Letter to Laura Lafargue, July 30, 1890

Author(s) Friedrich Engels
Written 30 July 1890


First published in English in: F. Engels, P. et L. Lafargue, Correspondance, t. II (1887-1890), Paris
Published in English for the first time in Marx-Engels Collected Works, Volume 48


TO LAURA LAFARGUE AT LE PERREUX

London, 30 July 1890

My dear Laura,

Here we are again from the icy regions of the North—temperature mostly 10° in cloudy weather, very hot when the sun shone, two flannels and a topcoat not too much on an average! The journey has done us both a world of good, and with a Nachkur[1] at the seaside I hope to be completely set up again. I found Nim quite enthusiastic about her stay in Paris, she never enjoyed herself so much, and if I am not mistaken and you do not take care, you will have her an annual customer.

We met the German fleet at Molde but young William[2] was not there—he sneaked past our steamer later on in the Sunelvsfjord in a torpedo boat—so that with the impossibility of getting papers we were out altogether of la grande politique. Fortunately nothing happened worth knowing—the first news at Bergen were about the reorganisation of the German Party after Oct. 1st,[3] and on arriving here, the splendid news about the two fights in Leeds[4] where young Will Thorne proved himself a leader in battle of both courage and ability. This mode of lawful resistance is very much to be approved of, especially here in England—and it succeeded.

Enclosed I found on my return and opened, but it is for Même. Cannot anyone in Paris give us any information about that de Lavigerie who here gives as references Baudin, Ferroul, Guesde, the whole of the party in the Chamber and those in the Conseil Municipal} Of course, if none of all these gentlemen will either disavow or acknow- ledge this man, or give any information about him, what must the people here do? So long as none of his references repudiate him, the people here cannot but take him for genuine. And if afterwards he turns out a black sheep, or does harm to our French friends (for to the people here he can do none), they must blame themselves.

Now I must conclude. You will not want telling that I found an immense heap of correspondence, papers, etc. here and that I have my hands full for some days—so excuse this short note. Have you seen Paul's Portrait in the Neue Welt Kalender—it is very good, so are the other Frenchmen.

Love from Nim, Schorlemmer,

and Yours ever

F. Engels

  1. ↑ after-cure
  2. ↑ William II
  3. ↑ The Anti-Socialist law (Gesetz gegen die gemeingefahrlichen Bestrebungen der Sozialdemokratie) was introduced by the Bismarck government, with the support of the majority of the Reichstag, on 21 October 1878, as a means of combating the socialist and working-class movement. It imposed a ban on all Social Democratic and working-class organisations and on the socialist and workers' press; socialist literature was subject to confiscation, and Social Democrats to reprisals. However, under the Constitution, the Social Democratic Party retained its group in parliament. By combining underground activities with the use of legal possibilities, in particular by working to overcome reformist and anarchist tendencies in its own ranks, the party was able to consolidate and expand its influence among the masses. Marx and Engels gave the party leaders considerable help. Under the pressure of the mass working-class movement the Anti-Socialist Law was repealed (1 October 1890). For Engels' characterisation of the law see his article 'Bismarck and the German Workers Party' (present edition, Vol. 24, pp407-09).
  4. ↑ The owners of the gas enterprises of Leeds demanded that workers be hired for a term of 4 months without a right to participate in strike action during this period. The volume of work done in an 8-hour day was supposed to be 25 per cent higher than what had been performed before, that is, when the working day had been longer. These entrepreneurial conditions, amounting to an actual annihilation of the Gas Workers and General Labourers' Union and of the hard-won legal working hours, caused anger and counter-action amongst the working men. Early in July 1890 it came to clashes between strikers and blacklegs, the latter being supported by the police. The stubborn resistance of the striking workers made the strike-breakers and troops retreat. The employers had to withdraw their demands. The exploit of one of the heroes or the Leeds strike, Will Thorne, received high praise from Engels who presented him with a copy of the English edition of Volume I of Capital bearing the following dedication: 'To Will Thorne, the victor of the Leeds with fraternal greetings from Frederick Engels'.