Graham R (Ed.) - Anarchism - A Documentary History of Libertarian Ideas Volume One - From Anarchy to Anarchism (300 CE to 1939)

196 / ANARCHISM
Thus, on the one hand, the "unionized" are today in a position to understand.
study and receive libertarian teachings: on the other. anarchists need not fe ar that. in
taking part in the corporative movement. they will be required to fo rswear their independence.
The fo rmer are ready to accept and the latter can strengthen an organization
whose resolutions are the products of free agreement: which. to borrow
Grave's words (La Societe future, p. 202) "has neither laws. nor statutes. nor regulations
to which each individual may be obliged to submit on pain of some
pre-determined penalty;" which individuals are at liberty to quit as they see fit. except.
let me repeat. when battle has been joined with the enemy; which. when all is
said and done. may be a practical schooling in anarchism.
Let free men then enter the trade union, and let the propagation of their ideas
prepare the workers. the artisans of wealth there to understand that they should regulate
their affairs fo r themselves. and then, when the time comes, smash not only existing
political fo rms. but any attempt to reconstitute a new power. That will show
the authorities how well-founded was their fe ar. posing as disdain. of "syndicalism."
and how ephemeral was their teaching. evaporated before it was even able to put
down roots!
57. Antonio Pellicer Para ire: The Organization of Labour (1900)
Antonio Pelficer Paraire (1851-1916) was a typesetter active in the Workers' Federation of tIle
Spanish Regivl/ (Seieclion36) in the 1880's, who argued against sectarianism among the various
tendencies within the anarchist movement in favour of a principled but realistic approach.
He travelled to Cuba, Mexico alld the Ullited States before settling ill Arj{entil1a ill 1891.111 a series
of articles published in the Buenos Aires anarcllist lIewpaper, La Protesta Humana, ill
1900, lie argued in favour of labour organizatiol1 while warning af the dangers of authoritarianism.
centralization and bureaucratization. These articles helped lay the groundwork for the
creation aithe Workers' Federation of Argentina in 1901. The translation is by Paul Sharkey.
ONE WING OF THE WORKERS' MOVEMENT which we may call the revolutionary wing
is made up of all who whole-heartedly believe and labour righteously fo r the success
of the ideal; and the other wing, which we may call the economic wing, is made up of
the toiling masses who fight to better their circumstances by countering the abuses
of the employers, not yet persuaded that if the efforts they deployed in securing such
partial improvements were to be committed to pursuit of complete emancipation.
the latter would be achieved at less cost and in less time.
But it has to be admitted that things are as they are and so parallel or dual organization
has to be accepted; revolutionary organization, rooted in ideals. is more