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detestation the parasites of the movement and the truly heroic and high…
minded men who have elaborated its theories and sacrificed comfort and
success to their propagation。
＇18＇ The attitude of all the better Anarchists is that expressed by L。 S。
Bevington in the words： ‘‘Of course we know that among those who call
themselves Anarchists there are a minority of unbalanced enthusiasts who
look upon every illegal and sensational act of violence as a matter for
hysterical jubilation。 Very useful to the police and the press； unsteady in
intellect and of weak moral principle； they have repeatedly shown
themselves accessible to venal considerations。 They； and their violence；
and their professed Anarchism are purchasable； and in the last resort they
are welcome and efficient partisans of the bourgeoisie in its remorseless
war against the deliverers of the people。'' His conclusion is a very wise one：
‘‘Let us leave indiscriminate killing and injuring to the Governmentto its
Statesmen； its Stockbrokers； its Officers； and its Law。'' （‘‘Anarchism and
Violence；'' pp。 9…10。 Liberty Press； Chiswick； 1896。）
The terrorist campaign in which such men as Ravachol were active
practically came to an end in 1894。 After that time； under the influence of
Pelloutier； the better sort of Anarchists found a less harmful outlet by
advocating Revolutionary Syndicalism in the Trade Unions and Bourses
du Travail。＇19＇
＇19＇ See next Chapter。
The ECONOMIC organization of society； as conceived by Anarchist
Communists； does not differ greatly from that which is sought by
Socialists。 Their difference from Socialists is in the matter of government：
they demand that government shall require the consent of all the governed；
and not only of a majority。 It is undeniable that the rule of a majority may
be almost as hostile to freedom as the rule of a minority： the divine right
of majorities is a dogma as little possessed of absolute truth as any other。
A strong democratic State may easily be led into oppression of its best
citizens； namely； those those independence of mind would make them a
force for progress。 Experience of democratic parliamentary government
has shown that it falls very far short of what was expected of it by early
Socialists； and the Anarchist revolt against it is not surprising。 But in the
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form of pure Anarchism； this revolt has remained weak and sporadic。 It is
Syndicalism； and the movements to which Syndicalism has given rise； that
have popularized the revolt against parliamentary government and purely
political means of emancipating the wage earner。 But this movement must
be dealt with in a separate chapter。
CHAPTER III
THE SYNDICALIST REVOLT
SYNDICALISM arose in France as a revolt against political
Socialism； and in order to understand it we must trace in brief outline the
positions attained by Socialist parties in the various countries。
After a severe setback； caused by the Franco… Prussian war； Socialism
gradually revived； and in all the countries of Western Europe Socialist
parties have increased their numerical strength almost continuously during
the last forty years； but； as is invariably the case with a growing sect； the
intensity of faith has diminished as the number of believers has increased。
In Germany the Socialist party became the strongest faction of the
Reichstag； and； in spite of differences of opinion among its members； it
preserved its formal unity with that instinct for military discipline which
characterizes the German nation。 In the Reichstag election of 1912 it
polled a third of the total number of votes cast； and returned 110 members
out of a total of 397。 After the death of Bebel； the Revisionists； who
received their first impulse from Bernstein； overcame the more strict
Marxians； and the party became in effect merely one of advanced
Radicalism。 It is too soon to guess what will be the effect of the split
between Majority and Minority Socialists which has occurred during the
war。 There is in Germany hardly a trace of Syndicalism； its characteristic
doctrine； the preference of industrial to political action； has found scarcely
any support。
In England Marx has never had many followers。 Socialism there has
been inspired in the main by the Fabians （founded in 1883）； who threw
over the advocacy of revolution； the Marxian doctrine of value； and the
class…war。 What remained was State Socialism and a doctrine of
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‘‘permeation。'' Civil servants were to be permeated with the realization
that Socialism would enormously increase their power。 Trade Unions were
to be permeated with the belief that the day for purely industrial action
was past； and that they must look to government （inspired secretly by
sympathetic civil servants） to bring about； bit by bit； such parts of the
Socialist program as were not likely to rouse much hostility in the rich。
The Independent Labor Party （formed in 1893） was largely inspired at first
by the ideas of the Fabians； though retaining to the present day； and
especially since the outbreak of the war； much more of the original
Socialist ardor。 It aimed always at co…operation with the industrial
organizations of wage…earners； and； chiefly through its efforts； the Labor
Party＇20＇ was formed in 1900 out of a combination of the Trade Unions
and the political Socialists。 To this party； since 1909； all the important
Unions have belonged； but in spite of the fact that its strength is derived
from Trade Unions； it has stood always for political rather than industrial
action。 Its Socialism has been of a theoretical and academic order； and in
practice； until the outbreak of war； the Labor members in Parliament （of
whom 30 were elected in 1906 and 42 in December； 1910） might be
reckoned almost as a part of the Liberal Party。
＇20＇ Of which the Independent Labor Party is only a section。
France； unlike England and Germany； was not content merely to
repeat the old shibboleths with continually diminishing conviction。 In
France＇21＇ a new movement； originally known as Revolutionary
Syndicalismand afterward simply as Syndicalism kept alive the vigor
of the original impulse； and remained true to the spirit of the older
Socialists； while departing from the letter。 Syndicalism； unlike Socialism
and Anarchism； began from an existing organization and developed the
ideas appropriate to it； whereas Socialism and Anarchism began with the
ideas and only afterward developed the organizations which were their
vehicle。 In order to understand Syndicalism； we have first to describe
Trade