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Here are several points on Marx and Engels on voting: * Not only did the "Marx party" in the US support Lincoln's victory, in the second election they convinced the more radical candidate (Fremont) to withdraw so as not to split the vote (see Nimtz's work). * Nimtz also summarizes and quotes Engels: "Engels, three weeks earlier, applauded what he considered to be the correct conduct for working- class parties in elections that required runoffs: “[F]irst vote for our own man, and then, if it is clear that he won’t get in on the second round, vote for the opponent of the government, whoever he happens to be.”" * Engels to Bebel, October 28, 1885, (MECW 47, p 342): "In Germany it is easy to vote for a Social Democrat because we are the only real opposition party and because the Reichstag has no say in things...in France, things are altogether different. There, the Chamber is the effective power in the land and there can be no question of chucking away one's ballot paper. ... That is why the instinct of the Paris workers in always supporting the most radical party *possible* is right from one point of view." * Engels to Bebel, January 24, 1893: "He publicly declares that Parnell’s experiment, which compelled Gladstone to give in, ought to be repeated at the next election and where it is impossible to nominate a Labour candidate one should vote for the Conservatives, in order to show the Liberals the power of the party. Now this is a policy which under definite circumstances I myself recommended to the English; however, if at the very outset one does not announce it as a possible tactical move but proclaims it as tactics to be followed under any circumstances, then it smells strongly of Champion." The context was a vote in parliament by Irish MPs led to the failure of a Liberal government, which led to the Liberal Party adopting a more progressive position on Ireland to win back their votes. _________________________________________________________ Full posting guidelines at: http://www.marxmail.org/sub.htm Set your options at: http://lists.csbs.utah.edu/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
