Jules Guesde organizes his workers' party

A very interesting and long letter from Guesde, addressed to the socialist mayor of Lille, Gustave Delory, relating to the subjects to be debated at the party congresses (Amsterdam, Reims...), to its members, to the general strike called by the supporters of Jean Allemane, etc.

"[...] The national council, meeting in extraordinary session this afternoon, took the following decisions on the two questions you brought to its attention on behalf of the Northern Federal Committee, unanimously by the members present: namely [?], Bracke, Rolland, Prevost, Martin and myself:

1. He does not believe it useful to propose to the Central Council that "the attitude of the PSDF towards the corporatist movement" be added to the agenda of the National Congress in Reims, since this item is the general strike you have in mind. Not that we see any serious drawbacks to raising a discussion on this increasingly less contentious matter. But the general strike is on the agenda (at the request of the Allemanists) of the International Congress in Amsterdam, which we will have to discuss in Reims. There is no need for us to initiate a debate that will arise naturally [...].

2° The Council is of the opinion that the very remarkable letter from the friends of Mons-en-Baroeul should be sent to the central consul, as a testimony to the profound class spirit which animates our governments [...]".

Gustave Delory (1857-1925), a member of the Workers' Party in Lille, was elected mayor of Lille in 1896 (he was one of the first socialist mayors in France). In 1902, he was elected deputy for the 3rd^, known as Bracke-Desrousseaux (1861-1955), son of the eponymous songwriter, an eminent Hellenist (professor of Greek philosophy at the University of Lille), was converted to socialism through his encounters with Paul Lafargue and Jules Guesde.