Page:The Advancing Proletariat (1917).pdf/28

26 From my notes on an address by Leon Jouhaux, Secretary of the Confederation General du Travail (France) I quote the following:

"Aims of C. G. T.

Section 1. Grouping of wages workers for the defense of their moral and material interests, both economic and professional.

Section 2. Outside every political school it organizes every worker, who is conscious of the struggle, for the abolition of the wages system and the employing class."


 * "It proposes to become the local administrator and regulator of production in the new society."


 * "Syndicalism must be self-sufficient in the task it has laid down for itself, therefore it develops class consciousness. It develops and strengthens the working class through the everyday struggles. It promotes class education towards the expropriation of the employers."


 * "Economic transformation only is sought, therefore the ability of the workers for production and self government must be developed."


 * "The C. G. T. forms the new society within the shell of the old."

You will observe that both these official utterances are practically the same in the expression of PURPOSE, and that they show a complete realization and acceptance of the duties and responsibilities imposed upon the working class by their revolutionary programs. But, at this point, the two organizations diverge, fundamental differences of conception and tactics distinguish them to such an extent, that it is a grave error to say that the two are really identical. The recent formation of the Syndicalist League of North America has accentuated this difference in the United States and there is no longer any reason why any inquiring person should fail to distinguish between them. The anarchistic element are