Eleanor Marx Aveling
Source: Commonweal, Vol 2 No. 14, March 1886, page 28
Transcribed: by Graham Seaman, February 2022
FRANCE. — By far ihe most important news to chronicle from France — perhaps indeed from the Continent generally this month — is the splendid stand made by the four working-men's representatives in the Chamber, and more specially the magnificent speech by the miner Basly in his "interpellation" on the subject of the Decazeville "riots." This speech is so good that I am sure comrades will be glad to read something of it, and I regret the want of space forces me to give only a few extracts. It is the more important that we should read this speech, as we are practically ignorant of the condition of affairs at Decazeville that led to the execution ©f M. Watrin. M. Watrin has, by the sycophant English press, been represented as the unhappy victim of "popular fury." It is well we should know what manner of man this "victim" was, that we may judge for ourselves whether Basly was not right when he called the miners of Decazeville who killed him "des justiciers." I need hardly say, I suppose, that Basly's speech — as well as those of his supporters — caused a perfect tempest in the Ghamber. The deputies of all colors tried to distract and intimidate the miner, for the first time addressing such an assembly of "gentlemen", by interrupting him, shouting and yelling at him. Basly read his speech, and when deputies thought fit to jeer at this and his "unparliamentary language" ("I haven't been to school to learn parliamentary language!" said Basly) his dignified reply "Yes, I am reading my speech, and if you had worked like me for eighteen years at the bottom of a mine, perhaps you'd find it difficult even to read," must have made even these "gentlemen" a little ashamed of themselves. Basly began by pointing out the very serious state of affairs at Decazeville. "It is under the protection of bayonets that work is carried on; the soldiery are still at Decazeville, and have even been re-inforced ... this does not look as if calm were re-established. This proves, on the contrary, that the company and the government fear another outburst. ... This company, then, is conscious not only of its unpopularity, but also of its exactions, since, like brigands in Calabria it acts, arms in hand. ... But this is not merely a question of public safety, it is a question of political morality, of social justice. ... What is happening to day is not new, and it is my duty to explain to you the situation of the workers." After showing what has been the action of the government, Basly continued: "I now touch ... upon the most important point — the conditions under which the labor of the miners is carried on. ... To begin with, they are obliged to give the Company two month's credit; it, for example, only pays them on the 28th of February their wages for the month of January, which amounts to a forced loan without interest of 300,000 francs to the Company by its working-men. Thus, when a miner goes to Decazeville Company, he works the first month, and is only paid for that after he has finished the second month. And how, with the ridiculously low wages, can the workman live? This is a way of keeping them in the power of the Company, as they are always in debt... Now this is how Watrin treated the workers; he went down into the shaft in the morning and asked the miners how much they got, and ended by saying to them 'You don't earn enough.' Then in the afternoon he called the manager of the mine saying to him, 'You give so-and-so much to the workers — they earn too much!' So that there was theft and swindling on the part of M. Watrin — (Interruptions) — Watrin used to call the manager of the mine and force him to reduce the price agreed to with the miners. This is simple theft. ... I have held in my hands monthly cheques for work worth 100 francs, reduced to 34 francs! This, again, is simple swindling! ... But at last the workers learnt the part played by Watrin, which consisted in again forcing a reduction of the wages agreed upon. They further learnt that M. Watrin was in the habit of reducing at the end of the month the wage that the worker had earned, and that without the knowledge of the men. By this I mean, that the man fancied he was receiving the price of the work done, a certain sum, but M. Watrin permitted himself to reduce this by half, without warning or explanation, to those interested." Next Basly explained how the so-called "Co-operative Societies" started by the Company are used simply to exploit the miners, since 25 per cent is retained from their wage to form the capital of these undertakings, in which the workers, however, have no share! "In the face of all this," Basly continued, "who shall dare deny that the conflict which broke out a fortnight ago, and that cost M. Watrin his life, was not more than justified? (Exclamations and violent interruptions). The miner who digs the coal is in the same position as the horses that drag the carts of the Company, only the Company have never thought, under the pretext that business was slack, of reducing the rations of the horses, — (oh, oh!) — while every one has seen the wage of the workers reduced. ... The workers demand ... a salary always sufficient for their needs, and the needs of their families, and it is a minimum of salary that I am sent here to demand. ... I now come to a delicate point ... but I ask you to let me state, not only what I think, but what I know. I only state facts that I have seen. ... Well, gentlemen, a man has been killed at Decazeville. This man had drawn upon himself all the hate, all the anger of the working and commercial population. ... He was detested; he had starved a whole population. His rôle had been peculiarly abominable. You know it; it was he who took the bread out of the mouths of the women and children. (Loud protests. M. de Cassagnac: "Do not insult the victim, do not trample on the dead. This is odious!") It is he who is responsible for all that has happened. ... You protest against my words. And those hundreds of workers, mercilessly stricken by the Company, thrown with their families into the streets! ... Ah! against the starvers-out of a people there is no law! Well, these workers, these miners, they too are slain, slowly assassinated, and no one protests... Among the miners the death of M. Watrin — I must say this — is looked upon as an act of justice. It is not I alone who say this, it is the workers who say it. I know I shall be told no one has a right to take justice into his own hands. No! no one has that right — but on this condition only that justice is done. But had the Minister of Public Justice thought of sup-pressing M. Watrin's exactions? No! so he allowed, or rather he had to let popular justice be done." (Loud protests, interruptions, etc. "This is simply an apology for assassination." Calls to order from the President, for the fifth or sixth time, etc.). "Such summary justice is not rare. It is not long since the worthy, the valiant wife of M. Clovis Hugues, in the very court of justice, executed an abominable creature ... not only did the jury and public opinion exalt her act, but several of our colleagues, among others M. de Cassagnac, approved this act of summary justice. ... So it happens that one does take justice into one's own hands, and the executioners (justiciers) are not always condemned. But in those acts it was only a question of personal, vengeance. Well, is not the anger of a famished, outraged mass just as legitimate ? ... One word more. On July 14, 1789, were not the tyrants who starved out the people executed, and were not their heads carried about the streets at the top of poles? — and did not the Chamber make this revolutionary day the national fête?' . The law never touches the Companies who starve their workers — theirs are the culpable acts — but who can say the miners of Decazeville are assassins? (Interruptions, and Basly turning to the yelling deputies), May you always do your duty as I have to-day done mine!"
After Basly, some very good speeches were made by Boudy and Oamélinat. The little group of four that has thus dared to face over 600 men "deserved well," not only of their own country, but of all Socialists. The formation of this revolutionary group is, of course, a bitter pill for M. Clemenceau to swallow. He fancied Basly and the rest, would, like our miserable Howells and Broadhursts, become a useful "tail" for his party. His indignation at their independence and their determination to have nothing to do with the unclean politicians of any shade, but to stand out boldly as the spokesmen of the people, is almost pathetic.
Our comrade Vaillant has again brought forward a motion of amnesty (to include the Decazeville miners) in the Municipal Council. Meantime, Rochefort's Bill was lost in the Chamber, and Rochefort has in consequence resigned his seat.
Eleanor Marx-Aveling.