about the 
International Congress of Workers in Paris in 1889’, Justice, No. 280, 25 May 
1889 —> on 25 May (see Note 414) —°See this volume, p.316— 4 The Star, 22 May 
1889 —* Henry William Massingham 

by this post to send us a letter we can publish.*#4 But no, on second 
thoughts, I haven’t got his address, and the man I had in mind was Fréjac 
of Commentry and not Farjat. So you would be doing us a great service 
if you could obtain a letter of this kind for us, and as soon as possible, 
for over here there’s no time to be lost if we are not to lose our public. 

I have written to Denmark to find out what is holding things up 
there**°—but my correspondent’ belongs to the radical opposition and 
not to the moderates who lead the party. We have also written to Bebel, 
telling him how important it is to secure the Danes who, in turn, will be 
followed by the Swedes and Norwegians, and have suggested that one of 
the Germans should go there in person if things don’t go well. 

And now, my dear Lafargue, make haste with the Convocation, 
signed by everybody concerned. It is the only effective way of stifling all 
the calumnies and lies put about by the others. And it is most important 
for the countries still hesitating that they should get it before they have 
made up their minds. Liebknecht, with his irresolution and dilatoriness, 
has cost us many a position; do not follow his example. For of one thing 
you may be certain—if you cause us to lose another battle by what 
others can only regard as incomprehensible delays, we over here shall be 
fully justified in losing patience and leaving you to ‘shift for yourselves’. 
It is impossible to help people unless they are willing to help themselves 
just a little. So send out a circular of some sort, but not one liable to 
arouse opposition, to the Parties abroad without further delay, collect 
the signatures and have the thing printed, or send it to us for that 
purpose—with an English translation by Laura to save time. The 
prospects are so good, if only the lot of you would deign to put first 
things first, setting aside all petty rivalries and matters of detail. Don’t 
ruin your own congress, don’t be more German than the Germans. 

Love to Laura, 
Yours ever, 

EE. 

Herewith Justice and Commonweal.