The International Working Men's Association, 1872

Resolutions


I. Resolution Relating to the General Rules

The following article which resumes the contents of Resolution IX of the Conference of London (September 1871) to be inserted in the Rules after Article 7, viz.: --

Article 7a -- In its struggle against the collective
power of the propertied classes, the working class cannot act
as a class except by constituting itself into a political party,
distinct from, and opposed to all old parties formed by the propertied
classes.

This constitution of the working class into a political party
is indispensable in order to insure the triumph of the social
revolution, and of its ultimate end, the abolition of classes.

The combination of forces which the working class has already
effected by its economical struggles ought, at the same time,
to serve as a lever for its struggles against the political power
of landlords and capitalists.

The lords of land and the lords of capital will always use their
political privileges for the defence and perpetuation of their
economical monopolies, and for the enslavement of labour. The
conquest of political power has therefore become the great duty
of the working class.

Adopted by 29 votes against 5, and 8 abstentions. [1]

II. Resolutions Relating to the Administrative REgulations

1. Powers of the General Council.

Articles II, 2 and 6 have been replaced by the
following articles: --

"Article 2. -- The General Council is bound to execute the
Congress Resolutions, and to take care that in every country the
principles and the General Rules and Regulations of the International
are strictly observed.

"Article 6. -- The General Council has also the right to
suspend Branches, Sections, Federal Councils or committees, and
federations of the International, till the meeting of the next
Congress.

"Nevertheless, in the case of sections belonging to a federation,
the General Council will exercise this right only after having
consulted the respective Federal Council.

"In the case of the dissolution of a Federal Council, the General
Council shall, at the same time, call upon the Sections of the
respective Federation to elect a new Federal Council within 30 days at
most.

"In the case of the suspension of an entire federation, the General
Council shall immediately inform thereof the whole of the federations.
If the majority of them demand it, the General Council shall convoke an
extraordinary conference, composed of one delegate for each
nationality, which shall meet within one month and finally decide upon
the question.

"Nevertheless, it is well understood that the countries where the
International is prohibited shall exercise the same rights as the
regular federations."

Article 2 was adopted by 40 votes against 4; abstentions, 11. [2]

2. Contributions to be paid to the General Council:

With regard to the proposal, on the one hand to raise, on the other to
reduce, the amount of their contributions, the Congress had to decide
whether the actual amount of 1d. per annum, should be altered or not.
The Congress maintained the penny by 17 votes against 12, and 8
abstentions. [3]

III. Resolution Relating to the Internationalisation of Trades' Societies

The new General Council is entrusted with the
special mission to establish International trades unions.

For this purpose it will, within the month following this Congress,
draw up a circular which shall be translated and published in all
languages, and forwarded to all trades' societies whose addresses are
known, whether they are affiliated to the International or not.

In this circular every Union shall be called upon to enter into an
International union of its respective trade.

Every Union shall be invited to fix itself the conditions under which
it proposes to enter the International Union of its trade.

The General Council shall, from the conditions fixed by the Unions,
adopting the idea of International union, draw up a general plan, and
submit it to the provisional acceptance of the Societies.<>

The next Congress will finally settle the fundamental treaty for the
International trades unions.

(Voted unanimously minus a few abstentions, the number of which has not
been stated in the minutes.)

IV. Resolutions Relating to the Admission of Sections[4]

1. Section 2 (New York, French) of the North American
Federation. -- This Section had been excluded by the American
Federal Council. On the other hand, it had not been recognised as an
independent Section by the General Council. It was not admitted by the
Congress. Voted against the admission, 38; for, 9; abstained, 11.

2. Section 12 (New York, American) of the North
American Federation. -- Suspended by the General Council.

In the course of the debate on the credentials of Section 12, the
following resolution was adopted by 47 votes against 0; abstentions, 9:

The International Working Men's Association, based upon the principle
of the abolition of classes, cannot admit any middle class Sections. [5]

Section 12 was excluded by 49 votes against 0; abstentions, 9. [6]

3. Section of Marseilles. -- This Section, quite
unknown to the General Council, and to the French Sections in
correspondence with the latter, is not admitted. Against the admission,
38; for, 0; abstentions, 14.

4. Section of Propaganda and Revolutionary Action, at
Geneva. This Section, which is but the resurrection of the
(public) "Alliance de la Democratique Socialiste", of Geneva, dissolved
in August 1871, had been recognised neither by the Romance Federal
Committee nor by the General Council, which, indeed, had returned its
contributions when sent by the Jurassian Federal Committee. The
Congress resolved to suspend it till after the debate on the second
[secret] Alliance. The suspension was voted unanimously, less a few
abstentions not counted.

5. New Federation of Madrid. -- The new Federation
of Madrid was formed by the members of the previous Spanish Federal
Council, after the old Federation of Madrid, in flagrant breach of the
rules then in force, had expelled them for having denounced the
conspiracy of the secret alliance against the International Working
Men's Association. They addressed themselves, in the first instance, to
the Spanish Federal Council, which refused to affiliate the new
Federation. They then addressed themselves to the General Council,
which took upon itself the responsibility of recognising it without
consulting the Spanish Council, amongst whose eight members not less
than five belonged to the Alliance.

The Congress admitted this Federation by 40 votes against 0; the few
abstentions were not counted.

V. Audit of the Accounts of the General Council

The Committee appointed by the Congress for the
auditing of the accounts of the General Council for the year 1871-72,
was composed of the following citizens: -- Dumont, for France; Alerini,
for Spain; Farkas, for Austria and Hungary; Brismée, for
Belgium; Lafargue, for the new Federation of Madrid and for Portugal;
Pihl, for Denmark;

J. Ph. Becker, for German Switzerland; Duval, for the Romance Swiss
Federation; Schwitzguébel, for the Jurassian Swiss Federation;
Dave, for Holland; Dereure, for America; and Cuno, for Germany

The accounts submitted to this Committee were approved and signed by
all its members excepting Dave, absent.

The accounts having been read, the Congress approved of them by a
unanimous vote.

VI. Powers Issued by the General Council, and by Federal Councils

The Congress resolved,

"To annul all powers issued, as well by the General Council as by
any of the Federal Councils, to members of the International in such
countries where the Association is prohibited, and to reserve to the
new General Council the exclusive right of appointing, in those
countries, the plenipotentiaries of the International Working Men's
Association."

Adopted unanimously, less a few abstentions not specially counted.

VII. Resolutions Relating to the Alliance

The Committee charged with the inquiry regarding
the (second/secret) Alliance of Social Democracy, consisted of the
citizens -- Cuno (33 votes), Lucain (24), Splingard (31), Vichard (30),
and Walter (29).

In its report to the Congress, the majority of this Committee declared
that "the secret Alliance was established with rules entirely opposed
to those of the International."

It proposed: --

"To exclude from the International Michael Bakounine, as founder of
the Alliance, and for a personal affair.

"To exclude Guillaume and Schwitzguébel, as members of the
Alliance.

"To exclude B. Malon, Bousquet (Secretary of Police at
Béziers, France) [The Committee was not acquainted with the
fact that M. Bousquet, upon the demands of his Section, had already
been excluded by a formal vote of the General Council], and Louis
Marchand, as convicted of acts aiming at the disorganisation of the
International Working Men's Association.

"To withdraw the charges against Alerini, Marselau, Morago, Farga
Pellicer, and Joukowski, upon their formal declaration that they no
longer belong to the Alliance.

"To authorise the Committee to publish the documents upon
which their conclusions were based."

The Congress resolved

"1. To exclude Michael Bakounine. Voted for, 27; against, 6;
abstentions, 7. [7]

"2. To exclude Guillaume. 25 for, 9 against, 8 abstentions. [8]

"3. Not to exclude Schwitzguébel. For exclusion 15; against
16; abstentions, 7. [9]

"4. To refrain from voting upon the other exclusions proposed by
the Committee. Adopted unanimously, minus some few abstentions.

"5. To publish the documents relating to the Alliance. Adopted
unanimously, minus some few abstentions."

It is to be noted that these votes upon the Alliance were taken after a
great number of French and German delegates had been obliged to
leave.

VIII. Residence and Composition of the Nerxt General Council

1. Vote upon the change of residence of the General
Council. Voted for the change, 26; against, 23; abstentions, 9. [10]

2. The seat of the General Council has been transferred to
New York, by 30 votes against 14, for London, and 12 abstentions. [11]

3. The Congress resolved to appoint twelve members,
residing in New York, to the General Council, with the faculty of
adding them to that number. The following were elected:

Votes

29 Bertrand (German)

29 Bolte (German)

29 Laurel (Swede)

29 Kavanagh (Irish)

29 Saint Clair (Irish)

28 Leviele (French)

28 Carl (German)

26 David (French)

26 Dereure (French)

25 Fornaccieri (Italian)

23 Speyer (German)

22 Ward (American)

IX. Place of Meeting of Next Congress

The proposition that the new Congress should meet
in Switzerland, and that the new General Council should determine in
what town, was adopted. There voted for Switzerland 15, for London 5,
for Chicago 1, and for Spain 1.

X. Committee to Draw up the Minutes

The following were appointed, without opposition:
-- Dupont, Engels, Frankel, Le Moussu, Marx and Serraillier.

Committee:

F. Dupont

F. Engels

Leo Frankel

Le Moussu

Karl Marx,

Auguste Serraillier

London

21st October, 1872

Notes

1 The French text of the resolutions has here:

Voted for: Arnaud, J. Ph. Becker, B. Becker, Cournet,
Dereure, Dumont, Dupont, Duval, Eccarius, Engels, Farkas,
Friedländer, Frankel, Hepner, Heim, Johannard, Kugelmann,
Lafargue, Longuet, Le Moussu, Mottershead, Pihl, Ranvier, Serraillier,
Sorge, Swarm, Vaillant, Wilmot, MacDonnell.

Voted against: Brismée, Coenen, Gerhard,
Schwitzguébel, Van der Hout.

Abstained: Van den Abeele, Dave, Eberhardt, Fluse,
Guillaume, Herman, Sauva, Marselau.

The Congress officially decided to recognise as valid the votes of the
delegates who could not attend the sitting because of their work in
commissions.

The following delegates voted for: Cuno, Lucain, Marx, Vichard, Walter,
Wróblewski; 6 in all. Not a vote against.

In Engels' manuscript the following passage has been deleted:

"As the resolution obtained more than two-thirds of the votes,
according to Article 12 of the General Rules, it henceforth becomes
part of the General Rules."

2 The French text of the resolutions has here:

Voted for: Arnaud, Barry, J. Ph. Becker, B. Becker, Cournet,
Cuno, Dereure, Dumont, Dupont, Duval, Engels, Farkas, Frankel,
Friedländer, Hepner, Heim, Johannard, Kugelmann, Lafargue,
Lessner, Le Moussu, Longuet, Lucain, MacDonnell, Marx, Milke, Pihl,
Ranvier, Roach, Sauva, Scheu, Serraillier, Sexton, Sorge, Swarm,
Schumacher, Vaillant, Vichard, Walter, Wróblewski.

Voted against: Fluse, Gerhard, Splingard, Van der Hout.

Abstained: Alerini, Coenen, Dave, Eberhardt, Guillaume,
Herman, Morago, Marselau, Farga Pellicer, Schwitzguébel, Van den
Abeele.

Article 6 -- adopted by 36 votes against 6, abstentions, 16.

Voted for: Arnaud, Barry, J. Ph. Becker, B. Becker, Cournet,
Cuno, Dereure, Dupont, Duval, Engels, Farkas, Frankel,
Friedländer, Hepner, Heim, Johannard, Kugelmann, Lafargue,
Lessner, Le Moussu, Longuet, Ludwig, MacDonnell, Marx, Milke, Pihl,
Ranvier, Serraillier, Schumacher, Sexton, Sorge, Swarm, Vaillant,
Vichard, Walter, Wróblewski.

Voted against: Brismée, Coenen, Fluse, Herman, Sauva,
Splingard.

Abstained: Alerini, Cyrille, Dave, Dumont, Eberhardt,
Guillaume, Lucain, Marselau, Morago, Mottershead, Farga Pellicer,
Roach, Schwitzguébel, Van den Abeele, Van der Rout, Wilmot.

3 The French text of the resolutions has here:

Voted against the contribution being altered: J. Ph. Becker,
Brismée, Coenen, Cyrille, Dupont, Duval, Eberhardt, Eccarius,
Farkas, Fluse, Gerhard, Herman, Hepner, Serraillier, Sorge, Swarm,
Wilmot.

Voted for the contribution being altered: Dumont, Engels,
Frankel, Heim, Johannard, Lafargue, Le Moussu, Longuet, Lucain,
MacDonnell, Pihl, Sauva.

Abstained: Alerini, Dave, Dereure, Guillaume, Marselau,
Morago, Farga Pellicer, Schwitzguébel.

The following delegates, obliged to leave The Hague before this
question was discussed, handed in their vote in writing for the
raising of the contribution: Arnaud. Cournet, Ranvier, Vaillant.

4 The French text reads: Admission and Exclusion of
Sections.

The Mandate Commission was composed as follows: Gerhard (50 votes),
Ranvier (44), Roach (41), Marx (41), MacDonnell (39), Dereure (36),
Frankel (22).

5 After this the French text of the resolutions has:

Voted for: Arnaud, J. Ph. Becker, Barry, Brismée,
Cournet, Cuno, Coenen, Dave, Dereure, Dietzgen, Dupont, Duval,
Eberhardt, Fluse, Farkas, Frankel, Friedländer, Guillaume,
Gerhard, Heim, Hepner, Herman, Johannard, Kugelmann, Lafargue, Le
Moussu, Lessner, Lucain, Marx, Milke, Mottershead, Pihl, Ranvier,
Sauva, Scheu, Schumacher, Serraillier, Sexton, Sorge, Splingard, Swarm,
Vaillant, Vichard, Wilmot, Wróblewski, Walter, Van den
Abeele.

Abstained: Alerini, Eccarius, Harcourt, Marselau, Morago,
Farga Pellicer, Roach, Schwitzguébel, Van der Hout.-Ed.

6 After this the French text of the resolutions has:

Voted for the exclusion: Arnaud, Barry, J. Ph. Becker,
Brismée, Cournet, Coenen, Cuno, Dave, Dereure, Dietzgen, Dumont,
Dupont, Duval, Eberhardt, Fluse, Farkas, Frankel, Friedländer,
Gerhard, Heim, Hepner, Herman, Johannard, Kugelmann, Lafargue, Le
Moussu, Lessner, Lucain, MacDonnell, Marx, Milke, Pihl, Ranvier, Roach,
Sauva, Scheu, Schumacher, Serraillier, Sexton, Sorge, Splingard, Swarm,
Vaillant, Van den Abeele, Van der Rout, Vichard, Wilmot,
Wróblewski, Walter.

Abstained: Alerini, Eccarius, Guillaume, Harcourt, Marselan,
Morago, Farga Pellicer, Mottershead, Schwitzguébel.-Ed.

7 The French text of the resolutions has here:

Voted for: J. Ph. Becker, Cuno, Dereure, Dumont, Dupont,
Duval, Engels, Farkas, Frankel, Heim, Hepner, Johannard, Kugelmann,
Lafargue, Le Moussu, Longuet, Lucain, MacDonnell, Marx, Pihl,
Serraillier, Sorge, Swarm, Vichard, Wilmot, Walter,
Wróblewski.

Voted against: Brismée, Dave, Fluse, Herman, Coenen,
Van den Abeele.

Abstained: Alerini, Guillaume, Marselau, Morago, Sauva,
Splingard, Schwitzguébel.

8 The French text of the resolutions has here:

Voted for: J. Ph. Becker, Cuno, Dumont, Dupont, Duval,
Engels, Farkas, Frankel, Heim, Hepner, Johannard, Kugelmann, Lafargue,
Le Moussu, Longuet, Lucain, Marx, Pihl, Serraillier, Sorge, Swarm,
Vichard, Walter, Wilmot, Wróblewski.

Voted against: Brismée, Cyrille, Dave, Fluse, Herman,
Coenen, Sauva, Splingard, Van den Abeele.

Abstained: Alerini, Dereure, Friedländer, MacDonnell,
Marselau, Morago, Farga Pellicer, Schwitzguébel.

9 The French text of the resolutions has here:

Voted for the exclusion: J. Ph. Becker, Cuno, Dumont,
Engels, Farkas, Helm, Hepner, Kugelmann, Le Moussu, Marx, Pihl,
Splingard, Walter, Vichard, Wróblewski.

Voted against: Brismée, Coenen, Cyrille, Dave,
Dereure, Dupont, Fluse, Frankel, Herman, Johannard, Longuet, Sauva,
Serraillier, Swarm, Wilmot, Van den Abeele.

Abstained: Duval, Lafargue, Lucain, MacDonnell, Marselau,
Morago, Farga Pellicer.

10 The French text of the resolutions has here:

Voted for: Barry, I. Ph. Becker, Brismée, Cuno, Dave,
Dumont, Dupont, Engels, Harcourt, Johannard, Kugelmann, Lafargue,
Lessner, Le Moussu, Longuet, MacDonnell, Marx, Roach, Sauva,
Serraillier, Sexton, Sorge, Swarm, Vichard, Van den Abeele,
Wróblewski.

Voted against: Arnaud, B. Becker, Cournet, Dereure, Duval,
Farkas, Frankel, Friedländer, Gerhard, Heim, Hepner, Herman,
Lucain, Ludwig, Milke, Pihl, Ranvier, Schumacher, Splingard, Vaillant,
Wilmot, Walter, Van der Hout.

Abstained: Cyrille, Eberhardt, Fluse, Guillaume, Marselau,
Morago, Farga Pellicer, Schwitzguébel, Alerini.

11 The French text of the resolutions has here:

Voted for New York: J. Ph. Becker, B. Becker,
Brismée, Cuno, Coenen, Dave, Dumont, Dupont, Engels, Farkas,
Fluse, Friedländer, Herman, Kugelmann, Lafargue, Lessner, Le
Moussu, Longuet, Lucain, MacDonnell, Marx, Pihl, Roach, Serraillier,
Sexton, Splingard, Swarm, Vichard, Van den Abeele,
Wróblewski.

Voted for London: Arnaud, Cournet, Dereure, Duval, Frankel,
Helm, Hepner, Ludwig, Milke, Ranvier, Schumacher, Vaillant, Wilmot,
Walter.

Abstained: Cyrille, Eberhardt, Gerhard, Guillaume,
Johannard, Alerini, Marselau, Morago, Farga Pellicer, Sorge,
Schwitzguébel, Van der Hout.