London, 18 March 1893 
Dear Sorge, 

We have just spent a fortnight by the sea at Eastbourne '” where we had 
magnificent weather and whence we have returned greatly refreshed. Now 
we can get down to work again. But in fact the visiting season is once more 
upon us—next Sunday (tomorrow week) there’s the Brussels Conference on 
the Zurich Congress, '’ when Bebel will nip over here for a few days '** the 
Lafargues will be coming at the same time and I am glad to have again 
inveigled the young man over here so that he and I can discuss French affairs 
at some length. All the same I ought still to have enough time left to finish 
off Volume II P since I am now over the worst. 

The matter of the Socialiste has now been settled. 

It would seem that a crash is the only solution to the silver business in 
America. '*’ For Cleveland does not, it seems, have either the strength or the 
courage to smash this vicious circle of corruption. And it really would be a 
good thing if there were to be a crisis. A nation—a young nation—so proud 
of its ‘practice’ and at the same time so frightfully bone-headed in the matter 
of theory as America can only eradicate so ingrained an idée fixe at the cost 
of damage to itself. The plausible idea that, if one has no money when one 
needs it, this is because there is not enough money in the world at large, is a 
childish notion common both to the PAPER CURRENCY nonsense 4a la Kellogg 
and to the silver nonsense, and the surest cure for it is experimentation and 
bankruptcy which last might also prove quite beneficial to ourselves in other 
respects. Provided only some sort of tariff reform is achieved this autumn, 
there will be no need for you to repine, for the rest will surely follow. The 
main thing is that American industry is becoming capable of competing on 
the world market. 

Over here things are going very well. The masses are undoubtedly on the 
move, and of this you will find details in Aveling’s admittedly somewhat 
long-winded reports in the Volkszeitung. The best evidence of this 

* of Capital 

is the fact that the old sects are losing ground and having to fall into line, The 
Social Democratic Federation “ has actually deposed Mr Hyndman; every so 
often he is allowed to do a little grumbling and grousing about international 
politics in Justice, but he is finished, HIS OWN PEOPLE HAVE FOUND HIM OUT. 
For the space of ten years the man lost no opportunity of provoking me 
personally and politically, and I never did him the honour of replying, in the 
conviction that he himself was man enough to effect his own ruin; eventually 
I was proved right. After a whole decade of carping they recently invited 
Tussy to write reports on the international movement for Justice, an 
invitation she naturally declined pending the public retraction of the infamous 
calumnies of herself and Aveling which Justice has for years been the 
vehicle. 

The same thing is happening where the Fabians *’ are concerned. As in the 
case of the Social Democratic Federation, their own branches in the 
provinces have outgrown them; in this, as in the Chartist movement, 
Lancashire and Yorkshire are again taking the lead. Men like Sidney Webb, 
Bernard Shaw, etc., who WANTED TO PERMEATE THE LIBERALS WITH 
SOCIALISM, must now submit to being permeated BY THE SPIRIT OF THE 
WORKINGMEN MEMBERS OF THEIR OWN SOCIETY. They fret and fume but IT’s 
NO USE—either they remain on their own, officers without soldiers, or they 
conform. The first seems more likely and is also more desirable. 

The Independent Labour Party ''*—as the latest arrival—has brought with 
it fewer ingrained prejudices, contains good elements, the working men of 
the North being the arbiters, and to that extent is the most genuine expression 
of the present movement, True, there are amongst the leaders all kinds of odd 
individuals and even many of the best, as in America where you are, have 
acquired the parliamentary system’s deplorable habit of cliquism, but they 
have the support of the masses who will either teach them how to behave or 
throw them overboard. They still make blunders and plenty of them, but the 
worst perils are over and I now look for rapid progress which will not be 
without its repercussions in America. 

In Germany the situation has almost reached crisis point. According to the 
last reports on the sessions of the Military Committee a compromise would 
hardly seem possible. ° The government is making it impossible for the 
gentlemen of the Centre "' and the Free Thinkers '” to change sides,* and a 
majority cannot be obtained without 40 or 50 of their number. So 

“See this volume, p. 101 

there’ll be a dissolution and new elections. /f all goes well, I reckon that we 
shall get 2 1/2 million votes, for our numbers have grown like mad. Bebel’s 
estimate is 50 or 60 seats, for the geography of the constituencies is not in 
our favour and all the others band together against us so that, in the second 
ballot, we cannot convert even substantial minorities into majorities. I would 
rather that things carried on as they are until 1895 when we should be able to 
make an impact of a very different order, but no matter what happens 
everything, from Richter to Little Willy,* must needs help us on our way. 

A young man from Texas, F. Wiesen of Baird, wanted me to make a 
statement deploring the nomination of candidates ‘for President’ as a denial 
of the revolutionary principle, since the intention was to abolish the 
Presidency, I sent him the enclosed answer.” Should a garbled Version be 
made public, be so good as to get the Volkszeitung to print this. 

I trust you and your wife are now enjoying better health. Warm regards to 
you both from Mrs Kautsky and 

Your 
F. Engels 

We have sent you the debate on the future organization of society. |” 
Newspapers may have been somewhat irregular while we were away, but 
should be complete.