Letter to Hermann Schlüter, January 1, 1895

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To Schlüter in Hoboken

London, January 1, 1895

41 Regent’s Park Road, N. W

Dear Schlüter,

Your letter of 11 August still remains unanswered, nor have I yet thanked you for the Census Compendium which arrived safely. I have, however, been overwhelmed with all manner of work, while urgent party and business correspondence has virtually precluded my attending to my private correspondence, something from which Sorge has also had to suffer. You will have heard from him that Louise Kautsky is now Mrs Freyberger and the mother of a strong and healthy little girl and that we have all moved to 41, Regent’s Park Road.

As Sorge will have told you, I have sent you a copy of Volume III of Capital addressed to the Volkszeitung, as I didn’t know whether your Hoboken address still held good. At all events the Volkszeitung seemed safer to me. I could not, however, pass on your commission to Ede, he having long since been engaged for the same purpose by the Neue Zeit. I ought really to have advised you of this—please accept my apologies.

Things here are much the same as in your country. The socialist instinct is getting stronger and stronger among the masses, but as soon as it is a question of translating the instinctive impulses into clear demands and ideas people at once begin to disagree. Some go to the Social-Democratic Federation, others to the Independent Labour Party, still others go no further than the trade-union organisation, etc., etc. In brief, nothing but sects and no party. The leaders are almost all pretty unreliable fellows, the candidates for the top leadership are very numerous but by no means conspicuously fitted for the posts, while the two big bourgeois parties stand there, purse in hand, on the look-out for someone they can buy. Besides, so-called “democracy” here is very much restricted by indirect barriers. A periodical costs a terrible amount of money, a parliamentary candidature ditto, living the life of an M.P. — ditto, if only on account of the enormous correspondence entailed. A checking up of the miserably kept electoral register likewise costs a lot and so far only the two official parties can afford the expense. Anyone, therefore, who does not sign up with either of these parties has little chance of getting on the election list of candidates. In all these respects people here are a long way behind the Continent, and are beginning to notice this. Furthermore, we have no second ballots here and a relative majority or, as you Americans say, plurality, suffices. At the same time everything is arranged for only two parties. A third party can at most turn the scales in favour of one of the other two until it equals them in strength.

Nor are the Trade Unions in this country capable of accomplishing anything like the beer boycott in Berlin. An arbitration court like the one they succeeded in getting there is something still unattainable here.

Yet here, as in your country, once the workers know what they want, the state, the land, industry and everything else will be theirs.

This is intended for you alone, not for the Volkszeitung. Louise sends her kindest regards and both of us wish you a very Happy New Year.

Yours,

F. Engels