lay or prevent that NATIONAL CONSOLIDATION OF THE WORKINGMEN'S PARTY—on no matter what-platform—I should consider a great mistake…"
In another letter to Mrs. Wischnewetsky, Engels speaks of the necessity of first, and most important of all, "gaining the ear of the working class." He then develops this idea as follows:
"I think all our practice has shown that it is possible to work along with the general movement of the working class AT EVERY ONE OF ITS STAGES WITHOUT GIVING UP OR HIDING OUR OWN DISTINCT POSITION AND EVEN ORGANIZATION, and I am afraid that if the German Americans choose a different line they will commit a great mistake." (Letter of January 27, 1887.)
It should be noted that Engels wrote these lines just at the moment of the disgraceful behavior of the K. of L. towards the Chicago prisoners. H. George founded at that time in New York a weekly in which he disavowed the New York Socialists and refused to do anything in favor of the anarchists condemned in Chicago. Without hesitating a moment Engels supported Aveling, the son-in-law of Marx, who even in this situation bitterly fought the sectarian tactics of the National Executive of the Socialist Labor Party.
The viewpoint of Marx and Engels in the question of the American labor party is thus absolutely clear; they demanded of the American Marxists the formation of a national working-class party in America at any price, without regard to its program so long as the latter included the class
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