ENGELS TO OTTO WACHS*” 
[Draft] 
[London, end of June-beginning of July 1894] 
To Major Wachs 

Unfortunately, as things are in the Party today, I was obliged to maintain a 
certain reserve in view of the fact that he* contributes to Das Volk. Not 
because of the paper’s standpoint which would have counted for little in a 
purely personal relationship, but until very recently its editor-in-chief, Mr 
Oberwinder, played a role in, and on the periphery of, the Social Democratic 
Party such as to make it absolutely imperative that we also observe a certain 
reticence vis-a-vis his colleagues. °**’ Needless to say, it would never occur to 
me to ask of these, Mr Oberwinder’s colleagues—as to whose good faith I 
am not in doubt—that they should believe what we know about him. As you 
are aware, every social group has its own point d’honneur’ and that is what is 
at stake in this instance amongst us Social Democrats.