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are wont to think that as members of a Church, or a Lodge, or some other small Benevolent Society they will forever be safe from the worst miseries. They fail to see that when the great majority of a Nation has once entered upon the downward path of impoverishment, all the channels of mutual help and benevolence must dry up; and that a great National, even a World's Crisis, like the present, cannot be overcome but by a great and general growth of the feeling of solidarity. The maxim thus far prevailing, "Every one for himself, and the dl take the hindmost" is played out, as we all can observe, and should yield to the great principle of the future, "One for all, and all for one."
As regards the measures which our Party Congresses have devised for our common immediate activity, none are of greater importance than organization of Trades Unions on a Socio-Democratic basis, and political action to obtain a law in favor of a work-day of Eight Hours and its faithful execution.
Wherever the old Trades Unions, which exclude political discussion and action, can be induced to give up that portion of their maxims, and to place themselves squarely on our platform,—because our Party is founded in an uncompromising hostility to both the old parties—there it is far preferable to increase their membership by new accessions. Where, however, this conversion is for the moment not feasible, it should be tried again and again, and in the meanwhile corresponding Trades Unions should be founded on our own basis and induce the old Unions to join their action to ours wherever they sympathize with it. The Unions of every kind should most energetically be expanded into National, International, and common local organizations of all. They should collect Labor Statistics within their sphere, subscriptions to our Labor Papers, and Party Demands at the hand of the Legislatures; they should join our public demonstrations, and take care that all their members may be converted to our party creed and membership. It is only in these Unions that all the followers of the same trade or profession can form an intimate acquaintance with the capacities and moral trustworthiness of each member, so as to have a sufficient number of fitting organizers of business in the new society of the future, when the State must trust them with the productive interests of all. And it is only there that the brotherly spirit of solidarity can be fostered, especially among the rising generation of workers who are not yet voters.
The Normal Work-day of, for the present at most, Eight (later of less) Hours, is a most urgent necessity. Hundreds of thousands of working people are out of employment, and
