Jean Jaurès

“ Socialism presupposes our modern civilisation. It does not go counter to it in any way. Far from being the enemy of civilisation. Socialism wishes to extend it to all humanity, whereas now it is the monopoly of a privileged minority. ”

“ Important as it is to give the freest possible play to all the different groups of interests so that they may be able to express their ideas and their needs, and to allow the people to collaborate in legislation as fully as possible, it would be folly to abandon all legislation to the initiative of the people, folly from the point of view of the government and from that of Socialism as well. ”

“ SOCIALISM AND THE PRIVILEGED CLASSES
The Socialist party ought not of course to be a confused echo of discordant interests: it must not allow its thought to be troubled or distorted by the chaos of present conditions. It ought to submit a definite platform for the consideration of the people, a definite method of evolving toward a perfectly clear end. ”

“ But we are not going to attain Socialism at one bound. The transition is going on all the time, and the important thing for us, in this explanation, is not to paint a picture of the future—which in any case would be useless labour—but to forecast a practical programme for the intermediate period, to formulate and justify measures that shall be applicable at once, and that will serve as aids to the new Socialist birth. ”

“ Since Socialism includes in its domain all the life, all the feelings and thoughts of man, it cannot become narrow or exclusive; and this gives it the immense advantage of being able to produce an effect as beneficial as it is harmonious on the whole field of civil and political life. ”

“ We recognise that it would be unjust to hold those who have built up a privileged situation for themselves on the basis of bad legislation personally responsible for that bad legislation, and to punish them personally. ”

“ It ought, then, to turn toward the people, and as soon as the occasion arises, by practical proposals and projects of legislation of general interest, to give positive proof that the good of the people is its only aim, the will of the people its only rule. ”

“ No, we do not need to seek the authority or protection of any one in our effort to find the most convenient road, the broadest, clearest, pleasantest, and quickest way of reaching our goal. We make our effort openly, and the proletariat joins with us. ”

“ Even those who now enjoy privileges and monopolies ought to be made to understand that we do not propose to adopt any violent or sudden measures against those whose position is now sanctioned by law, and that we are resolved, in the interests of a peaceful and harmonious evolution, to bring about the transition from legal injustice to legal justice with the greatest possible consideration for the individuals who are now privileged monopolists. ”

“ Even the advantages of a common ownership of property and co-operative labour were understood in the past, and the very principles of the Community of Communism were put into practice, but the human ideal that characterises Socialism was lacking and historic Communism is rightly judged to have been on a lower grade of civilisation than our present bourgeois society. ”

“ We especially state that in our opinion it is the duty of the State to give an indemnity to those whose interests will be injured by the necessary abolition of laws contrary to the common good in so far as this indemnity is consistent with the interests of the nation as a whole. ”

“ It is not the party of the different branches of the bourgeoisie and consequently it is not, like the National Liberals and the Progressives, bound to serve the particular interests and cater to the love of power of the bourgeoisie. ”

“ There have always been dreamers who have glowed with enthusiasm for the happiness of the human race. But theirs were idle dreams or useless devices, because the material physical means of realising them were lacking. ”