Brighton, 23 February 1877 
42 King’s Road 

Dear Moor, 

I wrote to Bignami last week, took out a subscription to the 
Plebe, and wrote to him about the elections.** Three days ago, 
before we left,2*° I received 3 numbers, and he is going to let me 
have some that are missing.””’ My intervention could not have 
come at a better time. 

Plebe, 7 January, reports proceedings at the Assizes against 
Bignami, the Questore (chief of police) of Turin (the self-same man 
who treated Terzaghi to a ‘vermouth’, see Alliance de la Démocratie 
Socialiste*), for embezzlement (tout comme chez nous”). A policeman, 

4 K. Marx and F. Engels, The Alliance of Socialist Democracy and the International 
Working Men's Association. - > just like at home (a modified phrase from Nolant de 
Fatouville’s comedy Arlequin, empereur dans la lune; ‘tout comme ici’ (just as here) is 
the stock response made by the people listening to Harlequin’s inventions about life on 
the moon) 

one Blandini, stated that, on Bignami’s orders, he had carried out 
a pro-forma* house search chez Terzaghi, having also been ordered 
by Bignami only to remove what Terzaghi should give him. When 
a warrant went out for Terzaghi’s arrest, he had already been 
notified by another policeman, Premerlani, acting on Bignami’s 
orders; Terzaghi era un agente segreto di Bignami che gli dava tre lire 
(francs) al giorno.” About which the Plebe remarked that this 
showed what use the fondi segreti dei governi di classe‘ were put to. 

To which there came a reply from a little Bakuninist sheet, II 
Martello‘—the name betrays my Cafiero.—Since discussion of the 
revolting Terzaghi case was not permissible, the little sheet 
fastened on the fondi segrett det governi di classe: so in your 
case, it said, the governi non di classe would likewise have fondi 
segreti,, so im your case, too, everything would remain as 
before—there follows all the same old anarchist rigmarole que l’on 
sait Having replied to this in due form, the Plebe at once 
proceeded to attack the Bulletin Jurassien for having been sent into 
a rage by four lines in the Plebe and acting as though the Plebe 
were enraged although it had simply been edificata by the 
Jurassien’s insinuation. 

Come to that, [said the Plebe] one would have to be exceedingly ingenuoi to 
take the bait proffered by people who, green with envy, went knocking at door 
after door to beg for a bit of animosity towards us in return for their calumnies. 
The hand, which has long been sowing tares and discord, is sufficiently well known 
for its Loyolan) machinations to be instantly detectable and gli onesti non ne facciano 
tantosto giustiziak 

The same No. contains a letter from E. Dérenberg (Drbg. of the 
Berliner Freie Presse) on the elections in Berlin. 

No. of 16 February, letter from Brussels, ‘Cesar De Paepe’ about 
the recent Flemish agitation for factory laws and general suffrage, 
ends: 

Noi crediamo altresi di arrivare, con questo metodo, pit prontamente e pit puramente 
all ‘emancipazione del proletario, piuttosto che star li, abbaiando alla luna per degli anni e 
dei quarti di secolo, e attendendo che mamma Rivoluzione voglia degnarsi di venire a 
spezzarsi le catene dei lavoratori: 

a formal - > was a secret agent of Bignami’s who gave him three lire a day. - © class 
governments’ secret funds - 4 See La Plebe, 21 January 1877. - © nonclass govern- 
ments - f secret funds - § we are familiar with - » edified - i ingenuous - J from 
the name of St. Ignatius of Loyola, i.e. Jesuitical - * Honest folk won't take very 
long to size it up. -! We likewise believe that we shall, by this means, achieve the 
emancipation of the proletariat more promptly and more thoroughly than if we were 
to stand for years and generations baying at the moon and waiting until Mother 
Revolution should deign to come and break the workers’ chains. 

It further speaks of old Becker’s proclamation"” as a symptom, 
and in most amicable terms. 

A very delighted letter from Bignami today, in which he says he 
will print my stuff on the elections, and confirms that the 
Federazione dell’alta Italia,» which extends from Venice to Turin 
and will shortly be holding a congress,”” vuole lottare sul terreno del 
suffragio universale.” The Plebe is its official organ. 

Thus the stronghold of lawyers, literati and dilettanti in Italy 
has been breached. And the best part of it is that all the former 
Alliance men* in Milan, Mauro Gandolfi, etc., of Cuno’s time 
also seem to have gone over. Indeed, a bogus working men’s 
movement could not have survived long in an industrial city like 
Milan. And Northern Italy is decisive not only strategically, but 
also to the working men’s movement throughout the whole length 
of the agrarian peninsula. 

Thus the world government in Neuchatel has nothing 
left that is uncontested except for Spain, and how long will that 
last? 

If these events are to be followed more closely, by the way, it is 
high time that Mr Demuth took out a subscription to the Bul- 
letin jurassien, as agreed. After all, we’ve got to know what ana- 
themas are being uttered by the Holy See’s universal dictator and 
deputy.‘ 

Warmest regards to all, 

Your 
F. E.