Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 11.djvu/135

 THE POLITICAL SITUATION IN FRANCE

Socialists, and the Revolutionary Socialists. Besides these, there are the Communistic Anarchists.

The Communistic Anarchists are few in number, but include several eminent personalities, and through their propaganda wield a great influence among the trades-unionists of the labor exchanges (bourses de travail). They spread their doctrine by means of weekly papers and lectures. Les Temps nowveaux, L'Ennemi du Peuple, and Le Libertaire, with Jean Grave, P. Delesale, Charles Albert, and Giraud as the leading writers, are the principal Anarchist organs. Besides, there spring up from time to time ephemeral papers which disappear soon after seeing the light. The principal lecturers are Sebastien Faure and Giraud. Lately the Anarchists are often called "Libertarians." The anarchistic movement is no longer talked about as it used to be, and the intellectual class does not follow it as it formerly did. Some of its most active agitators, like fimile Fouget, who was creator and editor of the famous Pere Peinard, have gone over to trades-unionism. M. Pouget is now one of the editors of La Voix du Peuple, the organ of the General Federation of Labor at the Labor Exchange of Paris. Here exists an active center of "Libertarian Socialism." Its influence is felt by all trades- unionists, who are thus kept away from the electoral strife, and from the political parties of the Reformatory and the Revolution- ary Socialists. In short, except for a few scattered individuals among the intellectuals, one may say that there are not now any Communistic Anarchists. But the doctrines of liberty, of liberta- rian organizations, have pervaded the labor and socialistic circles ; and thus we are in the presence of a strong libertarian movement toward a freely organized society.

The Radical Republicans, or simply Radicals, are the strong- est group of the Reform party now in formation. Their number may be estimated at 2,780,000. The Socialist Radicals do not number more than 1,890,000. It is especially from the southern, eastern, and central parts of France that the ranks of the Radicals and Socialist Radicals are recruited. In the West, the North, and the Northwest the people are prevailingly conservative. There are, however, a few centers of Socialists, both Reformatory and